FIVE WINNING STREAK BROKEN, HELMI VOWS TO RETURN STRONGER

After a remarkable five-race winning streak in the MSBK600 category, BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM’s Muhd Helmi Azman found himself off the podium in Race 2 of Round 3 MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Helmi, who had dominated both rounds leading up to Round 3 by winning every race, was left to settle for 4th place in wet conditions, as Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND took the victory.
Helmi’s teammate Muhd Syarifuddin Azman secured the third spot, while Japan’s Okaya Yuta finished second. Helmi, though, couldn’t hide his disappointment as he saw his winning streak come to an end.
Helmi revealed the struggles that led to his unexpected result, “In Race 2, I was still trying to win despite the wet conditions,” Helmi said. “But something happened with the electronics after I used launch control on the grid. The bike was stuck with a speed limiter, so I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted to.”
The P4 finish was a stark contrast to his earlier performances in the season, where Helmi had established himself as the rider to beat. When asked about his feelings on seeing his winning streak broken, he remained composed.
“I’m still feeling positive,” he shared. “This doesn’t affect me much mentally. I missed out on the win this time, but I will come back stronger for the last round.”
Helmi was candid about what went wrong in Race 2 and what needs to improve moving forward, “The bike needs to have the right setup for grip,” he explained. “If the grip isn’t there, it’s tough to manage the race. It’s something we need to focus on.”
Looking ahead to the final round, Helmi is determined to fine-tune both his bike and his riding strategy, “For Round 4, I’ll be focusing more on the bike setup and making my riding smoother. It’s about finding that consistency in lap times.”
The battle for the championship is now heating up, with Thanat proving to be a strong contender. Helmi, however, is not letting the pressure get to him.
“Thanat is definitely the main challenger, but for me, it’s about staying focused on each race and fighting for the win,” he concluded.