QABIL IRFAN ELAK INSIDEN NGERI, CIPTA PODIUM SULUNG DI JEREZ

🇲🇾 Jerez, Sepanyol | 5 Julai 2026 – Qabil Irfan Azlan melakar sejarah peribadi apabila meraih podium sulung dalam saingan Moto4 European Cup selepas menamatkan Perlumbaan 2 Pusingan 3 di Litar Jerez, Sepanyol di tempat ketiga dalam perlumbaan yang dihentikan dengan bendera merah susulan kemalangan besar. Pelumba pasukan SIC-GRYD Racing itu mempamerkan semangat juang tinggi apabila bangkit daripada kedudukan kelapan untuk kembali mencabar kelompok hadapan dalam perlumbaan yang dipendekkan kepada sembilan pusingan.

Walaupun beberapa kali kehilangan posisi akibat persaingan sengit, Qabil tidak pernah mengalah dan terus memberikan tekanan kepada kelompok pendahulu sebelum melakukan kebangkitan pada penghujung perlumbaan. Namun, perlumbaan bertukar cemas apabila kemalangan besar membabitkan Lorenzo Pritelli, Victor Cubeles, Alvaro Lucas dan Edoardo Savino berlaku di kelompok hadapan sehingga memaksa perlumbaan dihentikan dengan bendera merah dikibarkan pada pusingan terakhir perlumbaan.

Qabil yang berjaya mengelak insiden tersebut kemudiannya disahkan menamatkan perlumbaan di tempat ketiga sekali gus menghadiahkan podium pertamanya dalam Moto4 European Cup. Gabungan keputusan tempat ketujuh pada Perlumbaan 1 dan podium tempat ketiga pada Perlumbaan 2 membolehkan Qabil mengumpul 51 mata keseluruhan untuk kekal di tangga keenam kejuaraan, sekali gus terus menghidupkan peluang mencabar kelompok teratas apabila kini hanya dipisahkan 44 mata daripada pendahulu keseluruhan, Alvaro Lucas dari pasukan CFMoto Aspar Junior Team.

Podium sulung di Jerez turut menjadi bukti perkembangan positif Qabil dan podium tersebut sedikit sebanyak meningkatkan semangat Qabil untuk memburu kemenangan sulung menjelang aksi seterusnya Perancis pada 24 hingga 26 Julai nanti.

🇬🇧 Jerez, Spain | 5 July 2026 – Qabil Irfan Azlan made personal history by claiming his maiden Moto4 European Cup podium after finishing third in Race 2 of Round 3 at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain, a race that was red-flagged following a major multi-rider incident. The SIC-GRYD Racing rider displayed tremendous determination, fighting his way back from eighth place to rejoin the leading group in a race that was shortened to nine laps.

Despite losing positions on several occasions during the intense battle at the front, Qabil refused to give up and continued applying pressure on the leaders before launching a strong charge in the closing stages. However, the race took a dramatic turn when a heavy crash involving Lorenzo Pritelli, Victor Cubeles, Alvaro Lucas and Edoardo Savino at the front of the field brought out the red flags on the final lap.

Having successfully avoided the incident, Qabil was classified in third place, securing his maiden Moto4 European Cup podium. Combined with his seventh-place finish in Race 1, the result sees Qabil move onto 51 championship points while retaining sixth place in the overall standings. He now sits 44 points behind championship leader Alvaro Lucas of the CFMoto Aspar Junior Team, keeping his hopes of challenging the frontrunners very much alive.

The breakthrough podium at Jerez is further evidence of Qabil’s continued progress and provides a significant confidence boost as he sets his sights on securing his maiden Moto4 European Cup victory at the next round in France from 24 to 26 July.

🇲🇾 “Saya sangat bersyukur kerana akhirnya berjaya meraih podium pertama saya dalam Moto4 European Cup dengan menamatkan perlumbaan kedua di tempat ketiga. Perlumbaan hari ini memang sangat mencabar kerana persaingan begitu sengit dari awal hingga akhir, namun saya tidak pernah berputus asa dan terus berusaha untuk kekal bersama kelompok hadapan. Podium ini amat bermakna buat saya kerana ia adalah hasil kerja keras seluruh pasukan sepanjang hujung minggu ini.

Terima kasih kepada pasukan SIC-GRYD Racing, SIC, ZK Racing, Terengganu Inc., RCB, keluarga saya dan semua penyokong di Malaysia yang sentiasa memberikan sokongan serta mendoakan kejayaan saya. Saya harap keputusan ini menjadi pembakar semangat untuk terus bekerja lebih keras dan memburu keputusan yang lebih baik dalam perlumbaan akan datang.”

🇬🇧 “I’m very grateful to have finally achieved my first podium finish in the Moto4 European Cup by finishing third in Race 2. It was a very challenging race, with intense battles from start to finish, but I never gave up and kept pushing to stay with the leading group. This podium means a great deal to me because it is the result of the hard work put in by the entire team throughout the weekend.

I would like to thank SIC-GRYD Racing, SIC, ZK Racing, Terengganu Inc., RCB, my family, and all the supporters back home in Malaysia who have continued to believe in me and support me every step of the way. I hope this result will give me even more motivation to keep working hard and fighting for even stronger results in the races to come.”

🇲🇾 “Akhirnya Qabil berjaya meraih podium dalam Perlumbaan 2 Pusingan 3 Moto4 European Cup di Jerez. Ini adalah podium yang sangat sukar kerana sepanjang minggu ini saya melihat peluang Qabil untuk naik podium agak tipis. Dalam Perlumbaan 2, walaupun perlumbaan dipendekkan kepada sembilan pusingan, Qabil memberikan aksi yang cukup hebat dari awal hingga akhir. Dia benar-benar memberikan saingan sengit kepada pelumba-pelumba di hadapan. Saya sangat lega dan bersyukur kerana Qabil tidak terbabit dalam kemalangan besar itu dan akhirnya berjaya menamatkan perlumbaan di podium tempat ketiga.

Saya percaya keputusan ini membuktikan kemampuan sebenar Qabil serta kerja keras yang dilakukan bersama pasukan sepanjang hujung minggu ini. Pada masa sama, saya percaya pakej motosikal ketika ini masih belum cukup kompetitif. Namun, Qabil tetap berjaya memaksimumkan potensi jentera sepanjang hujung minggu ini.

Saya gembira kerana ini adalah podium pertama Qabil dalam Moto4 European Cup. Saya berharap pakej motosikal dapat diperbaiki dan dipertingkatkan lagi prestasi bagi membolehkan Qabil bersaing dengan lebih konsisten di kelompok hadapan pada perlumbaan-perlumbaan akan datang.”

🇬🇧 “Qabil has finally secured his first podium in Race 2 of Round 3 of the Moto4 European Cup at Jerez. It was a very hard-earned podium because, throughout the weekend, I felt his chances of finishing on the podium were quite slim. However, despite the race being shortened to nine laps, Qabil delivered an outstanding performance from start to finish. He fought hard with the riders at the front throughout the race. I was also very relieved and grateful that he avoided the major incident and was able to finish in third place.

I believe this result reflects Qabil’s true potential, as well as the hard work put in by both him and the team throughout the weekend. At the same time, I still believe our current bike package is not yet competitive enough. Nevertheless, Qabil managed to maximise the potential of the machine throughout the weekend.

I’m delighted that this is Qabil’s first podium in the Moto4 European Cup. I hope we can continue improving the bike package and its overall performance so that Qabil can compete more consistently at the front in the races to come.”