Hakim Danish joins exclusive SEA club of Grand Prix winners
By Lee Seng Foo4 hours ago
(Diego Sperani/MotoGP)
Malaysia’s Hakim Danish became only the third Southeast Asian rider to win a motorcycle Grand Prix after producing a stunning charge from 14th on the grid to win the Moto3 race at the 2026 Grand Prix of Czechia on Sunday.
The 18-year-old had originally qualified on the front row at Brno but was demoted to 14th on the grid after receiving a qualifying penalty.
Undeterred, the AEON Credit–MT Helmets–MSi rider carved his way through the field to claim his maiden race win ahead of Brian Uriarte and Maximo Quiles.
Indonesia’s Veda Pratama also impressed by bagging the fastest lap and finishing fifth, giving Southeast Asia two riders inside the top five and further highlighting the region’s growing presence in the Moto3 category.
Hakim’s victory placed him in an exclusive group of Southeast Asian Grand Prix winners.
Before Sunday’s breakthrough, only two riders from the region had won races in the modern MotoGP world championship classes.
Malaysia’s Khairul Idham Pawi became the country’s first Grand Prix winner in 2016 after securing Moto3 victories in Argentina and Germany.
Somkiat Chantra later became the first Thai rider to win a Grand Prix after claiming victory in the Moto2 class at the Indonesian Grand Prix in 2022 before adding a second win in Japan the following year.
No Southeast Asian rider has yet won a premier-class Grand Prix.
Serena Williams' return to Wimbledon singles competition in 2026 has added another chapter to the tournament's long history of high-profile wild cards.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has accepted a singles invitation from the All England Club after already confirming her participation in the doubles draw alongside sister Venus.
While wild cards often generate debate, Wimbledon has frequently used them to accommodate former champions, returning stars and players whose achievements or circumstances outweigh their rankings.
Over the years, several of those decisions have produced some of the tournament's most memorable moments.
Goran Ivanisevic (2001)
No Wimbledon wild card had a greater impact than Ivanisevic's invitation in 2001. The Croatian arrived at the All England Club ranked 125th after injuries had derailed his season and prevented him from entering the tournament directly.
A three-time Wimbledon runner-up, Ivanisevic was granted a place in the draw based on his previous achievements on grass. He responded by producing one of the most unlikely title runs in Grand Slam history and becoming the only player to win a Grand Slam singles title as a wild card.
Juan Carlos Ferrero (2009)
Ferrero received a Wimbledon wildcard in 2009 after his ranking dropped outside the world's top 90 during an extended slump. Although primarily known for his success on clay, the former world No. 1 produced one of the strongest men's wildcard campaigns since Ivanisevic's triumph eight years earlier.
Ferrero defeated Gilles Simon and Fernando Gonzalez on his way to the quarter-finals before losing to Andy Murray, a run that helped revive his career and contributed to his return to the world's top 20.
Zheng Jie produced one of the most remarkable runs by a Wimbledon wildcard in the Open Era. The Chinese player defeated top seed Ana Ivanovic in the third round and advanced to the semi-finals before eventually losing to Serena Williams.
Her run made her the first women's singles wildcard to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals and the first Chinese player to advance that far at a Grand Slam singles tournament.
Pat Cash (1986)
Cash received a Wimbledon wild card in 1986 after injuries and an emergency appendectomy severely disrupted his season and caused his ranking to fall outside the direct entry positions. The Australian justified the invitation by defeating second seed Mats Wilander en route to the quarter-finals, where he lost to Henri Leconte.
The run helped restore his confidence after months of injury problems and proved to be a turning point in his comeback. The following year, Cash returned to the All England Club as a seeded player and captured the Wimbledon title.
Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber (2024)
Wimbledon's 2024 women's wild cards were widely regarded as one of the tournament's strongest collective decisions. All four players were Grand Slam champions, but their rankings had fallen because of extended absences rather than declining ability. Raducanu returned after multiple surgeries, Osaka and Kerber resumed competition following maternity leave, and Wozniacki continued her comeback after returning from retirement.
Among all the singles wild cards awarded that year, Raducanu produced the best run by reaching the fourth round.
Marco Bezzecchi found himself at the centre of controversy during the 2026 Czech Grand Prix weekend after an angry exchange with track marshals earned him a suspension from Sunday's main race.
The Italian crashed out of the Brno Sprint before appearing to push and strike marshals who were attempting to assist him. Race stewards later handed the Aprilia rider a Grand Prix suspension, making it one of the strongest penalties imposed for rider conduct towards marshals in recent MotoGP history.
While such incidents remain rare in MotoGP, Bezzecchi is not the first rider to face disciplinary action following confrontations with marshals or failures to comply with their instructions. Here are three previous examples.
Fabio Quartararo (2025 French Grand Prix)
The Yamaha rider landed in trouble after disobeying instructions from marshals following a crash at his home race. Stewards later imposed a €2,000 fine and barred Quartararo from the opening 10 minutes of the first practice session at the subsequent British Grand Prix.
Morbidelli endured a difficult weekend in Barcelona as he received a penalty for causing a collision during the Sprint before crashing again in Sunday's race. Following the second incident, stewards ruled that the VR46 rider had failed to comply with instructions from track marshals. He subsequently received a €2,000 fine and a 10-minute suspension from the opening practice session at the following San Marino Grand Prix.
Marco Bezzecchi (2022 Valencia Grand Prix)
The Brno controversy was not Bezzecchi's first altercation with marshals. After crashing during practice at Valencia in his rookie MotoGP season, the Italian confronted a marshal while his Ducati was on fire. Television footage showed Bezzecchi grabbing and pushing the official as he attempted to deal with the situation. Stewards later fined him €1,000 for the incident.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup was not only capturing the attention of football fans around the globe but also became a talking point in the MotoGP paddock.
During a pre-race press conference at Brno, several riders were asked which nation they believed would lift football's biggest prize.
For Marco Bezzecchi, the answer was straightforward following Italy's failure to qualify for the tournament.
"For sure, not England," joked the championship leader. "I hope for Brazil."
Spanish riders naturally backed their home nation to go all the way, even for non-football fans like Pedro Acosta.
"I don't follow much football, but I'm with Spain," said the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider.
Marc Marquez, however, found it harder to separate national pride from his admiration for one of football's greatest players.
"Spain or Argentina," said the reigning world champion. "[Because of] Lionel Messi."
Argentina entered the tournament as defending champions after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while Spain arrived among the favourites following their EURO 2024 triumph.
The football discussion provided a light-hearted distraction before attention returned to the track, with riders preparing for this weekend's Grand Prix of Czechia, live on SPOTV NOW.
Marc Marquez ruled out any possibility of racing in Formula One after making a recent appearance in the F1 paddock at the Catalunya Grand Prix.
The reigning MotoGP world champion visited Audi's garage and caught up with Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto during last weekend's race in Barcelona.
The appearance also drew attention after the official broadcast mistakenly identified the Ducati rider as a "former MotoGP rider", prompting amusement among fans on social media.
Marquez is no stranger to the world of Formula One, having previously tested a Red Bull car in 2018, but he insisted the level required to compete at the top of four-wheel racing is simply too high.
"I know that in F1 it said [on the TV graphic] 'Former MotoGP rider'," Marquez joked during a press conference ahead of this weekend's Grand Prix of Czechia at Brno.
"You can be good, you can be okay, but if you want to be competitive in four wheels, I have a big respect for F1 drivers and it's impossible.
"Maybe some races for fun in other or lower categories, you never know. But never in F1 because the level is super-high."
Marquez heads into the Grand Prix of Czechia, live on SPOTV NOW, in strong form after becoming a centurion with his 100th career Grand Prix victory across all classes in Hungary.
