Hakim Danish to have dedicated grandstand at Malaysian GP
By Lee Seng Foo2 months ago
(Diego Sperani)
Hakim Danish Ramli will have a dedicated grandstand named after him at this year’s Malaysian Grand Prix following an impressive first half of his rookie Moto3 campaign.
The 18-year-old has enjoyed a good start to his Grand Prix career, claiming his maiden victory at the Grand Prix of Czechia and finishing third at Mugello.
The special grandstand initiative was announced by organisers on Tuesday after Hakim returned to Malaysia for the mid-season break.
“We will have a special grandstand for Hakim Danish. Those who have not bought tickets yet can wait, or they can buy them now and later exchange them for tickets to the Hakim Danish Special Grandstand,” Sepang International Circuit (SIC) CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Azhan added that the grandstand would be located along the front straight near the Main Grandstand, with two seating blocks initially allocated and additional capacity available if required.
Hakim welcomed the tribute, saying he was honoured by it.
“I am thankful for this recognition. It gives me motivation to race at Sepang later this year and give my best in front of the Malaysian fans,” he said.
The initiative came during a significant year for Malaysian motorsport, with Kuala Lumpur hosting MotoGP’s 2026 season launch earlier this year before the Sepang International Circuit secured a new five-year agreement to remain on the championship calendar until the end of the 2031 season.
Cristiano Ronaldo's international career is set to continue after the Al Nassr star was named in Portugal's squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches.
The 41-year-old was included in new head coach Jorge Jesus' first 25-man squad as Portugal prepare to face Wales, Norway and Denmark over the next two weeks.
Ronaldo's inclusion comes amid continued speculation over his future after hinting last month that the current season would "probably" be his final year as a professional footballer.
Reports had also suggested Ronaldo could make his final Portugal appearance against Wales at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on September 24, but no retirement date has been confirmed by the forward.
Instead, he remains part of Portugal's plans under Jesus, who replaced Roberto Martinez following their last-16 exit to Spain at the World Cup.
The appointment reunites Ronaldo with his former Al Nassr coach after the pair helped the Saudi club win their first Saudi Pro League title since 2019 last season.
Meanwhile, CR7 continues to lead Al Nassr's title defence in what could be his final club campaign, but the champions have made an inconsistent start to the new season.
Ronaldo has scored three goals in seven league appearances so far, while Al Nassr's latest league outing ended in a 1-1 draw against Al Khaleej.
Watch selected matches from the 2026/27 Saudi Pro League live on SPOTV NOW.
MotoGP will get an anime twist at Motegi after popular Japanese franchise "Umamusume Pretty Derby" was announced as an official event partner of the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix.
The collaboration will bring the horse racing-inspired franchise to Mobility Resort Motegi for the October 2-4 race weekend, combining one of Japan's biggest entertainment properties with the premier motorcycle racing event.
"Umamusume Pretty Derby", developed by Japanese studio Cygames, centres around characters inspired by real-life racehorses who compete as runners while pursuing careers as idols.
First launched as a mobile game in Japan in 2021, the franchise has since expanded through anime, manga and other media, while its international profile received a major boost following the release of an English-language version of the game in 2025.
Other than special activities and displays around Motegi during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, the partnership will see Tomoyo Takayanagi, the voice of Oguri Cap in the series, wave the chequered flag for the Moto2 and Moto3 classes on Sunday.
The collaboration comes as MotoGP prepares for another major weekend in Japan, which forms part of the closing stages of the 2026 MotoGP title fight.
Reigning world champion Marc Marquez and Aprilia pair Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi are currently locked in a close battle at the top of the standings.
Before heading to Motegi, however, MotoGP will visit the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix from September 18-20.
Watch the 2026 MotoGP season live on SPOTV NOW.
The 2027 MotoGP grid is effectively complete after Senna Agius secured the final available seat with Red Bull KTM Tech3 ahead of the championship's new era.
Agius will step up from Moto2 to partner Luca Marini at Tech3, making the 21-year-old the latest new face to join a heavily reshuffled premier-class field next season.
His promotion means all 22 riders set to compete in 2027 are now known, although one final piece of the puzzle remains at Honda.
Fabio Quartararo will lead the factory HRC team, while Johann Zarco is staying with LCR, but Honda have yet to decide where David Alonso and Diogo Moreira will be placed between the two squads.
Away from Honda, the grid has undergone major changes ahead of the introduction of 850cc engines and Pirelli tyres in 2027.
Ducati will pair reigning world champion Marc Marquez with Pedro Acosta, while Francesco Bagnaia leaves the Italian manufacturer to join Marco Bezzecchi at Aprilia.
KTM and Yamaha will also have completely new line-ups, with Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio forming the former's pairing, while Martin will join Ai Ogura at the Japanese manufacturer.
There are major changes among the satellite teams too.
Fermin Aldeguer moves from Gresini to VR46, where he will be joined by WorldSBK star Nicolo Bulega.
Gresini will instead field 2020 world champion Joan Mir alongside Moto2 graduate Daniel Holgado, while Enea Bastianini joins Raul Fernandez at Trackhouse Aprilia.
Prima Pramac Yamaha have also opted for a new-look pairing of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Izan Guevara, with the latter stepping up from Moto2.
The changes mean several familiar names will be absent from the MotoGP grid, including Jack Miller, Brad Binder, Franco Morbidelli and Maverick Vinales, while Alex Rins has already announced he will leave two-wheeled racing at the end of the season.
MotoGP heads to the Red Bull Ring this weekend for the Austrian Grand Prix, with the championship arriving in Spielberg finely poised after a dramatic turnaround at the top of the standings.
Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin are level on 274 points, with the defending champion leading on countback, while Pedro Acosta heads to KTM's home race in his best form of the season.
Here are five fun facts to know ahead of the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix from September 18-20, live on SPOTV NOW.
After the Italian Grand Prix, Marquez trailed then-championship leader Marco Bezzecchi by a massive 102 points. Just seven rounds later, victory at the San Marino Grand Prix moved Marquez level with Martin on 274 points.
Marquez has therefore erased the largest deficit to take the championship lead in the MotoGP era, surpassing the 91-point gap Francesco Bagnaia overturned in 2022.
The latter, however, still holds the record for the biggest comeback to win the MotoGP title after completing the job against Fabio Quartararo that season.
A decade of survival
Of the riders entered in the MotoGP class when Austria returned to the calendar in 2016, only Marquez, Maverick Vinales and Jack Miller remain on the grid a decade later.
Miller did not start the 2016 race after suffering a warm-up crash, while Vinales remains doubtful for this weekend as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury.
Should Vinales be ruled out again, Marquez would be the only full-time rider to start both the 2016 and 2026 Austrian Grands Prix. Incidentally, Vinales' replacement in recent rounds, Pol Espargaro, was also on the grid 10 years ago.
Another win for Ducati?
The Red Bull Ring has become a Ducati stronghold since MotoGP returned to Austria in 2016. The Italian manufacturer has won ten of the 12 premier-class races staged at the circuit over the past decade, including the additional Styrian Grands Prix held in 2020 and 2021.
Andrea Iannone, Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Lorenzo, Martin and Francesco Bagnaia have contributed to that dominance, while Marquez joined the list when he finally ended his long wait for an Austrian victory last year.
Watch out for the Shark
Only one manufacturer has prevented a complete Ducati sweep at the Red Bull Ring since 2016: home team KTM. Miguel Oliveira delivered the Austrian manufacturer a victory at the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix before Brad Binder produced his unforgettable slick-tyre triumph in the rain at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix.
With that in mind, do not rule out Pedro Acosta becoming KTM's third MotoGP winner on home soil and finally ending his own wait for a maiden MotoGP Grand Prix victory.
The Spaniard heads to Spielberg with back-to-back podiums after finishing second at Aragon and third at San Marino, with KTM's recent engine work helping the RC16 return to the front.
What better way for "The Shark" to sign off his final Austrian Grand Prix as a KTM rider before joining Ducati than with a home victory?
The inaugural FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup reaches its conclusion at the Red Bull Ring this weekend, with four riders still in contention for the title.
Archie McDonald leads the standings with 174 points, just seven ahead of Eric Granado on 167, while Oscar Gutierrez sits third on 148 and Andrea Iannone remains in the hunt on 147. If Iannone manages to defy the odds, it would be another landmark triumph for the Italian at the venue.
A decade ago, he claimed his first and only MotoGP victory at the Red Bull Ring, ending Ducati's six-year premier-class win drought. This weekend, the same circuit could provide the setting for Iannone to become the inaugural Bagger World Cup champion.
