SEPANG: Moto2 wildcard riders Helmi Azman and Khairul Idham Pawi faced contrasting fortunes on the opening day of the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia today.
Helmi placed 29th in the morning practice session at Sepang Circuit after clocking two minutes and 9.550 seconds while Khairul (2:10.195s) brought up the rear in 32nd.
Helmi managed an improved 2:08.727s in the afternoon session to again place 29th while Khairul managed 2:10.045s (32nd).
Helmi, who had also received a Moto2 wildcard for last year's Malaysian GP, said he was pleased with the progress he achieved today.
"The morning session was a bit tricky because the track conditions were mixed. There was a bit of rain before we started this morning," said Helmi.
"I felt more comfortable on the bike compared to last year and was able to push harder. I am quite pleased with my times as I was faster that I was last year even in the first session itself.
"I will keep pushing tomorrow, I want to close the gap with the front guys."
Khairul, who raced as a full-season rider in the intermediate class between 2017-2019, admitted he struggled to find his rhythm.
"I really found it tough in the morning session as I had forgotten what it is like to ride a moto2 bike after being away for so long. It was as if I was a newcomer again," said Khairul, better known by his nickname SuperKIP.
"It was not any easier in the afternoon session as I had issues with my brakes, which locked up, and clutch and was only able to put in a few laps.
"Hopefully, I can achieve more progress tomorrow."
Gresini's Manuel Gonzalez topped the afternoon session on a solid 2:05.576s while Filip Salac (Elf Marc VDS) came in second (+0.333s). Red Bull KTM Ajo's Deniz Oncu (+0.368s) rounded out the top-three.