Malaysian racing driver Hayden Haikal continues to impress the grid at international levels as recently he get his first foreign team call-up to compete in the Thailand Super Series during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.
The 18-year-old celebrated the first day of Hari Raya racing 12 laps around the Chang International Circuit followed by a second 12-lap race the following day. Qualifying 4th in the Thailand Super Eco Class, Hayden completed his first contracted racing weekend in 5th and 6th places respectively over the two days.
Finishing runner-up in the same class in 2022 in what was only his first time competing in Thailand and abroad, Hayden made an impactful enough impression to be approached by Pipekids Racing, a newly set-up Thai team to spearhead their campaign this season behind the wheel of a Honda Brio Amaze.
“I’m really honored to have been called up to drive for the team. The Amaze is the sedan variant of the same model I drove last year. It is a newly built car and I did not get enough seat time in the car. I arrived two days before the race and most of the practice and qualifying sessions were spent ironing out some technical and mechanical issues,” said Hayden.
“The new Suzuki Swifts competing this year appear to have so much more pace. This year’s championship saw the entry of another five new Swifts and that means five more obstacles for me to overcome.”
Haikal continued to make an impression on the track when he posted 4th fastest in qualifying.
“For a new team and a newly built car, I’m quite happy despite the many challenges we faced. Starting on pole position in Race 2 (reverse grid format), I managed to stay in the front pack throughout the race despite having to nurse power issues. It was unfortunate that I got pushed off the track in the closing laps and lost valuable positions recovering. But that’s racing. I feel at home competing in Thailand because I have a lot of friends here and the people are very welcoming.”
The Thailand Super Series will be held over six rounds with Round 2 from 25-28 May at the Chang International Circuit; Round 3 from 27 June-2 July at the Bangsaen Street Circuit; Round 4 (25-27 August) at the Chang International Circuit; Round 5 (15-17 September) at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix; and the final round from 14-17 December at the Chang International Circuit.
Hayden is also competing in a second championship in Thailand – the Idemitsu Super Turbo Championship – which consists of another six rounds. He has already completed the first two rounds (10-12 March) with back to back race wins at the Chang International Circuit. Rounds 3 and 4 of the Idemitsu Super Turbo Championship is scheduled for 19-21 May, while the final two rounds (5 & 6) will be from 16-18 June 2023, with all races taking places at the Chang International Circuit.