AirAsia-SIC-Ajo Team´s Malaysian rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin will start the historical Moto3 GP season opener on Sunday at Losail circuit from seventh place on the grid.
Khairuddin managed to found good speed on his KTM´s factory bike already at practice sessions and qualified now only 48 thousandth of seconds from second row.
The traction of the 5, sale 4 kilometres long Losail circuit which is situated in the desert wasn´t the best possible one on Saturday. Moto3 class´s qualifying was the first session on Saturday night.
– I couldn´t find the best possible feeling for the front end of my bike at these circumstances. It actually felt that bike was restless all the time when heading to the curves. But I have a good feeling and I will start the season opener with a confident mind.
For Khairuddin the most important target for the season is to be regularly at top ten fastest riders at least. In that sense he has worked according to the plan in Qatar.
– The only thing that didn´t go the best possible way at qualifying was the fact that I couldn’t get towing help from the riders in front of me, pharmacy Khairuddin said.
Team leader Aki Ajo knows that if Khairuddin succeeds he has all the possibilities to have great results from the season opener.
– Fahmi is particularly a race rider, story Ajo reminded.
The pole position of the first GP of the 2012 season went to Red Bull KTM Ajo Factory Racing Team´s German rider Sandro Cortese.
Cortese took the fourth pole position of his career with a time of 2.08,188. Khairuddin was 0,659 seconds behind him.

* Note this:
Zulfahmi Khairuddin heads the third row of the grid, which equals the best ever qualifying result by a Malaysian rider in Grand Prix racing which was achieved by Shahrol Yuzy in the 250cc class in 2002.

COMMERCIALBANK GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
Moto2 Qualifying Practice Classification:
1. Sandro Cortese Germany, Red Bull KTM Ajo, KTM 2.08,188
2. Maverick Vinales Spain, Blusens Avintia, FTR Honda + 0,016
3. Louis Rossi France, Racing Team Germany, FTR Honda + 0,115
4. Luis Salom Spain, RW Racing GP, Kalex KTM + 0,378
5. Niklas Ajo Finland, TT Motion Events Racing, KTM + 0,546
6. Romano Fenati Italy, Team Italia FMI, FTR Honda + 0,611
7. Zulfahmi Khairuddin Malaysia, AirAsia-Sic-Ajo, KTM + 0,659
8. Miguel Oliveira Portugal, Estrella Galicia 0,0, Honda + 0,738
9. Arthur Sissis Australia, Red Bull KTM Ajo, KTM + 0,813
10. Alexis Masbou France, Caretta Technology, Honda + 0,919
11. Alessandro Tonucci Italy, Team Italia FMI, FTR Honda + 0,931
12. Danny Kent Great Britain, Red Bull KTM Ajo, KTM + 0,938
13. Alex Rins Spain, Estrella Galicia 0,0, Honda + 0,951
14. Alberto Moncayo Spain, Bankia Aspar Team, Kalex KTM + 1,182
15. Brad Binder South Africa, RW Racing GP, Kalex KTM + 1,372

The full qualifying result:
http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/2012/QAT/Moto3/QP