KUALA LUMPUR (30 OCTOBER 2019): Champion of the recently concluded eRacing Grand Prix SEA 2019, Mior Muhammad Hafiz’s hope of achieving his dream of becoming a professional racing driver is still very much alive. Ever since being crowned the champion of the Malaysia leg, Mior realizes it is not too late and has been only moving forward without looking back as an option.
Soon Mior’s life will never be the same, as he will be representing Malaysia for the first time in the inaugural FIA Motorsport Games which will take place in Rome early next month. Former Formula 1 driver and Founder of Axle Motorsport, Alex Yoong is the main man behind Mior’s success and inspiring story.
Coming from a humble background, the 31-year-old can be spotted selling cold beverages along the roadside in Puchong district which he did as a full-time job before fate as well as his hard work and dedication turned his life around. Today, Mior is more focused on adjusting his life as a professional e-racing driver.
He said, “Racing has always been my dream since I was a kid and I am very grateful to my family for their continuous support and not forgetting Axle Motorsport especially Alex Yoong for giving me this kind of opportunity as I move closer of realizing my dream to become a professional racing driver.”
“I admit this is not an easy task for me. At first, it started off simply as a hobby as it became more serious gradually. It was my father who built my first racing simulator from scratch and I have been using the same simulator ever since. As I decided to take eracing more serious, I participated in a couple of tournaments and managed to clinch second place in the Toyota Velocity eSports Championship last year. From that day onwards, I knew I can improve myself and winning the eRacing Grand Prix SEA really changed my life”, added Mior.
After successfully dominating and being crowned the champion of eRacing Grand Prix SEA, Mior will once again take centre stage but this time at the international level. He will be representing Malaysia in the FIA Motorsport Games next month and aims to prove himself as he will be competing with other eracing superstars in the Digital Cup category such as Mikael Hizal (Germany) and Nicola Latkovski (Australia).
“Firstly, it is an honor for me to represent Malaysia at the international level. I never imagined that it will be this soon because the memory of winning the eRacing Grand Prix SEA is still fresh for me. This time, the competition is at a higher level with all the best simulator drivers from all over the world competing to claim the ultimate prize. I need to stay focussed and not let my nerves get the best of me.”
As the competition draws closer, Mior is currently preparing himself with Alex on a daily basis as the focus is to improve himself on the physical and mental aspects. “My daily routine now has changed. Alex and I will hit the gym and do all the necessary exercise before I spend at least 5 hours on the simulator to familiarize myself with each track on different conditions.”
“We will focus on the breaking point and breaking input as well as throttle input because it is important for me to master this racecraft before the start of the competition. Apart from that, having Alex by side is something money can’t buy and it helps me a lot”, explained Mior when contacted.
Meanwhile, Founder/executive director of Axle Motorsport, Alex Yoong is confident that Mior can pull some surprises at the big stage. “When I speak about Mior, I know how talented he is especially in terms of simulator racing. I have been monitoring his development since the conclusion of the eRacing Grand Prix SEA and I can see some positive improvements.”
“I know this will be his first time competing at the international level and the difficulty of the competition is very high since some of the very best drivers will be there as well. Having said that, we are solely focussed on Team Malaysia and will continue to work hard because anything can happen on the track”, said Alex.
Team Malaysia led by Alex who was recently appointed Team Manager by the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM), will be competing in two categories in this year edition namely the Digital Cup represented by Mior and the GT Cup, represented by experienced driver Adrian D’Silva and Weiron Tan.
The FIA Motorsport Game which will be held at Vallelunga Circuit, Rome, Italy is scheduled to kick off from 1st till 3rd November 2019, was inspired by a successful event at last year’s GT Festival in Bahrain. Six categories will be featured in this year’s edition namely GT Cup, Touring Car Cup, Formula 4 Cup, Drifting Cup, Karting Slalom Cup and Digital Cup.
