22-Year-Old Sim Racer & SUKMA Esports Champion Steps Into Real-Life Pro Racing
He trained on a simulator. Now, he's racing with the pros.
Cover image via Mika Hakimi (Provided to SAYS)A young Malaysian is making his mark in the world of motorsports after rising through the ranks in the sim racing arena
Mikael 'Mika' Hakimi is gearing up for his long-awaited debut in the elite Super Sporting Class of the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Vios Challenge next weekend, a major milestone in his burgeoning racing career.
If the name sounds familiar, it's because Mika made headlines in the 2024 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Sarawak, bagging two gold medals in the esports sim racing category.
Mika first joined the TGR racing series back in 2021, competing in the beginner-level Rookie Class of the Vios Challenge
Now, just four years later, he's making a big leap into the Super Sporting Class, the most competitive group in the championship. This means skipping over the middle-level Sporting Class to race in Season 8's top tier category with the S&D Tama Motorsports team.
The racing weekend will kick off with practice sessions on Friday, 25 April. On Saturday, 26 April, drivers will compete in the Qualifying session to determine their starting positions, followed by the first race of the weekend (Race 1). The second and final race (Race 2) is scheduled for Sunday, 27 April.
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Mika's return to the Vios Challenge comes after several years of gaining diverse racing experience within the Toyota Gazoo Racing family
In 2022, he teamed up with renowned race car driver Tengku Djan in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Sprint Cup. Unlike the Vios Challenge, the Sprint Cup focuses on longer endurance races rather than individual short races. They won two consecutive races. Mika returned to the Sprint Cup in 2023 with Mitchell Cheah, finishing on the podium three times.
Mika Hakimi clinched back-to-back victories in 2022 during his first two races after completing his first rookie season, while partnering with Tengku Djan.
Image via Mika Hakimi (Provided to SAYS)
In 2024, Mika also started racing in the Malaysian Championship Series (MCS) with the V-Max Links Racing team. He completed the entire season alongside Azriel Azhar, who also started his racing journey in the TGR Rookie Class.
Although Mika has consistently proven his ability to perform at the highest level of racing, he hasn't secured a race win since 2022. He'll be looking to change that as he steps into the highly competitive Super Sporting Class this coming weekend.
Mika Hakimi's podium finishes in the 2023 TGR Sprint Cup Season.
Image via Mika Hakimi (Provided to SAYS)
The stakes are astronomically high this weekend, fuelled by a long-standing rivalry
Adding another layer of excitement to the upcoming season is the return of Naquib Azlan, the current champion of the Super Sporting Class. He'll be racing for Axle Sports, a team that has a connection to Mika from his early days in the Rookie Class back in 2021.
Interestingly, Mika and Naquib used to be close friends on and off the track, but naturally, their paths have since diverged.
This history sets the stage for a potentially captivating rivalry as Mika enters a field filled with experienced and successful racers. It will be interesting to see if their past friendship will add an extra edge to their competition on the track next weekend.
S&D Tama Motorsport's racecar next to Axle Sports' racecar.
Image via Mika Hakimi (Provided to SAYS)
