Syahrin: the Asian Superbike title and the Prince’s sponsor-free Ducati

Do you remember Hafizh Syahrin? The first and so far only Malaysian motorcyclist to race in MotoGP has been competing in the ASB1000, the Superbike class of the ARRC (Asia Road Racing Championship), for two years.

He races and wins: two titles out of two, 2025 and 2026, this year clinched one round early with a record that includes 7 wins in 8 races held so far. A milestone achieved once again with the JDT Racing Team’s Ducati Panigale V4 R, technically supported by Barni, and with a remarkable backstory.

An acronym for Johor Darul Ta'zim, the JDT Racing Team is a squad funded directly by the Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Idris (full name Tunku Ismail Abdul Majid Idris Abu Bakar Iskandar bin Tunku Ibrahim Ismail). After investing in local football by taking over Johor FC, and using the same Harimau Selatan (Southern Tigers) logo, he decided to set his sights on motorcycle racing as well. For this ARRC campaign, he secured the very best: Ducati machinery (doubling down this year with a second V4 R) and Hafizh Syahrin, still the most renowned national rider back home.

If in 2025 the Asian Superbike title was sealed at the end, this year ‘Pescao’ was crowned Champion early and on home soil at Sepang, wrapping things up in Race 2 of the fourth round where, for the first time, he missed out on victory, which went to the exceptional wild card (on BMW) Kaito Toba. A triumphant season further sealed by winning the team title thanks to doubling the effort with a second Ducati entrusted to Andi Farid Izdihar Gilang, who was replaced due to injury in the last two rounds by Josh Waters.

There’s another curious detail about Johor’s royal team: the absence of sponsors. By the Prince’s decision, no brands can be displayed other than JDT’s or those strictly necessary due to technical partnerships (therefore Ducati or the rider’s apparel brands) or regulatory requirements (the Dunlop logos due to the ARRC’s single-tyre rule). If not for these reasons, the JDT Racing Team would truly race spotless of sponsors, bearing only the distinctive colors of Johor and JDT.