Khairul Idham Pawi made a modest return to the Mꦜoto3 class with a 26th place finish in the Qatar season opener.

After making history for Malaysia with two victories during hisܫ rookie 2016 campaign, Honda Team Asia took Pawi straight up to Moto2.

But it was too soon. 🅷Pawi scored just eleven points over the next two years before switching to his home Petronas team for 2019, only to miss most of last season due to a s🐼erious finger injury.

Placed alongside race winner John McPhee for his junior clas🍬s comeback this year, Pawi is still adapting to the 250cc Honda but was at least pleased to be back on track after sucꦿh a long absence.

“We had some ups and downs during testing and also in the race in Qatar, but we expected that," Pawi said. "It’s been a long time since my last race and I ha🍃ve jumped back oꦿn the Moto3 bike so I have had to adapt to that.

"I༺t was a great feeling to be back racing again though; I had definitely been missing it a lot.”

Pawi added: “I was making improvements each time I rode the bike an♕d I was adapting my style to the needs of the Honda bike more and more every time I rode it.

"I ཧknow I need to improve in the fast corners, as the Moto3 bike handles very differently to the Moto2 bike in those conditions.

“I think the main differences are that the Moto3 bi༒ke is lighter than the Moto2 bike and the engines are different. The riding style needs to change between the two because of this, but in Moto3 I have so much confidence in hard braking zones.

"Both categories are also so competitive and many of the riders are extremely quick and aꦕble to challenge for the title.”

One of those title contenders is team-mate McPhee, who finished a close runner-up to Albert Ar🅷enas (Aspar) in Qatar.

“I have a very good relationship with John; he is a great team-mate to have," Pawi said. "I have a lot of respect for him and he has helpeꦚd me a lot, both in testing and at the race. I know that with him we will be able to improve and I will go even faster when racing resumꦿes.”

Pawi was speaking from Malaysia, where he has been in lockdo♐wn since arriving back home from the Qatar round.

“As we have to stay 🎉at home I have been training indoors," he said. "I have my bike set up so I can ride thaಌt indoors and I also have some weights at home so I have been able to work on my strength training too.

"I really miss training outside tho🤡ugh as I ꦰdon’t think I have ever gone a day without going outside to train before this!”

Pawi added: "I hope the world will be a better place when we’re out of loc꧙kdown and we can all enjoy that.”