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Petronas Sepang Racing Team

The upcoming MotoGP 2020 round takes place this weekend at Automotodrom Brno for the Czech GP and Petronas Yamaha SRT plans to not only conquer but also extend their lead in the championship as well as team standings thanks to their two riders, Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli.

With a perfect start to the season so far for Fabio Quartararo, the young Frenchman heads to Czech Republic high in confidence with two victories under his belt (as well as two pole positions). His Yamaha YZR-M1 will definitely be the one to beat, but rest assured that Franco Morbidelli will be there to fight for the win after suffering an engine failure in the last race.

The month of August will probably be the most crucial point of the 2020 MotoGP championship as riders and teams will compete in three back-to-back rounds at Automotodrom Brno and Red Bull Ring – Spielberg. Defending champion, Marc Marquez, will be sitting out this weekend and possibly two more races after going through a second operation on his broken arm.

According to Fabio Quartararo, “Brno is a track that I really like. We know from last year that we can be fast there and that we have the performance, even if it is not the best place for our bike. There are a lot of great corners that make up the circuit but the last corner is one of the best. You have to go in with a lot of corner speed but also prepare to take the perfect line for the straight. It’s great to be going there after taking two wins and we’re looking at fighting for the podium this weekend.”

As for Franco Morbidelli, “My expectations for Brno are high, especially as it’s a circuit that I really like. In fact, I think it’s one of the best on the calendar! It’s a very old-style track as it’s long, wide, technical and fast. Looking at the level that we had in Jerez, we are expecting good things this weekend. I’ve also had some good results there in the past. Of course, this year we’ve got to be better and improve our record there. I think we will have some good battles and I’m looking forward to going there, with the aim of finishing in the top-five.”

MotoGP: Marc Marquez out, Stefan Bradl in

The Petronas Yamaha SRT (Sepang Racing Team) will be retaining their current MotoGP rider, Franco Morbidelli, until the end of the 2022 season. This has been confirmed after both parties signed a new agreement ahead of the first round of the 2020 MotoGP championship in Jerez, Spain, this coming weekend. (more…)

The 2020 MotoGP calendar was recently announced with 13 confirmed races around Europe and the Petronas Yamaha SRT squad is eager to get some racing action happening in 2020. Both Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli are excited for their first race of the season which is scheduled to take place in the middle of August. (more…)

There are still many undecided issues concerning the world of MotoGP not just for this season to start, but how it’ll play out moving forward into 2021. While most riders already have their plans set, one particular Yamaha rider with legendary status is still on the fence – Valentino Rossi. (more…)

With the start of the MotoGP 2020 season being postponed as late as August, riders and teams are already starting to feel the pressure to compete and perform their level best this season as well as prepare for some monumental changes next season in 2021.

We got a few details from the Team Principal of Petronas SRT (Sepang Racing Team), Dato’ Razlan Razali, to help clarify a few things, including the prospect of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo racing with them. (more…)

The folks at Sepang International Circuit (SIC) recently held an online interview with the Team Principal of the Petronas Sepang Racing Team (SRT), Dato’ Razlan Razali, regarding the state of MotoGP in 2020. One of the questions that were asked that caught our attention was what will happen if there’s no MotoGP this year? (more…)

Sit tight, folks. The MotoGP 2020 season might be going for a long holiday as rumours have indicated that it’ll only restart as late as August. Putting everything into consideration related to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the next few rounds are all located in countries where the Coronavirus outbreak is currently on a high. (more…)

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected a lot of folks around the world, including major motorsports organisations like MotoGP. With so many cancellations and postponements announced earlier on, the Petronas SRT (Sepang Racing Team) offered their statement regarding the unprecedented situation. (more…)

  • MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli will join the PETRONAS Sepang Racing Team squad for the FIM Endurance World Championship round in Sepang International Circuit.

  • He will join two other riders namely Hafizh Syahrin and four-time Suzuka 8 Hour endurance winner Michael van der Mark.

  • The round will take place from 13th to 15th December 2019.

MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli will join the PETRONAS Sepang Racing Team squad for the FIM Endurance World Championship round in Sepang International Circuit.

Morbidelli’s draft ends months of speculation that he will be one of the riders for the Sepang stint. He will join two other riders namely Hafizh Syahrin and four-time Suzuka 8 Hour endurance winner Michael van der Mark.

The squad will be supported by the YART Yamaha EWC squad who were former winners of the EWC. As such, the three riders will play their parts in riding the Yamaha YZF-R1.

The 2020 EWC opens with the Bol D’or in France before heading to Sepang for the second round from 13th to 15th December 2019. However, the Sepang round has a large significance to the EWC as it will form the qualifying round for “irregular” EWC teams to qualify for the Suzuka 8 Hour race.

Additionally, the race also features an FIA World Touring Car Cup round back-to-back.

Morbidelli expressed his concerns about riding in an endurance race. “I’m curious to see how an endurance race format suits me, and am really looking forward to it.”

Team Principal Dato’ Ahmad Razlan Ahmad Razali is confident about the team’s prospects given the two MotoGP riders in addition to a multiple Suzuka 8 Hour winner. “We have faith that Franco, Michael, Hafizh and YART will deliver and we’re targeting the very top step of the podium.”

Source: PETRONAS Sepang Racing Team

  • PETRONAS Yamaha SRT Principal Dato’ Razlan Razali said that many thought Fabio Quartararo was the wrong choice before the start of the season.

  • Fabio is currently returning unexpectedly great results to the team.

  • The PETRONAS Yamaha SRT outfits will be the home team in the Malaysian MotoGP round.

Things definitely looked different when the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) CEO and PETRONAS Yamaha SRT Principal, Dato’ Razlan Razali announced plans for Malaysian MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 teams last year.

Now the MotoGP team is performing not just beyond expectations, but no one would’ve dared to even give a thought about where the PETRONAS Sepang Racing Team is now. The scene was telling during the Yamaha Motorsport Launch at SIC just after the winter tests and prior to the season opener in Qatar.

While every journalist fielded questions to the factory Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP squad (mostly to Valentino Rossi, actually), Dato’ Razlan and his two riders Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo put up their best smiles while sitting quietly in between the factory and PATA Yamaha WorldSBK teams.

Because journalists know that the answers would’ve been, “We do not expect great results from the year ahead. We hope to finish every race and learn along the way.” Or anything to that effect.

Oh, how things have changed. Now every hack wants an interview with Dato’ Razlan and co.

The driving force is of course the super rookie Fabio Quartararo’s exploits. He’s been a consistent frontrunner and not afraid to mix it up with the Big Boys.

Photo credit – MotoGP.com

“When we announced him as our second rider, a lot of people told us we made the wrong choice – but now everyone agrees we made the right decision!” Dato’ Razlan said in an interview.

“There’s no way we expected to be in this fantastic position after only twelve rounds of the 2019 season. We were hoping for Franky to deliver top six performances and for Fabio to target rookie of the year. We didn’t expect both of them to do what they’re doing and we’re extremely happy and satisfied with them. To be able to deliver such strong performances for our title sponsor is key, and we’ve achieved even more than what was desired based on the targets we set at the start of the year,” he continued.

Dato’ Razlan is quick to credit the team, saying that the riders wouldn’t have performed so well without support. The team has since grown to 48-strong and enjoys good ambience and chemistry. But he is also quick to acknowledge that the team is young and nothing is 100%. Still, there’s no reason for him to feel proud.

“I also couldn’t be more proud as a Malaysian to finally have our own Malaysian MotoGP team. We can tell fans and media from across the globe that we’re Malaysian and we can act as our country’s ambassadors. We’re proud of that role and I’m honoured to be able to represent the country in the paddock.”

Speaking of the Malaysian MotoGP round, he added that, “The Malaysian Grand Prix is our home race, it’ll be the first time our MotoGP team will compete at Sepang, and we expect the riders to do well in MotoGP and Moto3, and if Pawi can come back in Moto2, then he can do well too!

“We’re already anticipating a bumper crowd with 200,000 spectators over three days, and 115,000 on race day. It’ll be a huge event for us, and we can’t wait.”

Dato’ Razlan concluded the interview by iterating that both Quartararo and Morbidelli will continue with the team in 2020.

  • Rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo put himself and his Petronas Sepang Racing Team on pole for tomorrow’s Catalunya MotoGP.

  • It’s the fledgling team’s second pole position in their very first season in the premier class.

  • There are four Yamahas in the Top 5.

Rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo put himself and his Petronas Sepang Racing Team on pole for tomorrow’s Catalunya MotoGP.

It’s the fledgling team’s second pole position in their very first season in the premier class. What made the French youngster’s feat even more astounding was his arm pump surgery just 11 days ago. On top of that, bear in mind that he’s riding the 2018-spec Yamaha YZR-M1.

It’s also noteworthy that this round seems to show Yamaha’s resurgence. Quartararo, Maverick Vinalez (Monster Energy Yamaha), Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi made it 1-3-4,5 for Yamaha. Only Marc Marquez was cheeky enough to slot into second among them.

Marquez is the crowd’s home hero but had posted times no faster than 2nd through FP4 and the beginning of Q2. But on the last flying lap of the session, he hung on to Rossi’s coattail for a tow reminiscent of his act of slipstreaming Andrea Dovizioso in Mugello two weeks ago. However, he made a mistake and hit a turn too fast, causing the front tyre to wash out. He saved the bike with his knee, but it ruined his chances of stealing the pole position.

It was visible that Maverick Vinalez was riding hard since Friday and he did enough to put himself in 3rd, thereby saving the factory Yamaha team from being embarrassed by the satellite team (again).

Franco Morbidelli was also a hero for the Petronas SRT outfit. A heavy crash in the morning saw him stretchered off the kitty litter. That meant that he had to fight his way through Q1. And fought he did by going fastest in the session to be promoted to Q2. He then set the second fastest time behind Quartararo on their first outing together, before being relegated to fourth.

Valentino Rossi had his best qualifying session in a long time and after the disaster in his home race in Mugello.

Apart from Marquez, all Honda and Ducati riders suffered at the track. Catalunya features tight, decreasing radius turns that benefit bikes with mid-corner speed and ability to hold tight lines. This played into the hands of Yamaha and Suzuki.

Dovizisio (Mission Winnow Ducati) could only manage sixth on the grid, with his teammate Danilo Petrucci behind him in 7th. Dovizioso had remarked many times that the Ducati Desmosedici doesn’t like to keep turning in mid-corner.

Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) actually posted 0.200s faster than Quartararo after the third sector but crashed at Turn 10. Yet, he still qualified 8thon the grid – his best starting position ever. His teammate Joan Mir also performed well this time around, starting tomorrow’s race from 11th.

Cal Crutchlow ended the session in 9th, while Jorge Lorenzo qualified in the Top 10 for the first time since he joined Honda.

Quartararo has shown that he has the speed in qualifying shootouts but has yet to convert his strong qualifying into podium positions. It all came down to the 2018 YZR-M1’s appetite in chewing up the rear tyre over a race distance. The 2019 YZR-M1, on the other hand, lacks top speed but Catalunya may just prove to be the venue to break their duck.




  • Pasukan PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team telah dilancarkan hari ini.

  • Ianya merupakan pasukan MotoGP pertama dari Malaysia dan juga bagi rantau Asia Tenggara.

  • Penunggang pasukan ini terdiri daripada Franco Morbidelli dan Fabio Quartararo.

PETRONAS akan menampilkan sebuah pasukan dalam kejohanan Moto3, Moto2, dan MotoGP bagi musim 2019. Pasukan MotoGP berkenaan akan dikenali secara rasminya dengan nama PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team (PETRONAS Yamaha SRT), manakala pasukan Moto3 dan Moto2 akan dikenali sebagai PETRONAS Sprinta Racing Team (PETRONAS SRT). (more…)

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