After a 20-year partnership in MotoGP with Yamaha, French racing team Tech 3 has announced that 2018 will be their last season with the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer. Yamaha has accepted Tech 3’s decision, and will provide full support for the team up to the end of this season’s championship.
However, Tech 3 will continue racing in both MotoGP and Moto 2 and will announce plans for 2019 and the future at a later date. “Very recently we were informed by Hervé Poncharal, the owner of Tech 3, that he has decided not to extend his contract with Yamaha to lease YZR-M1 bikes,” said Kouichi Tsuji, Yamaha Motorsports Development Division general manager and president of Yamaha Motor Racing.
“To summarise 20 years of an incredible partnership between Tech3 and Yamaha in a few words is a very difficult mission,” said Poncharal. “We’ve been offered a deal, that includes something we’ve been waiting for almost since we started with Tech3 and I couldn’t say no,” he continued.
Thanking several key Yamaha personnel, Poncharal said Tech 3 will be a Monster Yamaha team right down to the last lap of the last race of the season, in Valencia, Spain. “Johann Zarco and Hafizh Syahrin will be fighting for top positions and without a doubt, Yamaha can count on us to be a loyal performant partner. One more time a huge thank you for Yamaha’s support,” he said.
Tech 3 has been a Yamaha satellite team in MotoGP for two decades, usually running machinery one or two seasons removed from the current racing models. Malaysian Hafizh Syahrin, together with two-time Moto 2 champion Johann Zarco, will be riding for Tech 3 this season.
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Benelli? *finger cross. Lol
Rumors that it would get factory KTM machines and be a KTM satellite team for motogp and moto2
Rumour says that Tech 3 has been offered full factory bikes and bigger support from KTM next season.
Quite a risky move I would say, given that the KTM RC16 is still a lagging behind most of the factory teams. But who knows, they would be top 10 contender by the end of this year. And maybe Zarco could make a difference on that bike too next year.
When you’re a satellite team yet you have a championship material who’s a best rookie in 2017 MotoGP; and your rider set a second best test time in Buriram with a mere updated version of 2016’s YZR-M1, besting VR46 Yamaha factory team that has the latest machine.. you have every right to make a calculated move to another manufacturer that could be willing to treat you like a works’ team rather than a satellite team. Johann Zarco is dear to KTM anyway.
Whatever it is, only Honda teams perform consistently well across all 2018 test sessions so far. Yama is still sorting the electronic issue on their latest machine which explains slower lap times.. which also explains why Tech3 had an upper hand due to more settled 2016 machines.
Anyway, a good single lap time doesn’t always translate into a winning race as tire wear and strategy haven’t be factored in. It’ll be an interesting season to watch indeed.
The Suzy’s performance looks very promising too, not to mention the GP17/18 Ducs. The factory Yamahas are still of an enigma..