With the formation of the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) and Angel Nieto Team as a Yamaha MotoGP satellite team, it was announced that riders Franco Morbidelli (23) and Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (19) have been signed for the 2019 season. This was confirmed by Yamaha Factory Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis.
Italian Morbidelli, who hails from Rome, Italy, is currently riding for Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) satellite team EG 0,0 Marc VDS. Starting in Moto2 in 2013, Morbidelli was 2017 Moto2 World Champion.
Frenchman Quartararo, who hails from Nice, France, started in Moto3 in 2015 before making the move to Moto2 in 2017 with Pons HP40, riding a Kalex. He finished ninth in last year’s Moto2 championship standings.
Speaking to ex-racer and pitlane reporter Simon Crafar, Jarvis said Yamaha has a hand in rider selection, although the final decision rests with the team. “I wouldn’t say we don’t have a say but ultimately the decision on the riders is that of the satellite team,” he said, “they’re an independent team.”
“Any rider they select needs to be finally approved by us at being at the level and the capacity to ride the M1,” said Jarvis. “So, they’ve chosen to go for Franco Morbidelli, who is a rider who is very interesting to us because he’s a World Champion, he’s an Academy rider and he definitely has talent.”
Asked about the SIC Yamaha team’s choice of second rider Quartaro, Jarvis said although Quartaro is young, he is talented and showed promise in 2018 with future potential. “I think the case of (Hafizh) Syahrin has shown that sometimes you can take a choice and if the guy’s got talent and is brought in without expectation, he can deliver,” Jarvis said.
Jarvis however declined to comment on the amount of factory support the SIC Yamaha would be receiving. “It will be something like Tech 3 or more than that,” said Jarvis.
This might mean the SIC Yamaha team could be getting race machinery a year or two removed from the current generation of MotoGP bikes. What do you think? Has SIC Yamaha made the right choice for 2019 or should there be more Malaysian representation at the top flight of motorcycle motorsport?
GALLERY: Franco Morbidelli
GALLERY: Fabio Quartararo
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I think this is more to secure sepang in motogp race calendar
Looking forward to see Hafizh beat the SIC Team consistently for next year hahahah.
Lets hope they will promote MY riders based on merit and his potential, and not due to one persons ego to show the world that MY can do it too: ie AY.
let hope also no more corruption and buying of billion dollar yachts
Lets talk about racing
This is a car site. It is not a billion dollar yacht site. You want to talk about billion dollar yacht go to that site.
Here we talk about cars (& motors).
Yes! Lets save all that money for Protiga! There will be no more corruption cuz it will be rebranded as Kawanism.
Most teams in MotoGP have a purpose. The factory team like Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, KTM, Ducati is to win the championship.
My question to SIC/Yamaha is – what is their purpose? If SIC intention is to breed local talent’s, they should at least get a M’sian in the team Right! Aah, john will know!!
See above my comment.
SIC should give the second rider to Azlan Shah, a local rider with many wins under his belt. At least when the MotoGP comes to Sepang they will pull in more local spectators and more attractive to sponsors.
Realistically, if the team receives a bike which is one or two years old, the best they can hope for is a top 10 or top 15 position at best. But anything can happen in Motor racing, right?