By mutual agreement, Petronas and Sepang International Circuit (SIC) have ended their partnership for sponsorship of the Petronas Sepang Racing Team. This will take effect at the end of the 2021 MotoGP season.
In an official press statement, Petronas Head of Strategic Communications, Datin Anita Azrina Abdul Aziz said, We entered into this partnership with SIC to showcase our R&D capabilities, and we are proud that PETRONAS Fluid Technology Solutions have been instrumental towards establishing the team’s status as a championship contender.”
She continued by saying that it is felt to be the right time for conclusion of the partnership with (SIC). Sepang Racing Team (SRT) will continue on under a new entity in the MotoGP class, according to SIC Chief Executive Officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Hmmmm…teaming with KTM maybe?
Elok lar. ada jajaran baru.
Bagus jajaran baru.
This official statement that is not from SRT team creates more questions than answers.
What was understood SRT was not linked to SIC, and SRT is owned by Razlan Razali.
But from the official statement it seems the Petronas sponsorship was actually to Sepang International Circuit , not SRT. So what is the actual deal for this?
why can’t paultan post the actual press release here?
Yamaha is in a bad position. Because of prestige, honor, and basic sales they cannot leave MotoGP like Suzuki did. Without being in racing at the very top, their credibility on the street is hurt. But even if the unthinkable happened – that they pulled out of MotoGP – from a corporate perspective it would be a big hit. I glanced at Yamaha’s recent financial statements and recreation products (i.e., motorcycles and off road vehicles) only make up a tenth of the company’s sales and income. That may not seem like a lot, but it is when you look at how much their bread and butter (i.e., musical instruments and the audio/visual/IT industries) has dropped in this economy.
That leaves Yamaha in a jam. They need to keep selling bikes for the company’s bottom line, but they cannot sell bikes unless they run at the front of the field, and they cannot afford to run at the front unless they get a lot of sponsorship money (the marketing division can only supply so much), and they cannot get sponsorship money unless the economy improves AND they run at the front getting a lot of TV air time. What can they do?
Maruah Yamaha is killing them as others have overtaken them. Weldon Jepang!
The question is why Petronas is unwilling to spend 8 million a year on one of the top teams in MotoGP. 8 milion is nothing to a company like Petronas. They are happy to spend millions in F1, and it has nothing to do with who the drivers are. It’s all about international branding and image. So why doesn’t Petronas see value in MotoGP sponsorship, especially when Malaysia has a MotoGP race, and many Malaysians ride motorcycles? People posting here that this is a Yamaha/Rossi thing are completely missing the bigger picture.
F1 had a fair bit of boring processional racing for years and still the sponsors were tripping over themselves to get involved, at least until the world financial crisis a couple of years ago. And as far as I am aware MotoGP race attendances have been fairly solid in 2011, even with Rossi not a factor at the front.
In my opinion, Petronas is willing and has no issues to spend in MotoGP.
The issue is actually with the SRT team. It is just that right now the reputation of SRT is so toxic among Malaysian MotoGP fans and motorcycle enthusiasts that Petronas just does not want to associate with the SRT team and the people behind it.
The terrible reputation of SRT team is now up to the point that Malaysian MotoGP fans will gladly cheer if SRT riders fall of their bikes.
I would predict that Petronas will have their brand still in MotoGP, but just not with SRT.
A flash season don’t make SRT “one of the top teams in MotoGP”.
This season they are currently 9th out of 11 teams, hardly at the top. Petronas would rather sponsor a factory backed works outfit as they did with AMG F1. Continue sponsoring a sub team such as SRT hardly gives any form of return as they learnt from experience with Sauber in F1.
Once Rossi goes, all outside sponsorships leaves with him. Curtain down for SRT.
That razlan guy is too arrogant for someone who gets the job by cronyism