MotoGP | Razali: “We will continue to support Rossi in the second half of the season”

MotoGP Petronas SRT – The team principal of the Malaysian team, Razlan Razali, on the occasion of the long summer break, gave a long interview in which he spoke about various aspects: from the progress of the season of the three classes, up to the drivers' market.

Razali statements on the progress of the 2 MotoGP, Moto3 and Moto2021 season

“It's difficult to give a general summary of the team, with 6 riders in the three categories but I would say that this year we have had our ups and downs. This season has been tough for us in MotoGP, especially after the good results of our first two years in the category,
including Franco Morbidelli who was Vice Champion in 2020. The 2021 season was not completely as we expected. Franco had bike problems in the first round, but came back strong and took his first podium of the year in Jerez. He unfortunately was struggling with his knee problem which got worse and eventually required surgery. This hinders our aspirations for the rest of the season, but let's hope he comes back strong again. We saw good pace in Valentino Rossi's qualifying at the start of the season and some improvements in the last few races but we know it has been difficult. We will continue to support him for the second half of the year. It's one of the tightest championships of the season and small differences can take you to the top; while it has been difficult in the first half of the season, as a team we will continue to provide maximum support to our drivers to enable them to be at their best and fight for the best positions race after race.

Darryn Binder started our Moto3 season with two consecutive podiums, but bad luck and penalties also prevented John McPhee from achieving great results. However,
he managed to recover his form and was more consistent in all the GP sessions. We were able to get some solid points in the last two races, but once again we suffered from some penalties and unfair decisions. The Moto3 championship is tough because it is very competitive and the races are close. This certainly offers a good show to the public, but sometimes prevents the drivers from showing their true potential."

Razali statements in support of the team and sponsors

“The good thing about having drivers in all three categories is that a good result can strengthen the whole team and keep them motivated. It's important to keep everyone motivated and have realistic goals. We may have to change our targets a bit to make sure things are achievable and stay positive. I know it's more difficult for the MotoGP guys because Franco is back from an injury, but I hope that some success in Moto2 and Moto3 can help. We are a team and it doesn't matter who has a good result because everyone celebrates together and lends a hand when necessary. Same thing with sponsors. There may have been some expectations based on previous results in our first and second year in MotoGP, but we have long-term commitments and they know the nature of the competition, they are also able to celebrate successes in Moto2 and Moto3."

Razali statements on objectives for the end of the season

“At the moment we are more focused on the objectives for the team as a whole, rather than the results of individual drivers. I think we will now try to be in the top five in all possible categories, although I know it will be difficult in MotoGP. For the premier class the goal is to be among the top three in the Independent Team category but we know that it will be difficult to make up the gap in the second half of the season. In Moto2 and Moto3 we need our riders to be consistent and help us stay in the top five in both categories. We have the potential to significantly improve our results”.

Razali statements on Franco Morbidelli's convalescence

“Franco is recovering well from knee surgery. We want to make sure he is 100% before he returns, so we don't expect him to return before Misano, although I would like him to return as soon as possible. Misano is a track that he loves and that he knows well, it should be a good opportunity to see him return. We all continue to wish him a good recovery and to return only when he feels completely fit.".

Razali statements on the 2022 MotoGP rider market

“It's important to remember that we are still waiting to hear Valentino and Yamaha's decision about next year. In any case and as is normal at this time of year, the latest news regarding the MotoGP rider market has certainly opened up all the possibilities! There are ongoing discussions between Yamaha, us and our current MotoGP riders. We are in no hurry to announce anything. We have received interest from many riders and also from riders who are currently outside of the MotoGP championship who want to join our team. We believe we have time and are in a position where we have the luxury of choice; everyone knows the package that Yamaha can offer and what a young rider can potentially do as part of our team. We have the structure and package to offer young drivers the opportunity to realize their dreams. We saw this with both Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo, so with all this interest we will take our time to evaluate every rider we would like. There will be no potential line-up announcement until after the next two races.".

Racial statements on the Moto2 and Moto3 rider market

“First of all, we need to analyze and discuss the situation of our drivers. Secondly, the scenario is similar to the MotoGP category, with many young riders who would like to be in our team, especially with the progression in the category that we can offer. The path is clear: we have riders in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP so for those young riders competing in championships like FIM and CEV, it's perfect. We are spoiled for choice, so once again we are in no rush to make a decision but perhaps some announcements can be made soon, during the Austrian or English Grands Prix. Let's see how it goes".

Razali declarations on the 2021 calendar update

“The current pandemic is still affecting the championship, although not so much for the European rounds. Asian countries are still facing a difficult situation and the Australian round has been cancelled. However, we are confident that the Malaysian round will be confirmed, in addition to the GP in Thailand. I think it's very important for the championship to be able to get to some of these non-European races, like America, Malaysia and Thailand. For obvious reasons it is extremely important for us to have a home GP: we are a Malaysian team, we have a Malaysian title partner and Malaysian staff members. Most of all though, we want to be able to see our home fans and give them a good GP. We can't wait to race in Sepang."