Razlan Razali is officially the man who presides over the destiny of the route of Sepang. But it is actually much more than that. He is the representative of all the hopes that Malaysia has in the Grand Prix. He monitors and sets up the sectors, he has an eye on the implications in Moto3 and Moto2, he listens not only to the oil company Petronas but also to its government. So much so that when the opportunity presented itself to set up a MotoGP structure, he was the one to convince. And the man confided in speedweek during the Italian Grand Prix...
In the background, there is this project of a Jorge Lorenzo integrating an Aspar team in Petronas colors to ride a factory Yamaha next year. A hell of a project with certain challenges and a substantial budget. It's about not missing out and Razlan Razali is the first to be aware of it: “ we will take the direction that Carmelo Ezpeleta recommends to us. I spoke to Lin Jarvis and senior management at Yamaha. Morbidelli is a driver to consider. This is what Yamaha asked us. But I will not negotiate with any driver until I am 200% sure that I can carry out the project ».
And the question is not just financial: “ we will need to control the team. You have to do everything neatly and clearly. There must be no occult influences. Because I represent the interests of Petronas, the Sepang route and also my government. You have to be sure to have partners who will not pose any complications ».
Which means a Marc VDS team in full turmoil excluded, but which does not mean the assurance of an agreement with Jorge Martinez who has no intention of handing over control of his team… “ The idea was born from an opportunity like with Syahrin and Tech3. I spoke with Carmelo Ezpeleta last May, telling him that if one of his teams had a problem, we could be there. Petronas does not just want to be a sponsor. He also wants to develop lubricating products for the M1 engine. Yamaha said it would be possible and it is important for Petronas. Furthermore, Petronas supported the official team from 2008 to 2010 ". To be continued…
