The MotoGP world has been waiting for weeks for the officialization of this agreement, and it is now done: the Sepang International Circuit takes over Jorge Martínez's team "Aspar" from 2019 as a satellite team of Yamaha .
The Ángel Nieto team was the first to publish its press release, in which it announced that it would be taken over next year by the Sepang International Circuit :
“Ángel Nieto Racing Team (ANRT) and Sepang International Circuit (SIC) have reached an agreement whereby SIC will take over ANRT’s two places in the MotoGP™ category from the 2019 season. Mr. Jorge Martínez “Aspar” will take over the position of Sports Advisor of this new MotoGP team. »
Yamaha then published a press release to formalize that this new team will become its satellite team:
“Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is pleased to confirm the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Sepang International Circuit.
The Memorandum of Understanding between Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Sepang International Circuit plans for the team to have Yamaha YZR-M1 motorcycles for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship seasons as a satellite team. »
All that remains is to know which two drivers will race within this new team. If Franco Morbidelli's place seems assured, the second is still being played out between Dani Pedrosa, Álvaro Bautista and… fabio quartararo ?
