MotoGP: Razlan Razali publicly apologizes to former sponsor Petronas

De Luigi Ciamburro / Corsedimoto.com

Razlan Razali apologizes for any offense towards sponsor Petronas and SIC. The bone of contention is an interview published on Speedweek.com.

Razlan Razali and the Petronas SRT team have had a rather eventful 2021 MotoGP season. On the track, the results disappointed, with Franco Morbidelli having undergone knee surgery before the summer break. Valentino Rossi did not bring good results despite a factory M1, at least on paper. The farewell of the Malaysian oil sponsor announced in the middle of the championship upset all the team's plans, forced to find a new main sponsor for 2022. In this case, the Lombard brand Withu.

In the past few hours, Razlan Razali issued a statement in an attempt to clarify any misunderstanding over possible grievances against Petronas, following a article published on Speedweek.com. It is unclear which parts of the interview offended Petronas and demanded an official “response”. But it is probable that the citation of a woman, as the cause of the split, is not appreciated. Neither by the CEO of the Sepang circuit, Azhan Shafriman Hanif, nor by the top management of the oil brand.

MEDIA STATEMENT

BY RAZLAN RAZALI, MAIN TEAM OF PETRONAS SEPANG RACING TEAM (PSRT) ON SPEEDWEEK.COM ARTICLE

RAZLAN RAZALI, MAIN TEAM OF PETRONAS SEPANG RACING TEAM

In reference to several online news articles published regarding the termination of PSRT's title partner, PETRONAS Sepang Racing Team Principal Razlan Razali responded.

“I sincerely regret the outcome of the way the articles were written and the impact they received. It was never my intention to create friction between myself and the parties involved. With that, I apologize if the parties mentioned by these journalists have offended in any way. We have mutually agreed that the partnership has achieved its purpose and objectives, and given the global economic situation due to the pandemic, I respect the decision made by the title partner to terminate the team. The team and its title partner have accomplished and achieved so much in the three years we have worked together and I thank our partner for the commitment and support given as we finished on a high note at the last race in Valencia . »

AZHAN SHAFRIMAN HANIF, GENERAL DIRECTOR OF SEPANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT (SIC)

“Said articles do not express the views or opinions of CIS as the owner of the team, nor are they shared, supported or endorsed in any manner. We respect Petronas' decision to enter into the title partnership and firmly believe that the separation was mutual and, importantly, amicably agreed. We would like to thank Petronas for its continued support throughout the partnership. »

From the next MotoGP season, Razlan Razali will participate with the new Withu RNF Yamaha team. He signed an annual contract with Iwata which will be discussed again in June, to see if the new team has a solid financial basis. In the stands there will be Andrea Dovizioso and Darryn Binder. They face the difficult task of repeating what Quartararo and Morbidelli did, with six victories equally in 2020.

Read the original article on Corsedimoto.com

Luigi Ciamburro