At Petronas, we resigned ourselves to letting go of its discovery Fabio Quartararo in the direction of the Yamaha factory team. In exchange, it is the living legend Valentino Rossi who arrives, but in a terminal phase of his prolific career. Team manager Wilco Zeelenberg explains how he is going to organize this installation, including a decision that may seem symbolic, but which is full of meaning...
15 years of common history, it marks the spirits and it is precisely what binds Red à Yamaha . A story which ends under official colors, but which will continue in 2021 with a latest generation motorcycle within the satellite team Petronas. A change which is far from being a demotion given the results of 2020. Indeed, the Malaysian machines won six of the seven victories Yamaha this season…
Certainly, but the brand Petronas, for its part, is it also achieving a good deal? The length of discussions about a contract recognized as complex given the size of the stakeholders is an indicator of a relationship expected to be special. However, the team manager, Wilco Zeelenberg, for whom the Doctor is not unknown, and vice versa, will want to maintain control…
On the history of a situation now recorded, he comments: “ it was a combination of things. In 2019 we told our drivers that our goal as a satellite team was to do as much as possible so that they could transfer to the factory team. It was clear from the start that we were going to lose Fabio due to his excellent performance last year. He would have preferred to stay with us, but the financial differences would then have been too great for him ».
« Yamaha wanted Fabio and we didn't want to fight. Yamaha had also already promised Valentino a place for the 2021 season. Then the question arose: can we make Valentino achieve better results than this year? There were other riders on the market, but if you can't decide on a particular name, and Yamaha promised Valentino this position with us. It would have been stupid not to at least consider this challenge with Valentino ". A summary which clearly shows that Petronas never had control of this recruitment file...
Petronas will determine the strategy
But now that the matter is done, Zeelenberg signals that Red will be a pilot like any other. A message that he has already sent by positioning the Doctor in a particular way in the box: “ Vale is an important person in this world, but we have been very clear with him: if you ride for Petronas, we will determine the strategy. Of course he wanted to take his people with him. We told him that ultimately we have the final responsibility to Petronas, despite its contract with Yamaha. We also told him that he will replace Fabio, so he will also take his place in the pits ».
A point on which Zeelenberg insists: “ he will be on the left side of the box. So it's not the other side he was used to in the factory team. This may seem like a small detail, but it was important that he not take Franco's place. We want them to motivate each other ". His mark of authority being affirmed, the same Zeelenberg release the pressure by concluding on speedweek : " it’s an honor for the whole team. It's an honor to be Valentino Rossi's team leader or mechanic. It will also be a challenge for us because we will try to repeat the results we have already achieved with Fabio over the last two years ».
In 2021, Valentino Rossi will have a latest generation M1 while his teammate Franco Morbidelli which comes from its VR46 academy, will continue with a Yamaha 2019. An option that suits him perfectly, given his good results in 2020 which brought him to the rank of vice-world champion…
