For the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team, the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana will not only be the last round of the 2022 MotoGP season but also the moment to thank and say goodbye to Darryn binder, Cal Crutchlow and Yamaha.
At the end of the first year of the new structure put in place by Razlan Razali, this time without Joan Stigefelt, the results are certainly not up to expectations at the start of the year, but between Yamahas that only fabio quartararo was able to fully exploit and Andrea Dovizioso retired during the season, the British team did the best they could, finally with a Darryn binder who did not deserve after having made the always difficult impasse in the Moto2 category, and a Cal Crutchlow qui, au pied levé, a su “faire le boulot” en inscrivant des points dans 4 des 5 courses auxquelles il a participé.
Before the last round with the two current riders and Yamaha, and before moving into the Aprilia fold with Miguel Oliveira et Raul Fernandez, Razlan Razali thanks everyone, or almost, since not a word is spoken for the brand with three tuning forks!
« As you know, this is the last round of the 2022 MotoGP world championship in Valencia. The season was long, difficult and full of challenges for the new team in its first year as an NWA. However, I am happy that despite all the challenges, we are able to complete our first year. It hasn't been easy on all fronts: Track performances, driver retirements, fighting for the last two places in the championship, which is not what we hoped for. But we are happy to get where we are, knowing that next Tuesday we will embark on a new project with a new manufacturer and two new drivers for the 2023 season and the first winter test. With the final race in Valencia, the best we can do is score valuable points again in order to pull away from Tech3 in the team standings and finish the season as best we can.
I would like to say thank you to Darryn Binder for everything he has done. We are satisfied with his performance this year. It was a tough year, he suffered quite a few crashes, but also showed glimpses of good races, the best being at Mandalika, scoring a few points in a number of races and at times being the second best Yamaha rider . Going from Moto3 to MotoGP is always difficult, but I think he was a credit to himself and the team. Not to mention, we also wish Darryn the best for his rookie year in Moto2 and hope that with his MotoGP experience he can be competitive there.
We are also happy with Cal Crutchlow and would like to thank him for joining us for the last six races. Coming out of retirement, Cal has done remarkably well, he's quite a character. He still has speed and we wish him the best for next year as he continues to develop the Yamaha.
I also want to say thank you to the team for being with us through the toughest times this year. Without them, there would be no team. There is one more race to go and we will just do our best, be as professional as possible and, as you know, we will start our new project. Special mention must be made to the extraordinary team of service providers and suppliers, with the likes of Fast, Tecnove, Paul Sannen and Impeco, who help and support us when needed to provide the best possible service to a MotoGP team. Finally, we would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support during our first year. I know it's not what they expected, but that's sport, you win and you lose, but we're looking forward to 2023.
In Valencia we will not only be taking part in our final race, but there will also be key announcements that we will make over the weekend. This only shows the team's positivity for the future. »
