In MotoGP, everything can start from a simple allusion thrown out to the joke under the seal of humor. This means you have to be careful about what you say! For example, as soon as Jorge Lorenzo announced his retirement, Valentino Rossi burst out laughing that he had a job for him with the position of Yamaha test rider. We know the rest... Another speculation started in almost the same way, reporting, at Petronas, in 2021, a duo composed of Rossi and Lorenzo. And the idea is following its course, even in the organization of the Malaysian team!
In seven or eight Grands Prix, we will know if Valentino Rossi continues, or not, his career. What is certain is that, in any case, he will not be a driver of the official team Yamaha . But then where if the adventure continues? All eyes turn to the satellite team Petronas...
The structure dear to Razlan Razali did not wait to write its letters of nobility in the major Grand Prix category. In one season, she won the title of best private team, and her discovery, fabio quartararo, finished best rookie, first of the satellite drivers and in the top 5 of the championship. A demonstration of skill which did not escape Valentino Rossi who sees it as a solid alternative.
However : Petronas Yamaha aims to find young talents. However, with a duo composed of Rossi and Lorenzo, It is off the mark ! But the Yamaha team principal, Lin Jarvis, doesn't care. He even receives the echo of Johan Stigefelt, who is none other than the director of the Petronas team…” Wilco Zeelenberg, the team manager, and I joked about it the other day », admits the Swede at the microphone of Gazzetta dello Sport. “ The truth is that our team's philosophy is to bring out new Moto2 talents, a project that I really like. But in this case we are talking about two motorcycle legends. That would be something awesome ».
Even just being able to align Valentino Rossi would be a great honor for his team: “ This is a question that is beyond me: I manage the team, but what happens is decided elsewhere. We will definitely talk about it. For me, Valentino is the best in history. The biggest. And then there is a hidden thread that links me to him. »
And the award goes to @sepangracing! 🏆
But in a shock twist, Razlan Razali has been pipped to the award by Team Director Johan Stigefelt! 😱 pic.twitter.com/h5QUeq0xoT
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) February 9, 2020
A thread that goes back to the former career of Stigefelt as a pilot in intermediate classes: “ in the 1995 European Championship, I raced against him at Mugello. And I started the 250 at the same time as him. Although on a slightly different level… And as I sit here today, he’s still running. It's extraordinary. Already at the beginning of January, I had read his statements about us in the Gazzetta, and it was a privilege. We've just started, but we've shown everyone, including Vale, what we can do. And I'm not just talking about the results, but about the way we built the team and our professionalism. If someone like him noticed it, it means they did a good job. »
In 2020, the Petronas team will continue with Fabio Quartararo, equipped with a state-of-the-art Yamaha and Franco Morbidelli. In all cases, it is the latter who has the pressure to keep his handlebars in 2021, the year in which the Frenchman will be a Yamaha official alongside Casa Particular in Viñales...
