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PETALING JAYA: It won’t cost the Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team anything to have Italian legend Valentino Rossi race for them next season.
Team principal Datuk Razlan Razali, in a video call, said Yamaha Motor will bear all the expenses to have the nine-time world champion on board.
The signing of the 41-year-old Italian, after nearly six months of negotiations, comes with full factory support from Yamaha.
“When we got the offer to get Valentino, there were some terms that we had to meet, but at the same time, we also want to make sure we are getting a good deal.
“The cost of getting Rossi is paid by the bike manufacturer, not us.
“It is a multi-layered contract between Yamaha and Valentino, Yamaha and SIC, as well as Valentino and SIC.
“He is not just a normal driver, this is Valentino, the discussions took a long time but we succeeded,” he revealed.
When asked if there is any chance that their contract will extend beyond 2021, Razlan said they will cross the bridge when the time comes.
“We will evaluate this from time to time. Our wish was to bring in a young rider, but we made an exception (for Rossi) for various reasons, so we’ll see how he performs. “
Rossi will have compatriot Franco Morbidelli as a companion on the satellite team, which is just in its second year in the premier class of motorsport.
Frenchman Fabio Quartararo, who has won three races so far and leads the championship, will move to the official Yamaha team next year.
“In a normal season, we will evaluate not only Valentino but also other drivers. But due to Covid-19 and the season that starts only in July, it was difficult for us to see other potential signings.
“Normally, if we are going to bring a Moto2 rider to MotoGP, we need time to see their level of performance. But the season only started two months ago and we couldn’t really consider who we wanted.
“Valentino is a legend and he should not retire in a season affected by Covid-19.
“We also need an experienced driver to accompany Franco for the stability of the team. It is still competitive as we can see in the few races so far.
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