KUALA LUMPUR: After much speculation in recent weeks, it has now been confirmed that Malaysia will have it's very own team competing in MotoGP next season, and as expected it will be powered by Yamaha machinery.
Sepang International Circuit (SIC) have inked an agreement with Angel Nieto Racing Team (ANRT) which will see them take over the latter's two slots on the grid for the 2019 season.
As part of the deal, ANRT founder Jorge Martinez, whose nickname is 'Aspar', will stay on as sporting advisor for the new MotoGP outfit.
This was confirmed in an announcement on the official MotoGP website today (Thursday).
"SIC and ANRT in principle have reached an agreement by which, from the 2019 MotoGP season, SIC will take over the two MotoGP:tm: class entries of ANRT," according to the announcement.
"Mr Jorge Martinez ‘Aspar’ will assume the role of Sporting Advisor to this new MotoGP:tm: Team."
It was also confirmed that the new team will utilise Yamaha bikes for the next three seasons.
"Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. is pleased to confirm the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SIC,” according to a separate statement on the MotoGP site.
"The MoU between Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. and SIC foresees the team leasing Yamaha YZR-M1 motorcycles for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship seasons as a satellite team."
This confirms that the new outfit will take over from Monster Yamaha Tech3 as Yamaha's satellite team from next season. The Tech3 team will be switching to KTM machinery from next year onwards.
It is widely believed that this new team will be sponsored by Petronas, however, there has yet to be confirmation on this, as well as the riders who will take up the two seats. Italian Franco Morbidelli and Spaniard Dani Pedrosa are just two big names who have been linked with the new outfit.
SIC chief executive officer, Datuk Razlan Razali, who is believed to have played a key role in setting up the new team, was unreachable for comment.