Video: Petronas teaser ahead of Rossi, Morbidelli team launch
Monday, March 1, will see nine-time champion Valentino Rossi officially unveiled as a Petronas Yamaha MotoGP rider, alongside countryman and VR46 protegee Franco Morbidelli.
Ahead of the event, which will also feature the official presentation of the latest Petronas Moto2 and Moto3 line-up, the Sepang team has released the following teaser video:
Rossi hasn’t changed team since returning to the Factory Yamaha squad from Ducati in 2013. The last time The Doctor rode for a satellite team was in 2001, the final year of the 500cc era, when he won his first premier-class title for Nastro Azzurro Honda.
But Morbidelli is the man on form, having finished title runner-up to Suzuki's Joan Mir and claimed three race wins in last year's world championship.
Nonetheless, the #21 will continue on the A-Spec Yamaha this season, while Rossi joins Monster Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo in using the Factory-Spec machine.
In Moto2, the Sepang team will field an unchanged rider line-up of Xavi Vierge and Jake Dixon on Kalex machinery, while in Moto3 the team's race winner John McPhee is joined by new team-mate Darryn Binder.
The Petronas Sepang Racing launch, which starts at 10:30am CET on Monday, will be broadcast live on the Malaysian team's official YouTube and Facebook pages.
Rossi, 42, will make his track debut in Petronas Yamaha colours during the start of the Official Qatar test on March 6, with his first race appearance for the team scheduled for the same Losail circuit on March 28.
Provisional 2021 MotoGP Calendar | |||
Round | Date | Race | Circuit |
1 | 28 March | Qatar (Evening race) | Losail |
2 | 4 April | Doha (Evening race) | Losail |
3 | 18 April | Portugal | Portimao |
4 | 2 May | Spain | Jerez |
5 | 16 May | France | Le Mans |
6 | 30 May | Italy | Mugello |
7 | 6 June | Catalunya | Barcelona |
8 | 20 June | Germany | Sachsenring |
9 | 27 June | Netherlands | Assen |
10 | 11 July | Finland (Subject to homologation) | KymiRing |
11 | 15 August | Austria | Red Bull Ring |
12 | 29 August | Great Britain | Silverstone |
13 | 12 September | Aragon | Aragon |
14 | 19 September | San Marino e Della Riviera di Rimini | Misano |
15 | 3 October | Japan | Motegi |
16 | 10 October | Thailand | Buriram |
17 | 24 October | Australia | Phillip Island |
18 | 31 October | Malaysia | Sepang |
19 | 14 November | Comunitat Valenciana | Ricardo Tormo |
Postponed Grands Prix: | |||
Argentina | Termas | ||
Americas | COTA | ||
Reserve Grand Prix Venues: | |||
Indonesia (Subject to homologation) | Mandalika | ||
2021 Pre-season Testing: | |||
5 March | Qatar Shakedown Test | Losail | |
6-7 March | Qatar Official Test | Losail | |
10-12 March | Qatar Official Test | Losail |