As iconic Valentino Rossi prepares to embark on his 22nd season in MotoGP, his recent move to Yamaha Sepang Petronas Racing Team is sure to be not just a swansong but a legitimate opportunity for more glory.
After spending the last eight seasons with the Yamaha factory team, the Italian rides for Malaysia-based Sepang Racing Team – Yamaha satellite clothing – this season, with the rising star Fabio Quartararo goes the other way.
Despite enjoying a legendary status in the sport, Rossi’s last race win came in 2017 and he retired in five out of 12 starts last year, achieving just one podium finish.
The skeptics may believe the seven-time class champion is on his last legs but, as Rossi was revealed in his new colors for the first time Monday at the Sepang Racing Team season, he is excited about what the upcoming campaign holds.
“It’s a new challenge for me,” he said. “This is a very young team, but in the last two years they have already been very competitive.
“My targets for 2021 [are] be competitive, fight to win races, fight to achieve podiums and also fight for a good position in world championships at the end of the season.
“We are all very focused on our targets to do the best we can. The whole team is very motivated and I will do my best to achieve the best result together at the end of the calendar. . “
The Sepang Racing Team has definitely punctured the pressure despite making their first class debut just two years ago.
2020 was a disappointment of all kinds as Quartararo took home the first two races of the season, with the team claiming a total of six victories to finish second in the team competition, with Franco Morbidelli – who will be racing alongside Rossi this term – is also claiming a finishing touchdown in the rider stand.
It is such a rapid development that Razlan team principal Razali hopes that the new year could show even greater achievements.
“Anything is possible,” Razlan said at Monday’s season release. “And we firmly believe that we can do the impossible: win the competition.
“2020 was a fantastic year for us, but we recognize that there are always areas where we can make progress.
“We are looking forward to the season ahead, desperate to give Franco and Valentino the best possible chance. For Franco, it’s a great opportunity to achieve even better things than his new season in 2020 and for Valentino we hope a new team will give him the best opportunities to put his talent and experience to use.
“We expect another tough fight to be on the way over the coming season and we will be pushing at every step to support Franco and Valentino and ensure that the all their tools available. “