KUALA LUMPUR – The cancellation of two MotoGP tests at Sepang International Circuit next month will not have a major impact on Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team’s preparations before the opening round of 2021 MotoGP World Championship at the Qatar Grand Prix from March 26-28.
Team principal Datuk Razlan Razali said that they respected the decision made by Dorna Sports following the recent announcement by the Malaysian government on the enforcement of a 14-day movement control order starting today in six states.
Razlan also said that he would discuss with team manager Johan Stigefelt their plan to carry out three private tests in Europe, pending clearance from the Immigration Department of each country they plan to conduct the test in.
“I was made to understand that Dorna Sports could cancel another MotoGP test supposed to be held at the Jerez Circuit (in Spain) from March 16-18 due to Covid-19.
“However, I believe that the Qatar test (March 10-12) is more than enough for our team to improve our bikes, especially in aerodynamics, including reducing the weight of the bike before the race proper,” he said.
Yesterday, Dorna Sports, the holder of MotoGP’s exclusive commercial and television rights announced that the official winter test of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, which was supposed to be held at Sepang on February 19-21, has been called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia.
Dorna Sports also said that the shakedown test scheduled to take place on February 14-16 at Sepang was also called off due to the same reason.
Meanwhile, Sepang International Circuit chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif said in a statement issued today that they have decided to postpone all motorsports activities during the MCO.
This, he said, includes the second and final round of the Malaysia Superbike Championship, which was supposed to be held from January 20-22.
“We are looking forward to watching the action from the official test before the season starts. However, with the recent Covid-19 spike, the safety and well-being of those involved remain our top priority and we can’t afford to risk the health of others,” he said. – Bernama, January 13, 2021
