The Petronas Sprinta Racing Team line-up of John McPhee and Darryn Binder head into Sunday's Moto3 opener in Qatar confident following impressive three day test at Losail.
John McPhee will get a ninth season competing in the 125cc/Moto3 class in 2021 after opting for a renewed Petronas Sprinta Moto3 deal over joining another team for Moto2 graduation
John McPhee feels the ongoing break since round one of the Moto3 season has probably only increased the importance of his Qatar podium. The Petronas Honda rider clawed his way from outside the top ten to finish just 0.053s from race winner Albert Arenas during the March 8 race.
John McPhee feels a change of strategy may be necessary at the start of the European Moto3 season after failing to build on an exemplary winter of testing.
John McPhee attempted to find the positives in a frustrating first Moto3 race of 2019, as engine issues hampered him on the Losail International Circuit’s 0.66-mile front straight and limited him to a 13 th placed finish.
“I’ve never come away from Jerez actually feeling comfortable. But now everything is working for me. I’m not attacking too hard. I’m not chasing a lap time. But the lap time is coming to me. That’s nice.”
John McPhee has said the Moto3 title is “100 percent the goal” in 2019 after it was confirmed he would join the Petronas-backed SIC [Sepang International Circuit] Honda squad in the junior category in November.
After securing his best result of the season in Sunday’s dramatic Moto3 outing, John McPhee pointed to the importance of a one-day test prior to the Grand Prix of Catalunya, where he had the opportunity to try “small, subtle changes” which improved performance.
John McPhee travels to Argentina for the second round of the Moto3 championship believing he and his CIP KTM have the potential to challenge for the race win after an impressive fight-back through the field in Qatar.
John McPhee has stated his aim for 2018 is to be regularly among the podium places and challenging for race wins as he prepares for his sixth season in the Moto3 class.
Alberto Puig has shed light on Dorna’s decision to withdraw the recently formed British Talent Team from the Moto3 world championship for 2018, believing the jump from British Talent Cup to the world championship to be too great.
John McPhee has been thrown a grand prix lifeline by CIP KTM after learning at Sepang that his British Talent Team will not continue in next year's Moto3 series.