2019 incentives for Sepang Moto2, Moto3 riders
The Sepang International Circuit (SIC) team's trio of riders all have a clear incentive to do well in this year's Moto3 and Moto2 World Championships.
The continuing Moto3 line-up of Malaysian Adam Norrodin and Japanese Ayumu Sasaki - who will race under the new Petronas Sprinta banner - have the chance of a Moto2 seat if they excel this season.
Sepang CEO Dato' Razlan Razali told Crash.net that Norrodin has been especially inspired by countryman Hafizh Syahrin's historic move to MotoGP this season, adding:
"Adam knows there is a Moto2 structure waiting for him if he meets his targets. So he is very motivated to do well and go up.
"It's the same for Ayumu. Both of them are boys in a rush, which is good and bad! The good is that they are going to try hard.
"The expectation is for both Adam and Ayumu to do well and move up to Moto2 in 2019."
At present, SIC could only accommodate one of them within its own Moto2 team.
And what would happen to Zulfahmi Khairuddin, parachuted in to ride the single SIC Moto2 entry this year following Syahrin's Tech3 Yamaha deal?
The good news for 'Fahmi' is that Razali is ready to expand the Moto2 project if the former Moto3 podium finisher can prove himself in the 600cc class.
"My plan for Fahmi is that, if he performs respectfully in the first year, I will ask for a second Moto2 bike for 2019," Razali said.
By coincidence, Khairuddin was helping the next generation of young Malaysian riders through Sepang's new 'Dream to MotoGP' program when he got his own surprise comeback chance.
"Fahmi is the talent scout and coach for our 'Dream to MotoGP' program," Razali explained. "We found a shortlist of five great young kids, with the best two getting the chance to race in the CEV.
"So Fahmi's been very busy with that. When it became clear we needed a replacement for Hafizh, we did contemplate other riders as well, but decided they were not yet competent enough.
"Fahmi already knows the grand prix circuits, he knows a 600cc sized bike from two years in World Supersport and so overall he is the best person for Hafizh to give his bike to."
Khairuddin was a full time 125cc/Moto3 grand prix rider from 2010-2015, then switched to World Supersport where he claimed a podium at his home round before slipping to 35th overall in 2017.
Razali is a man who thinks big, taking the Malaysian Grand Prix from modest to sold-out crowds and now, after years of supporting home-grown riders, helping put the first Malaysian into MotoGP.
So what's next? It seems that a future SIC MotoGP team might be on his long-term radar…
"Perhaps we can have a complete [set] of Moto3, Moto2 and - maybe five years down the road - MotoGP!
"I don't know... I can only plan for it, right?"
