Sepang Circuit confirms end of Moto2, Moto3 teams - MotoGP 'independent'
Sepang CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif has confirmed that the circuit's Moto2 and Moto3 teams will close at the end of this season, following the withdraw of Petronas sponsorship.
The current SRT Yamaha MotoGP team is to continue but be reborn as a 'new entity', 'independent' from the Malaysian Grand Prix venue. Full details are expected at Silverstone in two weeks.
"Yes, that's true, the Moto2 and Moto3 teams will be disbanded, we just have to wait for Datuk Razlan [Razali, SRT team prinicipal] to announce it. I think he will do it in the coming weeks ahead of Silverstone, along with an explanation of the team's future," Hanif is quoted as saying by TMCBlog.com
"More-or-less we are already agreed with Razlan Razali that SRT [Sepang Racing Team] will be independent from SIC next year."
It is not yet clear who the new MotoGP team owners will be but, despite the loss of Petronas, 'SRT' already has a new five-year deal in place for MotoGP grid places and, with all other teams already confirming their 2022 machinery, is set to extend its contract with Yamaha (albeit it seems without access to any factory-spec machines).
The team will need a new MotoGP rider line-up next season with Franco Morbidelli moving to the Factory Yamaha team and Valentino Rossi retiring. Current SRT Moto3 rider Darryn Binder is tipped to skip Moto2 and take up one of the 2022 MotoGP places.
John McPhee, SRT's first grand prix winner in 2019, currently rides alongside Binder in Moto3 with Jake Dixon (rumoured to be making a surprise MotoGP debut for Petronas at Silverstone) and Xavi Vierge forming the present Moto2 line-up.
Meanwhile, Hanif also expects a decision on this year's Malaysian Grand Prix, again hanging in the balance due to the Covid pandemic, to be made around Silverstone at the end of this month.
"I think we must be aware that the [Pandemic] situation in Malaysia is still not good, the number of cases is still consistent at 20,000," he said. "We are still discussing with our partners the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Sports Malaysia.
"We have described the proposals and SOPs [Standard Operating Procedures] and will talk further with Dorna around the end of this month for a final decision regarding MotoGP this year."
