After Petronas’ surprise farewell, Razlan Razali last year found himself in the position of having to rebuild a MotoGP team in the space of a few weeks and he did so, giving life to the WithU RNF Yamaha.
For now, however, 2022 has undoubtedly been below expectations and the Malaysian manager now finds himself having to plan for the future again, given that the contract with Yamaha will expire at the end of the year and in the paddock there are also rumors of a possible passage in Aprilia.
He spoke about this, but also about many other topics, in an interview he gave to GPOne, which you can read in full here, in which he gave some very interesting ideas, especially when he talked about his top driver, Andrea Dovizioso.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect him to struggle that much considering last year he did 5 races and tests. We thought with his experience he would know how to adapt to the M1. I think he needs to take a step back, not be too analytical. and simply riding the bike, trying to get the most out of it instead of thinking about what doesn’t work. That’s the bike, “he said on the Forlì.
When asked if he is a rider who thinks too much, he added: “I find similarities between him and Valentino last year, they both want not only to be pilots but also engineers and they forget to be pilots and to drive the race. motorcycle as it is. The philosophy of having young people is right because they have no references and they simply ride, it is the difference between a rookie and a rider with great experience. Vale and Dovi are very analytical, very sensitive, but they forget to ride the motorcycle”.
Andrea Dovizioso, RNF MotoGP Team
Photo by: Dorna
Taking stock of the team’s future and the possible move to Aprilia, he said: “The rumors started early this year (laughs) and Suzuki’s decision has amplified them. It’s true, we only have a one-year contract with Yamaha. but we have time to assess the situation. We have other options, and they are good, but let’s wait. The possibility of changing manufacturers is great but it is something I would not like to take. “
“I would like to have a relationship with Yamaha like the one that Poncharal has had for more than 20 years, or Cecchinello with Honda. In this way you race together with the manufacturer, win and lose together. As a team we have to build our credibility, commercial relationships, fans and you can’t do it if you change manufacturers every time. Of course, I’m forced to look around, having only a one-year contract with Yamaha. “
