Despite the best efforts of rider and team, Valentino Rossi’s record-breaking MotoGP career fizzled out when he finished 18th in the World Championship standings at SRT last year.
After losing his Yamaha factory seat to Fabio Quartararo, Rossi took the Frenchman’s place in the Petronas satellite team that won six races with Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli in 2020.
Despite riding a works Yamaha that took the 2021 title with Quartararo and another race win with Maverick Vinales, the Rossi-SRT combo was never at the top and he ended the season in a best eighth (tenth in the dry). ).
For Team Principal Razlan Razali it was a bittersweet experience, a unique chance to work alongside MotoGP’s all-time greatest star tinged with disappointing results.
Related articles
“What happened to the team last year happened, but it was a pleasure working with Valentino,” Razali told Crash.net. “In terms of value it was great and it was an honor that we were the last team he rode with.
“We learned a lot from our side having him on the team. How to deal with a guy like him. He has also given us a mindset for the important things to focus on. The things you like to have versus what you really need. I think that’s important.
Related articles
“In terms of results, we never thought it would be like this, I don’t think he thought he was going to perform like that. But it happens! We just have to remember that it was fun working with him.
“Now we’re starting over with a new book.”
Rossi at 42, Dovizioso at 35 “completely different comparison”
This fresh start comes in the form of Razali’s new RNF team taking over the SRT grid sites and Yamaha satellite machines for 2022.
Changes include a new driver line-up with rookie Darryn Binder and former triple title runner-up Andrea Dovizioso.
Rossi’s move to SRT marked the first time the Malaysian team had worked with a rider over the age of 26 after his stunning success with rising stars Morbidelli and Quartararo, who are now reunited at Monster Yamaha.
At 35, Dovizioso takes over Rossi as the oldest rider on the MotoGP grid, but according to Razali the similarities end there.
Having settled in for SRT with five races last season, Razali believes Dovizioso could even ‘fight for the championship’ this year on the factory-spec M1.
“Obviously some fans or skeptics will compare and say it could be another season like Valentino,” Razali said of Dovizioso. “But people forget that we got Valentino when he was 42. Dovi is 35. If you look at where Valentino was when he was 35, he was still at his peak. I think that’s a whole different comparison.
“It’s valid because he’s the oldest guy in the field now, a little older than Aleix [32]. But Dovi has done a lot during his time at Ducati. Triple runner-up. He was previously at Tech3 on the Yamaha. And most importantly, he had the five races last year.
“Yes it was on a two year old bike but I think it gives it that feeling and competitiveness that is back. He hasn’t been pushing but now with the same package as the factory guys I think he could be one of the drivers who can fight for the championship.”
That may sound ambitious given Dovizioso’s best twelfth place finish on the 2019 SRT bike, just behind Rossi and Morbidelli, at the Valencia finale.
But Dovizioso has not crashed once during his five race weekends last year, underscoring his own margin for improvement, on top of the three-year jump in bike spec he will receive at RNF. The Italian was 13th fastest, second best Yamaha and half a second off Quartararo on his debut with the 2022 prototype at Jerez in November.
Dovizioso will continue to work with Ramon Forcada, crew chief to Jorge Lorenzo during his championship season and race winner with Vinales, before helping Morbidelli to his second title at SRT.
“Malaysians crave events like MotoGP”
Coming back to Rossi, a broader question is what impact the retirement of the most famous motorcycle racer in history will have on MotoGP as a whole.
From the perspective of his previous role as CEO of the Sepang Circuit, home of the Malaysian Grand Prix and venue for the upcoming pre-season test, Razali replied:
“I think if we look specifically at Malaysia it’s not going to affect the sport that much that Valentino isn’t there anymore because we haven’t had MotoGP in the last two years. I think Malaysians crave events, especially international events like MotoGP, nothing after two years.
“I’ve already heard that 10,000 people will be allowed to see the upcoming Sepang test, which is great and there is a lot of hype on social media about the testing. Yes, some are concerned about the current omicron situation, but at the same time they’re looking forward to hearing MotoGP engines again in Sepang, so I guess that’s not a problem at all.
“Could the new Indonesian race be a problem for Sepang as Indonesia traditionally accounts for almost 20% of Malaysian MotoGP attendees? I don’t think so either because Mandalika is the second round and Malaysia is the second round from the end. We thought Buriram [Thailand] might affect us when it came in, and it didn’t.
“I think people crave events like MotoGP and, most importantly, MotoGP is still exciting. Yes, Valentino didn’t fight for anything last year but the races were great. So as long as the sport stays exciting with great racing, I don’t think there’s a problem without Valentino.”
RNF will unveil its official team colors for 2022 at a launch next Monday in Verona, Italy.