PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team had a superb Dutch GP, with rookie Fabio Quartararo achieving his second consecutive podium finish and Franco Morbidelli taking the chequered flag in fifth. It is the best combined result for the team, and comes on the debut weekend with PETRONAS Sprinta engine oil in the team’s Yamaha YZR-M1 bikes.
Quartararo, who started from pole position, made a great start, allowing him to lead a MotoGP race for the first time. He headed the field for 12 laps, and didn’t relinquish the lead without a fight. The Frenchman maintained consistent race pace to finish the Dutch GP in third position, giving him sixth in the overall standings with 67 points. He is also currently the Top Independent Rider.
Morbidelli made excellent progress during the race. The Italian, who started from the third row of the grid, made a great fight up the order, and after an intense battle on the final laps and a clever overtaking move on the final chicane, claimed fifth place. Morbidelli is now 12th in the World Championship with 45 points.
The next challenge for the pair will be the German GP, which will be held from July 5th to 7th at Sachsenring.
Razlan Razali – Team Principal
“What a fantastic Dutch GP! To achieve a podium finish, in only the next race from our first-ever podium finish, is really quite remarkable and it’s incredible to think that this team is only eight races old. Fabio performed excellently all weekend and the entire team did a tremendous job. Franco had a superb race, and a fine fifth is just reward for his efforts.
This weekend PETRONAS debuted their Sprinta engine oil in the Yamaha YZR-M1 and were rewarded with pole position and a podium finish. This is a great endorsement of their technical prowess and a well-deserved reward for the support they have given this team.
This is a very happy team today but we remain focused to keep improving and delivering at the very best we can.”
Wilco Zeelenberg – Team Manager
“It’s our best result as a team to date. Having our MotoGP riders finish third and fifth is a bit unexpected. If we were offered these results for the rest of the season, we’d take it – it would be fantastic.
Fabio had a great race, leading for 12 laps and claiming another podium – the second for the team. We are very satisfied. Franco had a very steady race. He made a good start, and although he lacked some pace at the beginning, when the other riders started to lap slower he was able to maintain his speed and overtake on the final laps. He should be very proud of himself after this race in Assen.
We come out of this weekend with much more energy and we are looking forward to the next round. The goal for Germany will be to try to make sure Fabio goes into the weekend in the best physical condition, and we hope that Franco can take another step forward, although we are more than satisfied with the results that both riders have provided us with up to now.”
#21 Franco Morbidelli
“I matched my best result in MotoGP to date, so I am very happy today. It was very important to finish the race, and above all to achieve a good position here. It was a tough race, because to begin with I didn’t feel like I had enough speed to stay with the front group. However, towards the end of the race my feeling improved and I was able to ride faster than those in front of me. I was able to gain several positions and finish fifth. I’m very happy with this result, and I thank the team and my crew.”
#20 Fabio Quartararo
“It’s been a great weekend, although the race was very tough. Leading the race was one of the best moments of my life. When I was a kid I watched these races, and today I managed to lead one. When I got overtaken for the lead, I knew I couldn’t do anything to respond because of my arm problems. The chasing pack was further behind, so I chose to manage the distance and ensure I placed on the podium. My arm bothered me a lot because there were several bumps and a lot of wind, which made the bike move around a lot.
We have taken another podium, and yesterday I got on pole, so I couldn’t be happier. The goal in Qatar was to get into the top ten frequently this season, but little by little we have been raising our targets. I’m looking forward to Germany.”
