Team Principal Razlan Razali launches his latest racing venture on Monday, January 24th as the WithU Yamaha RNF team prepare to debut in MotoGP™. There is plenty of intrigue surrounding the Iwata factory’s satellite project, as seasoned veteran Andrea Dovizioso is joined by rookie Darryn Binder, with the South African becoming just the second rider to ever move directly from Moto3™ to the premier class.
Dovizioso will compete in his 15th season in MotoGP™, with the Italian returning to the sport halfway through the 2021 season following a brief sabbatical. After a fruitful eight seasons with Ducati, where he was a regular Championship contender, Dovi returned to Yamaha at the San Marino GP and rode the remaining five races on a 2019-spec YZR-M1. However, for the new season, he will ride on the latest model as he looks to fight his way back towards the top of the sport.
On the opposite end of the career spectrum is Binder, the 23-year-old South African and younger brother of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) follows in the footsteps of Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) in jumping directly to MotoGP™ from Moto3™. Despite being a title favourite for the lightweight class in 2021 and a promising start to the season, he was unable to kick on and make it a memorable campaign. It didn’t stop Razali from taking a punt of the number 40 though, with his size and riding style seemingly more suited towards a heavier machine than the lighter Moto3™ bikes.
The WithU Yamaha RNF Racing MotoGP Presentation will be shown live from Verona as they unveil the liveries of the MotoGP™ newcomers for the first time. You can watch it all via the team’s social media channels, including Facebook and Youtube at 16:00 CET.