YAMAHA RNF REVEALS LIVERY

The newly rebranded and restructured satellite Yamaha MotoGP team WithU Yamaha RNF has revealed its first paint scheme for riders Andrea Dovizioso and Darryn Binder.

Yamaha RNF was formed after Petronas pulled out as naming rights sponsor of the previous team’s iteration and saw the team restructure at the top.

The Yamaha YZR-M1s were revealed in spectacular fashion with a show that included opera singers, a virtual audience only and many guests including those of the team.

Founder and Team Principal of the Yamaha RNF MotoGP Racing Team Razlan Razali was delighted with the unveiling and is hoping for a strong season with veteran Dovizioso and rookie Darryn Binder.

“This presentation in this beautiful backdrop settings of Verona signifies a number of things for the team,” Razali said.

“Firstly, we are rebuilding, rebranding and with the riders that we have engaged for this year, Andrea Dovizioso and Darryn Binder, the target is to become competitive, surprise everybody and do the best we can in achieving our goals.

“Secondly, for the first time, WithU is the title partner for a MotoGP team. WithU has been with us since 2019 and we appreciate their continued commitment, Matteo Ballarin’s support, trust and confidence in us in this new journey for the next three years.

“For this 2022 season, we aim to be amongst the best of the Independent Teams at least. We want to fight for the Rookie of the Year, although we know it’s a huge challenge with five rookies in 2022 and Darryn being the only one of them to jump from Moto3 to MotoGP.

“For Andrea, he has a lot to prove coming back after more than six months of sabbatical. He definitely wants to prove not only himself, but everybody, that he still has the motivation, the experience and the drive to fight for the World Championship.”

Despite the sabbatical season, Dovizioso is a three-time runner-up in the MotoGP Championship, having won 15-times.

He will enter his 20th full season across all categories of the World Championship in 2022.

The Italian rode the final five grands prix for the Petronas team alongside the now-retired Valentino Rossi, ‘Dovi’ is confident those handful of weekends will allow him to hit the ground running in 2022.

“I’m really ready for this season, Dovizioso said. “I’m training a lot in the gym, on my Motocross bike. I removed the plate on my collarbone in early December in order to feel better for this year. Everything is going well.

“I’m so happy to start this full season after five races of testing last year, which was very important to start early with the Yamaha, which is different to what I used the last eight seasons.

“I’m convinced that this will help me a lot to approach the tests and the races in 2022 in a better way. I know more about the bike, about the engineers and the team in general.

“The new colours are adding to the amazing overall picture and I’m looking forward to the test in Malaysia. The last two years we couldn’t ride there, so I’m really happy to go to Sepang.”

Darryn Binder, brother of two-time MotoGP race winner Brad will become only the second rider in MotoGP history to jump straight from Moto3 to MotoGP, following Aussie Jack Miller.

The younger of the Binder brothers celebrated his first-ever victory in Catalunya 2020 and collected five further podiums in the course of his Moto3™ career, the popular yet controversial figure will want to show that he is ready to race in the premier class.

“The colours of my new bike are just beautiful,” Binder said. “Once you see the design and how everything is going to look like for the season, it just makes you so excited to get out and actually ride with the new livery and then you know the 2022 season is officially starting once the team launch has happened.

“I definitely can’t wait! It’s going to be so awesome, I’m very, very excited for my first season in MotoGP!

“Our goal is just to take it step by step. Obviously, it’s a big jump from Moto3 to MotoGP and I only want to take it gradually and build up as high as I can.

“I don’t want to do anything too crazy, but rather take one step at a time and go up slowly, but surely. I’m really excited, now I can’t wait for the Sepang test to get everything going!”

In less than a week, the Yamaha YZR-M1 will be on track, piloted by Binder for the three days Shakedown (Rookie) test at the Sepang International Circuit.

The premier class rookie will very soon be accompanied by his teammate Dovizioso from 5th to 6th February for the first official pre-season test in 2022.

The first race of the year will commence on March 6 at the Losail International Circuit.

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