RNF Yamaha boss: Working with Rossi was a mistake

Razlan Razali, head of the RNF Yamaha team, said he made a mistake when he put Valentino Rossi on one of his motorcycles.

The team was called Petronas SRT until the end of the season, and Rossi also recorded the worst season of his career with him in his last season as a MotoGP rider, as he did not finish a single race on the podium. Razali admitted that he doubted his cooperation with the nine-time world champion when the legendary racer failed to constantly compete for the highest places in 2020. “To be fair, I shouldn’t have signed a contract with Valentin. I was skeptical until he managed to get to third place in the second race in Jerez, behind Fabio and Vinales. I said to myself that maybe he can do it anyway. ”

Rossi then contracted the Covid19 virus. “Then the results got worse, but it was already decided at that time. Valentino was under a lot of pressure. The young racers were faster, although he drove faster lap times than in the past. But that was not enough. He wanted success, his heart and mind were ready, but his body did not follow his ambitions, ”added Razali, who also regrets that he did not grab the contract with Petronas.

"I should have accepted Petronas' offer in June this year, but I wanted to negotiate more money." Petronas, a Malaysian oil company, has announced its withdrawal from the motorcycle championships, and Razali’s team, with Andrea Dovizios and Darryn Binder, will be performing under the auspices of WithU.