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THE
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Quartararo Signs With Monster Energy
Yamaha MotoGP
F
abio Quartararo has signed
with the Monster Energy
Yamaha Factory Racing Mo-
toGP Team for the 2021 and
2022 seasons, replacing nine-
time World Champion Valen-
tino Rossi.
Quartararo, a winner in
Moto2, took seven podium
positions in his rookie year for
the Petronas Yamaha Sepang
Racing Team and will continue
to race for the Malaysian team
through 2020 ahead of his full
factory debut in 2021.
"I'm delighted about what my
management has achieved in
the last few months together
with YMC (Yamaha Motor Cor-
poration). "It was not simple
to establish, but now I have a
clear plan for the next three years
and I'm really happy.
"I will work hard like I did last
year, and I'm extremely motivated
to achieve great performances."
Quartararo will partner with
Maverick Vinales, who's signing
for the 2021 and 2022 MotoGP
seasons was announced a few
days earlier.
Quartararo's promotion to the
factory Yamaha squad comes at
the expense of Valentino Rossi,
who will end his tenure as an
official factory rider at the conclu-
sion of the 2020 season.
However, that doesn't means
Rossi will necessarily hang up
the gloves, as Yamaha has prom-
ised the nine-time World Cham-
pion full factory support should
he wish to continue racing on the
Petronas team.
"For reasons dictated by the
rider market, Yamaha asked me
at the beginning of the year to
make a decision regarding my
future," Rossi said. "Consistent
with what I said during the last
season, I confirmed that I didn't
want to rush any decision and
needed more time. Yamaha has
acted accordingly and concluded
the ongoing negotiations.
"It is clear that after the last
technical changes and with the
arrival of my new crew chief, my
first goal is to be competitive this
year and to continue my career
as a MotoGP rider also in 2021.
Before doing so, I need to have
some answers that only the
track and the first few races can
give me. I'm happy that, should
I decide to continue, Yamaha is
ready to support me in all re-
spects, giving me a factory-spec
bike and a factory contract. In the
first tests, I will do my best to do
a good job together with my team
and be ready for the start of the
season." CN
Fabio Quartararo
will join Maverick
Vinales on the
factory Yamaha
MotoGP team
starting in 2021.
PHOTO: GOLD & GOOSE
