New RNF Yamaha Team Principal, Razlan𓆏 Razali, believes signing MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi w🔴hile the team was still branded as Petronas was the wrong move.

The 2021 season, Rossi’s last as a MotoGP rider, was the nine-time World Cꦓhampion’s worst of his career as he failed to score a podium finish - the f﷽irst and only season that’s happened since he became a Grand Prix rider in 1996. 

And whi▨le signs were there in 2020 that Rossi was unable to consistently challenge for top five finishes, Razali decided to go ahead with signing the Italian, despite 🔜being ‘sceptical’.

GPone.com reported the news which included Razali saying; "To be honest: I shouldn’t have taken Valentino. Personally, I was sceptical until Valentino was third♌ on the podium alongside Fabio [Quarౠtararo] and Vinales at the second Jerez GP in July 2020. My mind went: ‘Okay, maybe this guy can do it’."

Another rider who changed teams in 2021 and endur🅷ed a difficult season - albeit it was a move to completely different machinery unlike Rossi, was Pol Espargaro. The Spaniard moved to Honda after five years with KTM. 🧔;

And although results picked up during the second half of the year, which includes a pole positi𒊎on at Silverstone and podium at Misano (2), it was a year that left Espargaro disappointed and one where staying with KTM ‘would have been more convenient’.  

Finally in this week’s MotoGP ne𒁏ws, 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo is the subject of early 2023 contract offers as reported by Spanish publication Marca.com.

"I think it's normal. I don't think it's normal to sign for 2023 ꧃without starting 2022, so I think I know what I want. 

"I will wait. a bit to see how Yamaha isꦜ doing, especially to see the evolution or not📖 of the new bike in Sepang . I'm asking for very important things."