Razlan Razali’s RNF team will switch from Yamaha to Aprilia machinery for the 2023 MotoGP World Championship.
The news not only means Aprilia has a second team for the first time since 2015, but suggests reigning champion’s Yamaha could cut back to just a factory entry next year.
Given team owner Valentino Rossi's long Yamaha Links, VR46 is sure to be rumoured as a possible satellite Yamaha candidate. But VR46 is currently in the first year of a three-year agreement with Ducati, while RNF was the only Independent team without machinery in place for 2023.
If no replacement for RNF is found by Yamaha, it would also impact World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu's chances of a MotoGP seat.
When Tech3 switched from Yamaha to KTM in 2019, Razlan Razali's Petronas SRT squad arrived in the premier-class to take over the M1 supply. The Malaysian team enjoyed rapidly escalating success with Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, culminating in six race wins and title runner-up (Morbidelli) in 2020.
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MotoGP officially retires Valentino Rossi’s #46
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