The newly formed RNF team brings a new livery to MotoGP: Can Andrea Dovizioso and Darryn Binder build on the successes from the Petronas era?
RNF-Yamaha today became the second MotoGP team to unveil its colours for the 2022 season. Razlan Razali’s satellite Yamaha team had to completely reorganise after the withdrawal of sponsor Petronas. The two RNF Yamahas will be ridden by MotoGP veteran Andrea Dovizioso and MotoGP rookie Darryn Binder, who has moved up from Moto3 to the premier class.
The presentation in Verona, Italy, started an hour late for technical reasons. “We are very excited again,” team manager Wilco Zeelenberg holds. “We look back on three years, but this project came to an end. Now we are starting a new project.”
“A large part of the team has been retained, but there are also new people in the crew, especially on Darryn’s side, who is also new,” explains Wilco Zeelenberg. “The bikes look really good, even though we are aware that it is not just about looks. We’ve managed to get a nice paint job and we’re looking forward to the 2022 season. ”
Andrea Dovizioso to challenge for title for RNF
The RNF team’s livery is quite different from that of the Petronas team. The colours blue, red and orange meet black surfaces. Andrea Dovizioso will take on the role of team leader in this new project. The RNF team made it clear during the presentation that they expect Dovizioso to fight for the title.
“I am really ready for this season,” insists Andrea Dovizioso, who has been intensively involved in motocross training over the winter. In December, the Italian had the plate that stabilised his collarbone removed.
Dovizioso has already ridden in the final five races for the Yamaha satellite team. “I am convinced that this will be a big help,” notes the veteran. “I know the bike better now, as well as the engineers and the team. ”
Darryn Binder is expected to challenge the other rookies
The RNF team is providing Dovizioso with a current factory Yamaha. Team-mate Darryn Binder, on the other hand, will have to settle for a slightly older version of the M1. The South African is expected to fight for the “Rookie of the Year” title.
But as a promoted rider from Moto3, Binder is the clear underdog. “It’s a big step from Moto3 to MotoGP without a doubt. I can’t thank the people enough who gave me this chance,” commented the MotoGP rookie.
“I want to fight with the other rookies and I’m looking forward to it,” Binder states his goal. The former Moto3 rider tries to take teammate Dovizioso as a guide. “It’s an honour to share the pit with Andrea. I hope I can learn a lot from him,” said Binder.
In November 2021, Binder was able to test the Yamaha M1 for the first time. “I definitely have to change my riding style and have to be more careful with the brake. I also have to be more precise with the throttle, because in Moto3 you go very hard on the throttle,” explains the rookie of the newly formed RNF Yamaha team.
Successful MotoGP past as Petronas-Yamaha
The 2019 MotoGP season saw the debut of Razlan Razali’s Petronas team in MotoGP. The team signed Franco Morbidelli, who came from Marc-VDS-Honda, and Fabio Quartararo, who moved up to MotoGP after finishing tenth in the Moto2 World Championship. But the risk of bringing Quartararo to MotoGP should pay off for Razali and his team.
Quartararo started the 2020 MotoGP season with wins and looked like the big favourite for a long time. But faltering results saw the Frenchman drop to eighth despite three wins in a season jumbled by the coronavirus pandemic. Teammate Franco Morbidelli also won three races to finish runner-up in the world championship.
The previous year Valentino Rossi rode for the satellite Yamaha team. But the “forced marriage” of Petronas and Rossi, imposed by Yamaha, did not lead to the hoped-for results. Rossi struggled to finish in the points under his own steam and ended his career after what was for him a disappointing season.
Franco Morbidelli also experienced a disappointing season. The 2020 World Championship runner-up had to contest another season with the inferior 2019 M1 and also struggled with a knee injury. Following the chaos in the Yamaha factory team caused by Maverick Vinales’ contract termination, Morbidelli was promoted and had to be replaced at Petronas.
WSBK rider Garrett Gerloff, Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow and Moto2 rider Jake Dixon took over Morbidelli’s Yamaha until Andrea Dovizioso was brought out of MotoGP retirement to contest the final races for the team. In his five race appearances, however, “Dovi” only scored a meagre twelve points. Twelfth place at the season finale in Valencia was the best result of the multiple runner-up world champion.
