Sepang Racing Team confirm Franco Morbidelli in Sepang 8 Hours team
MotoGP racer Franco Morbidelli to compete in inaugural EWC round at Sepang in SRT squad
09 September 2019
PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli will make his FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) debut on December 13-15 by joining Sepang Racing Team’s squad for the inaugural Sepang 8 Hours.
Morbidelli will join four-time Suzuka 8 Hour winner Michael van der Mark and local superstar Hafizh Syahrin in a squad with the backing of former Endurance World Champions YART Yamaha EWC using Yamaha YZF-R1 machinery.
The race will take place under the brand-new state-of-the-art floodlights at the Sepang International Circuit as part of a ground-breaking fusion of the worlds of two-and-four-wheel motorsport under the headline, Races of Malaysia. As well as hosting the FIM Endurance World Championship race, the event will also see the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) take place alongside. Collaborating with Tourism Malaysia as part of their Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, both events will harness the hashtag #RoadToMalaysia to support the initiative.
Razlan Razali
Team Principal:
“We’re very excited to have a Sepang Racing Team entry in the first Sepang 8 Hours. There’s no better way to support Tourism Malaysia’s Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign than this event and our international line-up of riders competing in it. The weekend will be exceptional as it’s the EWC alongside the WTCR – with the worlds of two and four-wheel motorsport sharing the same track on the same weekend. These Races of Malaysia will provide an incredible spectacle of truly international appeal. We have faith that Franco, Michael, Hafizh and YART will deliver and we’re targeting the very top step of the podium.”
Franco Morbidelli:
“I’m curious to see how an endurance race format suits me, and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a different thing, it’s something nice, and when Razlan asked me to do it I thought ‘sure, why not?’ The combination of Yamaha and Sepang Racing Team means it should be a strong package, and it’ll be nice to race with a production bike again. Riding bikes is always good for staying in shape, so it’s nice to be able to race in December. I’ve trained with a YZF-R1 before so I’ve got an idea of what to expect, but I’m sure the endurance superbike will be very different. I might make the most of the trip and use it to enjoy a holiday in Malaysia as well.”