Next Stop: Thailand

28-09-2022

Next Stop: Thailand

The WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team is impatiently heading over to round 17 in Buriram, Thailand.

With the Asian-Australian annual overseas trip being back after the pandemic, the entire MotoGP paddock and especially the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team can’t await to head over to the third round in a row, which after Aragon, Spain and Motegi, Japan will be Thailand this weekend. The Chang International Circuit hasn’t been visited by the MotoGP circus in three years.

Therefore, MotoGP rookie Darryn Binder is hopeful again having not such a huge disadvantage compared to the rest of the field to level up from the first practice onwards. The South African tried to keep a decent pace in last weekends’ Japan Grand Prix, but unfortunately, went down on lap 14 of the race, after he was missing a lot of track time in order to learn to set up his Yamaha YZR-M1 better to the circuit. All hopes are on this weekend now with the target to finish the 26 laps on Sunday, ideally collecting a few more points on his account.

On the other side of the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP garage, Cal Crutchlow hopes likewise to score again. After the Yamaha test rider jumped on board in place of Andrea Dovizioso, he scored points in each race so far. With the lack of track time also effecting the experienced Englishman, adding some other components, he concluded the last round in P15, although from halfway through he showed the pace of the podium riders for several laps.

The weekend kicks off on Friday with Free Practice one at 10:50 local time (05:50 CET) followed by FP2 at 15:05 local time (10:05 CET).

Darryn Binder

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team

“I’m very excited to get to Buriram. We all haven’t been to the circuit for a while. I hope that the weekend goes a little bit smoother than Japan and that we get some solid track time throughout the weekend. I will just keep working on getting a bit faster and getting ready for the race. Hopefully we can take everything we learned in Japan and try to put it into the race in Buriram. I’m really looking forward to be riding there in the heat.”

Cal Crutchlow

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team

“After a good result in Motegi, I’m looking forward to Buriram. I raced there some years ago, like the other guys. I quite enjoy the circuit. It’s a lovely country, so we are impatient to come back to Thailand with the whole MotoGP paddock. I obviously didn’t expect to be visiting Thailand racing, maybe for holidays. But now we go there after two back to back races. This third one will be more difficult with everybody not having the experience there in the last couple of years with these bikes, but I look forward to it and hopefully we can have another good result there as a team.”

Razlan Razali

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Racing Team, Founder and Team Principal

“Like in Japan it’s been a couple of years since we came to Buriram, Thailand. It’s a destination that is always very popular and we have been told that the grandstands there are sold out. Therefore, we can’t wait to arrive in Buriram and we hope we can continue to score some extra points for the team there.”

Wilco Zeelenberg

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Racing Team, Team Manager

“After the Japanese GP with highlighting out the point of Cal, who is obviously replacing Andrea, I have to say he is doing a really good job, having a good speed and he is fit. He finished strong in every race so far. Yet, Buriram is a quite specific track, it’s normally pretty hot and not a real favorite race track for the Yamaha, but it’s nice and flowing. So, all the possibilities are open there. Of course, Darryn needs to learn the track with his M1 and for him it will be very important to have a dry weekend, so he can do many laps and prepare himself better for the race than last weekend in Motegi. Due to the wet Saturday and the lack of track time due to the transportation issues, he missed out on some important time. So, his electronic setups were not at 100 percent as he wanted it after the race, but it was due to the lack of track time. So hopefully we have all practices there, he can start from scratch and push from the beginning to the end.”