WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team Looks Forward to Return ‘Down Under’

11-10-2022

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team Looks Forward to Return ‘Down Under’

Darryn Binder and Cal Crutchlow can’t wait to ride their Yamaha YZR-M1 machines at the picturesque Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit this weekend.

With 17 rounds down and three to go in 2022, the next stop of the MotoGP World Championship belongs to the riders’ favorites as the entire paddock is flying over to Australia. The WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team is celebrating the opportunity to return to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit after two years of pandemic have made it impossible for the World Championship to race in Australia recently.

Like many others, Darryn Binder picked the Phillip Island circuit amongst the top of his favorites list and is curious to arrive in Australia. After the premier class rookie experienced a tough race at the wet Buriram circuit in Thailand last time out, he is eager to work on improvements this weekend, while riding his Yamaha YZR-M1 bike there for the first time.

On the other hand, Cal Crutchlow, who is starting his fourth of six rounds in 2022 this weekend, plans likewise to improve his feeling aboard the YZR-M1 after he encountered some difficulties in exceptionally hard conditions in Thailand. The British Yamaha test rider is thereby not just looking to boost his results, but also to further develop the bike.

The weekend starts traditionally with Free Practice one on Friday at 09:55 local time, which means an early wakeup call at 00:55 CET for fans in Europe as the time difference is nine hours. The second session on Friday takes place at 14:10 local time (05:10 CET).

Darryn Binder

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team

“I’m really, really excited to be heading to Phillip Island. It’s one of my favourite tracks on the whole calendar, so I can’t wait to get out there on the MotoGP bike. It’s such a fast track and I’m sure it’s going to be even faster on the M1. I’m definitely pumped to get there and looking for a good result there. Phillip Island has been good to me in the past and I hope it will be good to me again. We’ve had a week off after the trio, a good week to rest and recover and regenerate some energy to be ready for the next two rounds.”

Cal Crutchlow

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team

“I’m looking forward to going back to Phillip Island. The last time we rode there was in 2019 and I think everybody is looking forward to going back to this track. We had a disappointing last race in Buriram with the bad conditions in the race. Hopefully, the weather in Australia is a little bit better for this weekend and hopefully, we can have a good result. The team is working well and we are working closely with Yamaha. I’m obviously having a busy schedule at the moment, but I’m looking forward to the race this weekend."

Razlan Razali

Founder and Team Principal, WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Racing Team

“After a short rest of one week, we now embark to the second flyaways back to back, starting with the Australian Grand Prix of Phillip Island, another iconic destination. We always see great racing there, so we just hope the weather is kind for everybody and we will do our best to again try to get valuable points.”

Wilco Zeelenberg

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Racing Team, Team Manager

“Phillip Island is always a very nice place to go because the race track is fantastic. Of course, it’s on the other side of the world, so travel-wise it’s not ideal for the body, mainly for the riders. Anyway, we love to go there, not just because of the race track, but also because of the people in Australia. Basically, the whole paddock likes to come there. I’m looking forward to it for a couple of reasons. Cal likes the track a lot, so he is fast there, especially because of the layout and the flow. He has always been fast there. For Darryn, it will be something special as well. The track is so fast, so we need to explain to him the risks there are as well. The track has clearly some high-speed corners and you need to stay on the bike there. We’ve got a lot of things to do and can’t wait to get it started.”