SIC Racing Takes over Angel Nieto Racing Team in MotoGP
Rennie Scaysbrook | July 5, 2018
SIC Racing Takes over Angel Nieto Racing Team in MotoGP—Malaysian racing team SIC Racing—owned by the Sepang International Circuit—will field two entries in the 2019 MotoGP World Championship. Furthermore, the team will run the satellite Yamahas left vacant by the KTM-bound Tech3 Racing outfit.
SIC Racing Takes over Angel Nieto Racing Team in MotoGP
SIC Racing will take over the satellite Yamaha contract in MotoGP for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
The news comes after confirmation from the Angel Nieto Racing Team they will no longer compete in MotoGP. Team manager Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez acting as an advisor to SIC Racing.
“Angel Nieto Racing Team (ANRT) and Sepang International Circuit (SIC) in principle have reached an agreement by which, from the 2019 MotoGP season, SIC will take over the two MotoGP class entries of the ANRT,” a team statement read. “Mr. Jorge Martinez ‘Aspar’ will assume the position as the Sporting Advisor to this new MotoGP Team.”
SIC Racing has appeared sporadically in the Moto3 and Moto2 classes since its inception in 2014. It has long harbored plans to make the full-time switch to MotoGP. However, this has proven difficult considering Dorna’s 24 bike cap on the class.
Widely tipped to spearhead the team will be Valentino Rossi’s protégé Franco Morbidelli. Dani Pedrosa is also believed to be in line for the second Yamaha YZR-M1. The veteran Spaniard has also been considering retirement and will make a decision on his future at the upcoming German MotoGP.
The announcement of the SIC Racing Team promotion to MotoGP has been accompanied by wide speculation that the Marc VDS Racing Team, currently fielding Morbidelli and Swiss Tom Luthi, will not compete in MotoGP next season following intra-team conflict between team manager Michael Bartholemy and team owner Marc Van Der Straten, and instead focus on its efforts in Moto2 and Moto3.
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