Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Travels to Sepang
Following the nail-biting race at Phillip Island, where Yamaha secured the 2015 MotoGP World Championship Manufacturers' Title, tension builds as the battle for the Rider Title continues at the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix this weekend.Following the nail-biting race at Phillip Island, where Yamaha secured the 2015 MotoGP World Championship Manufacturers' Title, tension builds as the battle for the Rider Title continues at the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix this weekend.Work continues for Movistar Yamaha MotoGP as it heads from a thrilling race at Phillip Island where its riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo fought a hard battle for vital championship points, directly to Malaysia for the third-consecutive fly-away race at the Sepang International Circuit for the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Rossi will again be pushing to his maximum to keep his lead in the championship standings. The Doctor holds eleven points over his teammate, who is his only threat in the chase for MotoGP World Championship glory, and will do all he can to secure the title this weekend.
The Italian's experience at the Malaysian track will be extremely useful this weekend. He is a fan of the Sepang circuit and has stood on the podium ten times in his career. He secured the 500cc class race victory in 2001 and claimed premier class victories in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. Additionally he also got to visit the rostrum in 2002, 2005 and 2014 when he scored second place and in 2009 when he took third.
During the race at Phillip Island teammate Jorge Lorenzo rode a strong race and clawed back seven crucial championship points. This weekend the Spaniard hopes to be an even bigger threat to his teammate's championship lead at Sepang, which is a track he likes and suits his smooth riding style.
The Spaniard is eager to claim his first premier class MotoGP victory in Malaysia. In previous years he climbed onto the podium on seven occasions, claiming a premier class second place in 2012 and third place in the 2010, 2013 and 2014 MotoGP races. He also took third in the 125cc class in 2003, secured a 250cc win in 2006 and scored third place in that same class the following year.
The Sepang International Circuit held its first Grand Prix in 1999 and is known to host some of the most exciting races thanks to its combination of four slow corners, two long straights and ten medium to high-speed corners. The circuit's diverse sections not only provide challenges when it comes to the set up of the bike, but its 5.5 km length and extremely hot and humid conditions make it one of the most testing tracks for the riders.
Valentino Rossi
Championship: 1st, 296 points"There are only two races for the Championship left and it will be important not to make any mistakes. In Australia we had a good race but it could have been much better. In Malaysia we have to immediately find a good set up. Each session will be important, not just the race itself. The race at Sepang is worth a lot and we have to get the best result in each session and then win. We arrive at the last race of this triple transfer with a good lead, and this is definitely positive. Now just we need two good races to finish this successful season off. I'm feeling fine, I'm in good shape and me and the guys of the team are ready to do our best."
Jorge Lorenzo
Championship: 2nd, 285 points"First of all I would like to congratulate all the Yamaha family after achieving the second title of the season in Australia. I'm very proud of all the team members and the engineers who made this possible by working really hard in Japan during the whole season. Phillip Island was an extremely exciting race and the results finally weren't too bad considering our main rival finished fourth. Now we face the Sepang race, a complicated racetrack because of the extremely hot temperatures and humidity. I think there the key to fight for the victory will be the tyre performance and I think we're in with a shot for the win again. The main goal is to cut some more points from Valentino's margin and I will try to arrive to Valencia with a smaller disadvantage. I feel strong and look forward to racing in Malaysia."Tag: MotoGP Racing Grand Prix Yamaha Sepang
