With Maverick Vinales deciding to leave the Factory Yamaha team all season, at least one SRT seat will become available by 2022, with Franco Morbidelli being the most likely option.
If Valentino Rossi retires at the end of the year, or at least leaves SRT, another seat on the team will be vacated and several World Superbike drivers appear to fill the seat.
They include Jonathan Rhea, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Garrett Gerloff, the latter two of whom recently signed a new contract with Yamaha for the WSBK Series. Rhea had already jumped in place of injured Casey Stoner for Honda in 2012 for two races, and although he had received a full season bid from MotoGP, he decided not to turn his back on Kawasaki and WSBK.
Rea signed a multi-year contract with Kawasaki in 2020, but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of joining MotoGP with SRT next year should he have the opportunity to move on.
“Yes, this opportunity is always on my mind. I’ve never driven well before, I’m at the height of my motorcycle and my life balance, so I admit I never said,” he told a WSBK Assen press conference.
And when asked if getting his seventh WSBK title this year could improve his chances of qualifying for MotoGP, he answered.: “never say never.”
Rhea also admitted that he was very surprised that both Razgatlioglu and Gerlov decided to sign the WSBK contract rather than pursue the SRT option and said he had “a very strong opinion on this that is outside the scope of acceptance”.
Khan Horner, Marko dramatically underestimated the damage to Verstappen’s car…
to share
Suspension
