Johan Stigefelt’s SIC Racing outfit are being strongly linked to the satellite Yamaha M1s that will be spare at the end of the 2018 MotoGP season with both Jorge Lorenzo and Franco Morbidelli expected to take seats in the squad.
Stiggy has the backing of Malaysian oil giant Petronas and the Sepang circuit which will enable him to buy the two grid slots which look likely to be vacated by Marc VDS in the wake of the problems between owner Marc van der Straaten and former manager Michael Bartholemy.
Hafizh Syahrin has also been put in the frame to join the team given his links to Sepang and Petronas but he is favourite to take the second Tech3 KTM slot as he has impressed team boss and IRTA president Herve Poncharal who wheeled in the Malaysian as a replacement for Jonas Folger this season.
Sepang circuit CEO Dato’ Razlan Razali told our colleagues at crash.net he wasn’t going to jepoardise Syahrin’s chances of continuing in MotoGP should the Petronas/Yamaha tie up not happen.
Stiggy’s team were contacted about their position on this but we are yet to receive a reply.
