- The MotoGP Selection Committee excludes CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team from the 2024 season due to repeated infractions and breaches.
- The decision follows the team’s denial of financial troubles during the Valencia Grand Prix weekend, labeling rumors as “fake news.”
- The team clarified that a rejected takeover offer and the resignation of team principal Razlan Razali were unrelated to financial issues.
- The committee plans to review applications for a new Independent Team, using Aprilia machinery, to join the MotoGP class grid for 2024.
- Despite strategic changes, including a title partnership with CryptoDATA, the RNF team struggled with poor results, finishing 11th in 2022 and eighth in 2023.
In a surprising turn of events, the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team will not be part of the 2024 MotoGP season following the decision by the MotoGP Selection Committee.
The committee, consisting of members from FIM, IRTA, and Dorna Sports, cited “repeated infractions and breaches of the Participation Agreement” as the reason for excluding the team.
This decision comes after the team vehemently denied rumors of financial troubles during the Valencia Grand Prix weekend, asserting that a rejected takeover offer and the resignation of team principal Razlan Razali were unrelated to financial difficulties.
According to Motorsport.com, The team issued a detailed statement, dismissing reports of financial instability as “fake news” and clarifying that Razlan Razali’s departure was a deliberate decision due to perceived poor financial choices.
Despite these claims, the MotoGP Selection Committee opted not to select CryptoDATA RNF for the 2024 season, emphasizing the impact of repeated violations on MotoGP’s public image.
đ¨ OFFICIAL: FIM MotoGP expels the RNF Racing Team and there will be a new independent team in 2024 with Aprilia.#RNF #MotoGP đ pic.twitter.com/0oorNvRhxV
— OneMotor English (@OneMotorEN) November 27, 2023
The MotoGP Selection Committee plans to review applications for a new Independent Team, utilizing Aprilia machinery, to fill the void left by CryptoDATA RNF. The announcement, made a day before the 2024 pre-season test at Circuit Ricardo Tormo, leaves the team and Aprilia yet to comment on the committee’s decision.
Established in 2021 after the departure of Petronas and the Sepang Racing Team from MotoGP, the RNF team, led by former SRT team boss Razlan Razali, initially fielded Yamaha bikes in 2022 before transitioning to Aprilia for the 2023 season.
A title partnership with Romanian firm CryptoDATA was formed for the 2023 season, with Razali selling a majority stake in the team to the company. Despite these changes, the team struggled to achieve notable results, finishing 11th out of 12 teams in 2022 and eighth out of 11 outfits in the 2023 season.
As the MotoGP community grapples with the unexpected exclusion of CryptoDATA RNF, questions linger about the implications for the team’s future and the potential impact on the MotoGP landscape in the upcoming season.