Yamaha WSBK rider Gerloff replaces Morbidelli for Assen MotoGP
Yamaha World Superbike rider Garrett Gerloff will make his MotoGP debut in this weekend’s MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix in place of the injured Franco Morbidelli at Petronas SRT.
Morbidelli aggravated a pre-existing left knee injury on Tuesday in a training accident and has been ruled out of this weekend’s Assen round.
In his place comes American Gerloff, who was drafted in to replace Valentino Rossi in Valencia last year at the factory Yamaha team – only to ride on just the Friday as the nine-time grand prix world champion was cleared to ride from Saturday after passing a COVID test.
However, Gerloff’s performance in the mixed conditions on a bike and tyres he had no experience on impressed Yamaha management.
With no WSBK clash this weekend, Gerloff will finally get his shot at his MotoGP race debut at Assen on the two-year-old ‘A-spec’ M1 in SRT colours.
“I’m excited for the opportunity ahead, I’m not someone who runs away from a challenge, so I’m ready to get to the track,” Gerloff said.
“It’ll be a new circuit for me, I like trying new tracks, it looks fun, fast and flowing, and really suits my riding style.
“I’m looking forward to jumping on the Yamaha M1 again and twisting the throttle.
“We’ll see how things go, but I feel good and would like to thank Yamaha and the team for considering me.
“It won't be easy, but I'm going to give it my best shot.”
Gerloff will be the first American rider to start a MotoGP race since the late Nicky Hayden stood in for the injured Dani Pedrosa at Honda in Australia back in 2016.
America’s last win in grand prix came at Assen back in 2011 courtesy of 2009 World Superbike champion Ben Spies, who was also riding a Yamaha.
Gerloff made his debut in WSBK with the GRT Yamaha satellite squad in 2020 having come through the MotoAmerica ranks.
Scoring three podiums last year, Gerloff added a fourth to his career tally in the opening round of the campaign at Aragon in May in the Superpole race for the GRT squad.
Gerloff has no prior experience of Assen, after last year’s WSBK rounds were cancelled due to COVID-19.
Related video
Morbidelli to miss Assen due to training injury
Suzuki MotoGP rivals “better than us” in recent races – Mir
Team 18's coin toss chassis allocation
Supercars squad Team 18 used a combination of a coin toss and a ping pong ball lottery to allocate its new chassis to drivers Scott Pye and Mark Winterbottom.
BRT not fazed by Ford aero questions
Blanchard Racing Team isn't fazed about the unresolved Ford aero package ahead of its maiden Gen3 Supercars test at Winton tomorrow.
Australian GP releases more race day tickets
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has announced a final limited release of race day tickets.
Tickford unveils first 2023 livery
Tickford Racing has unveiled its first livery ahead of the 2023 season with the covers coming off Brad Vaughan's Super2 entry.
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
Following Suzuki's decision to quit MotoGP, both of its former riders have landed at Honda for 2023. But perhaps its biggest signing from the now-defunct team could instead be a highly-rated technical manager. Is Ken Kawauchi the right man at the right time to steer HRC back to glory?
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Suzuki's unexpected departure left more than 40 professionals virtually jobless for the 2023 MotoGP season. But that human drama has been successfully corrected by the paddock itself, with most former Suzuki crew members absorbed into other operations.
How one MotoGP team went from title challengers to losing it all in four years
The Petronas Sepang Racing Team came into MotoGP with a bang in 2019 as regular front-runners, with wonder rookie Fabio Quartararo mounting a title challenge in 2020. But it all went wrong for the Razlan Razali-helmed squad as the team changed hands and tumbled down the order - and RNF Racing plans to right this in 2023
Is Marc Marquez ready to reclaim his MotoGP throne?
Marc Marquez’s sixth premier MotoGP title seems a long time ago given the injury woes he has faced in the three years since. At the end of a fraught 2022, in which he had a fourth major operation on his right arm, the Spaniard speaks exclusively to Motorsport.com.
How MotoGP's underachiever is working to reverse its fortunes in 2023
As European manufacturers emerged as the strongest force in 2022 in a changing of the guard for MotoGP, one powerhouse couldn’t quite match the feats of Ducati and Aprilia. Its motorsport chief tells Motorsport.com why this is and what it is doing to become a consistent frontrunner in the class of kings
How MotoGP riders are preparing for the physical stress of sprint races
With the expansion of the calendar to 21 grands prix and the introduction of sprint races, the 2023 MotoGP season will take the riders to almost 1,300 kilometres of more competition than this year, a factor that forces adjustments in their physical preparations.
Luca Marini: Why he's more than just Valentino Rossi's brother
Surname pressure is something many have had to deal with in their motorsport careers. And while Luca Marini doesn’t have that, his familial relation and the team he rides for in MotoGP have cast a brighter spotlight on his progress. But, as he has shown in 2022 – and as he reveals to Motorsport.com – Marini is so much more than just the brother of a legend.
Ranking the top 10 MotoGP riders of 2022
The 2022 MotoGP season was another hotly contested championship, with Francesco Bagnaia emerging as the title winner after the campaign went to the wire. Motorsport.com picks out the 10 best performers of the season
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.