Yamaha made it happen, The Apex Arrival reached the Pearl of the Orient, the one where MotoGP stars meet the Filipino aspirants.
It’s a two-day euphoria for motorsport fans in the Philippines as MotoGP riders Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli visited for a jam-packed weekend –experiencing not just the local racetracks, but the Filipino culture as well.
The power duo was welcomed by a huge blue entourage when they landed last Friday, March 03, 2023, before they were taken to the Manila Marriott Hotel for a meet-and-greet and press conference.
First agenda of the day was shaking hands and exchanging words with the members of the Yamaha Racing Philippines Team, Mckinley Kyle Paz, April King Mascardo, and Gian Mauricio, who are the country’s representatives for the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) and FIM Junior Grand Prix (JrGP), and the Yamaha Motor Philippines executives.
It was followed by food tasting of adobo, sinigang, sisig, and halo-halo, a feast to welcome their arrival.
The two also got to sit down with the Filipino media which gave them the opportunity to personally ask their inquiries about their immediate plans for the year.
Of course, eyes are fixed on the 2023 motoGP race calendar which tips off by the end of the month in the Portugese Grand Prix.
A quick gift-giving of custom Funko Pops concluded the first day of visit of Quartararo and Morbidelli.
Track Day
And what better way to make it worthwhile for both Franco and Fabio, and the fans by taking it to the tracks? High-time for the natural habitat!
Day two, March 4, 2023, begun early for local riders as they graced the asphalts of the Clark International Speedway.
Then, Yamaha named its Philippine team for different categories before the executives made a quick toast to official open the race season, just in time for Fabio and Franco’s arrival!
Despite the scorching heat, the two came in their suits, ready to make it rain on the tracks riding alongside the Filipino stars, Kyle Paz, Mascardo, and Mauricio.
Enjoying the tropical weather, Morbidelli had at least five rounds of solo ride!
The two jokingly admitted they were just trying to escape the winter back in their home countries.
And to cap off the trip, Fabio and Franco left some words of motivation for the Filipino fans.
“Enjoy, believe in yourself and continue dreaming about your goals. Dreams do come true,” El Diabo said.
Italian champ added: “Keep pushing. This is a country where motorsport is growing, hoping to see a Filipino in MotoGP one day.”
As we hope for this to come speedy, McKinley Kyle Paz, April King Mascardo, and Gian Carlo Mauricio jumpstart their journey in ARRC by the end of the month, equipped not just with their talents, but with wisdom from the duo.
Meanwhile, Yamaha Racing Philippines Team continue to keep their eyes open eyeing for talents to brew to keep the fire blazing for motorsport in the country.
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