FILE PHOTO: Motorcycling - MotoGP - Valencia Grand Prix - Circuit Recardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain - November 26, 2023 Aprilia Racing's Aleix Espargaro and CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team's Raul Fernandez during the race REUTERS/Pablo Morano
(Reuters) - MotoGP dropped the Aprilia-affiliated CryptoDATA satellite team from the 2024 championship on Monday for what it said were repeated breaches of the participation agreement.
It said in a statement the decision had been taken by the MotoGP selection committee that includes representatives of the governing FIM, teams organisation IRTA and rights holders Dorna.
"The Selection Committee will be reviewing applications for a new independent team, using Aprilia machinery, to join the MotoGP class grid for 2024," it added.
No details were given of the "repeated infractions and breaches".
The CryptoDATA RNF team was founded in 2021 by Malaysia's former Sepang circuit boss Razlan Razali after sponsor Petronas withdrew from a previous race-winning Yamaha Sepang outfit.
They competed this year with Aprilia bikes and Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira and Spaniard Raul Fernandez.
Razali, a 40% shareholder with Romania's blockchain firm CryptoDATA owning the rest, announced before last weekend's season-ending race in Valencia that he was leaving.
The Race website reported that NASCAR's Trackhouse Racing team -- co-owned by rapper Pitbull -- was expected to take over the grid spots for next year using Aprilia's bikes and personnel.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ken Ferris)
