Morbidelli, Quartararo, Pawi set for Sepang 8 Hours

Petronas Yamaha MotoGP team-mates Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo look set to make their Endurance World Championship debut at the end of this year.

Sepang boss Razlan Razali has confirmed that plans are in place to send their MotoGP riders, plus local Moto2 star Khairul Idham Pawi, to the inaugural 8 Hours of Sepang from December 13-15.

"With our recent launch of the Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing team, we plan to place our two MotoGP riders and our sole Malaysian Moto2 rider, Khairul Idham Pawi for the inaugural 8 Hours of Sepang EWC round," Razali said.

"I am confident that these fantastic World Championship events with our local driver and riders will be a strong attraction and will pull the ever enthusiastic Malaysian motorsports fans and fans from all over world to Sepang Circuit and Malaysia.”

The Sepang 8 Hours event will also be teamed with the final round of the World Touring Car Cup.

“With the departure of F1 in Malaysia, we were tasked to look into other world-class events to include in our annual calendar of events. Through fan voting and further feasibility study, FIM EWC and FIA WTCR were the top two selected events," Razali explained.

"This special collaboration with Eurosport Events, will make the race exclusive and one of a kind which will create history for Malaysia to be the first to host two world championships the same weekend.

"Both races will take place during sunset and the chequered flag will be waived under the new SIC Circuit [flood]lights."

The 8 Hours of Sepang will be the second race on the 2019-2020 FIM EWC calendar and a qualifying event for the 2020 Suzuka 8 Hours.