Pawi: It would be great to have Rossi in Sepang team

Khairul Idham Pawi isn't yet sure of his 2021 plans, but if he remains at the Sepang team the Malaysian will probably find himself in the same Petronas colours as MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.

And that might just mean the Moto3 race winner can complete his 'dream' of training with The Doctor at the Moto Ranch in Tavullia.

Rossi is expected to extend his record-breaking career by joining Petronas Yamaha next season, thus swapping places with Fabio Quartararo, who is joining the factory team.

"It would be great to have him in this team," Pawi said of the Rossi rumours.

"Rossi is a hero, a nine-time world champion and for sure we can learn from him, from his experience.

"I would like to train with him. For example, he has a track, the ranch, and I would like to go there. It's my dream!"

While around half of the MotoGP grid have now signed for 2021, things are far more open in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes.

Pawi said he is yet to speak about next season, but is in no rush.

"I would like to see my results and focus on this season first," said the 21-year-old. "We have time to speak about the future."

Pawi joined his local Sepang team in Moto2 last year, returning to Moto3 - the class where he made history as Malaysia's first-ever grand prix winner during 2016 – for this season.

After being sidelined for almost a year by a nasty hand injury, Pawi finished 18th at the Qatar season-opener in March, just before the coronavirus pandemic put the world championship on hold for four months.

The restart is scheduled to take place at Jerez, Spain on July 19.

Pawi and some other Sepang team members, including team principal Razlan Razali, have now received official permission to leave Malaysia early next month, for the start of a revised calendar that now consists of 13 races, at eight different European circuits, from July to November.

The problem for non-EU citizens is that, for visa reasons, their time in the Schengen area (where the remaining events are due to be held) is limited to a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period.

Under normal circumstances, non-EU paddock members could simply depart the Schengen area between events, thus keeping below the 90-day limit, but that might not be possible if self-isolation or quarantine measures are in place for arrivals.

The Sepang team told Crash.net that Pawi's travel plans after Jerez are not yet decided.

A decision on holding any end-of-year flyaway rounds, including Pawi's home Malaysia Grand Prix, will be made by the end of July.