John McPhee lands 2021 deal with Petronas Sprinta for a NINTH year in Moto3

John McPhee will remain on the Moto3 World Championship grid in 2021 after agreeing terms to remain with the Petronas Sprinta Racing team.

Making hsi debut in 2010 - when it was still classified as the 125cc category - before making ythe full-time move in 2013, Scotsman McPhee has accumulated an extraordinary amount of experience in the entry-level category with 2021 to become his ninth season at this level. 

To his credit though, McPhee - still only 26-years old - has largely made gains with each passing season and he is in the midst of his best campaign yet with a victory at Misano, plus four podiums in total, lifting him into fifth overall with four races remaining.  

Indeed, though two DNFs in the last three races has dented those title aspirations, McPhee remains in the hunt, a modest 36 points shy of long-time series leader Albert Arenas, and will no doubt be pleased to get contractual negotiations out of the way.

Even so, McPhee might be a touch irked to be made to wait another year on a move to Moto2 having expressed his disappointment that he wasn’t promoted by the Petronas Sprinta Racing team in 2019. 

However, with Xavi Vierge and Jake Dixon keeping, it would have taken McPhee to leave the Malaysian-backed outfit, something he wasn’t willing to do for the sake of a Moto2 seat just yet.

"I’m really happy to re-sign with the team for 2021,” McPhee - who will be joined by Darryn Binder next season - said. “We still have a few races now to finish off this season and we’re in a great position to continue fighting for the championship. 

“For me, it’s really important to continue with the same crew, people that I know and where I’m feeling comfortable on and off track. The aim for next year will be to again be consistently in the top three and fighting for the championship," said the Scottish rider. 

"I’m really looking forward to the year ahead, but let’s focus on this season and get that completed first! I want to say a big thank you to the team and partners for all the support they have given me. Now let’s see what we can do in these final races of the 2020 season."

Such has been the length of McPhee’s tenure in 125/Moto3, he was sharing a circuit with the likes of Bradley Smith, Pol Espargaro and even Marc Marquez back in 2010...