The young Dutch rider rose through the ranks of the Superbike leagues before winning the World Supersport Championship in 2014. Some strong performances this year, including two podium finishes aboard the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team YZF-R1, leave the MotoGP paddock eager to see how Van der Mark will perform at the penultimate round of the 2017 World Championship.

"It goes without saying that I am really excited. I came quite close to getting the opportunity to ride a MotoGP bike a few weeks ago, but it didn't work out. Then Hervé called, and although I will have a busy schedule, I could not say no to this chance. I am very happy and I look forward to this adventure. Luckily, I know Sepang, but the MotoGP riders have done a lot of tests there this year, so everyone will be fast. However, I just want to enjoy this weekend, to improve myself and see how it is to ride the YZR-M1. At the moment, we have some good momentum in WorldSBK so I think it is the perfect time to jump on the Yamaha. I look forward to riding the bike and I want to thank Hervé and Yamaha for this opportunity."