Aprilia back in MotoGP
The Italian company will be back on the scene in 2015, with Gresini Racing to run the program over an initial four-year periodAprilia, part of the massive Piaggio Group, will officially re-enter MotoGP competition in 2015 after a 10-year absence – one year ahead of previously announced plans.
Aprilia Racing will send its bikes onto the track supported by an agreement with Gresini Racing, which has been campaigning Hondas for a number of years. It's a four-year agreement, which means Gresini Racing will be managing Aprilia's MotoGP effort until at least the end of 2018.
“We decided to make our début a year earlier than planned because Aprilia Racing's technical and competitive skills are absolutely top notch,” said Piaggio Group's Chairman and CEO, Roberto Colaninno. “Growth in superbike has been exemplary in this direction from our rookie year in 2009 to the five world titles we've won so far with the RSV4.”
Aprilia's track record over the past decade has been extraordinary: “Piaggio Group has been managing Aprilia since 2005” Roberto Colaninno reminded us. “And in less than ten years Aprilia won 26 of the 52 world titles earned in the entire brand history. In addition to these there are also four more titles: Marco Simoncelli's 250 world championship with Gilera and three 125 class world championships won by Derbi, which is also part of the Piaggio Group and which took a very young Marc Marquez to his first world title win.”
The Aprilia trophy case currently includes 294 wins and 38 championship titles in Grand Prix motorcycle racing (19 manufacturer and 19 rider), 45 wins and five world titles in world superbike (three manufacturer and two rider rider) and nine world championships in off-road disciplines.
Managed by two-time 125cc class world champion Fausto Gresini, Gresini Racing has been in grand prix motorcycle racing since 1997, and has two world titles: in 2001 with Daijiro Kato (250cc) and in 2010 with Toni Elias (Moto2). There are also three MotoGP runner-up titles: in 2003 and 2004 with Sete Gibernau and in 2005 with Marco Melandri.
In 2014, Gresini Racing is fielding Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding on Hondas.
The 2015 roster hasn't yet been announced, but rumours are swirling that Marco Melandri, currently Aprilia's factory rider in world superbike, will be one of the riders.
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