Category: Superbikes

1. 2022 STARTS NOW: HERE IS TEAM GRESINI RACING MOTOGP

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 15th Jan 2022

   Faenza (Italy), 15 January 2022. Team Gresini Racing MotoGP was presented via streaming worldwide today; the team, which was founded and ‘raised’ by Fausto Gresini, returns to the premier class of MotoGP as an independent team after seven years of absence in this role.
   
   This project is led by team owner Nadia Padovani Gresini and supported by Gresini Racing’s core; this season will witness the return with the family of Enea Bastianini, who already stepped on the podium last year with Ducati, as he joins fellow Italian and MotoGP rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio.
   
   Both riders will race aboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP21 in 2022, a bike they were able to get a glimpse of last November at Jerez de la Frontera. Bastianini has already proved he can be extremely competitive with his new bike, while Di Giannantonio has shown great signs for the upcoming debut season.
   
   The rider #49 will be the first to take to the track in Sepang’s first test, which is reserved exclusively to the MotoGP rookies. On-track action will get underway on January 31st with a three-day ‘shakedown’ where the light blue-liveried team will be already among the protagonists.

   ENEA BASTIANINI #23
   "The new colours of the bike are very particular, when I saw it first it appears a little strange to me, but now that I see it live I can say it is amazing. Such a great bike can’t be but fast! In about twenty days we’ll be leaving for the tests, luckily it is just a short time because I’m way too excited to be back on my Ducati. I already met the team during the first test: we had the chance to know each other better and to work together, and I can firmly say that I have a super team. I think it is going to be a very interesting season, I’m sure we’ll achieve great results. I can’t wait for the season to begin!"
   
   FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49
   "2022 is just around the corner. It will be my first season in MotoGP and it will be so cool! I will have a lot to learn, my expectation is to grow race by race and who knows, we’ll may be able to collect even some great achievements. In a bit we’ll be back on track for the test, we’re going in Malaysia and Indonesia is following. I can’t wait to ride again this beautiful beast. The winter break is always too long, I’m counting the days, the hours! And the bike is spectacular, maybe the most beautiful I’ve ever ride, the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. With that unique main color it looks like a bike of the 70’s, retrò style, on track we’ll be recognizable for sure. Particular, original, BEAUTIFUL. A unique emotion".
   
   NADIA PADOVANI GRESINI
   “We’re finally presenting a project we strongly believed in and one we have been working non-stop for during the last year. We’re very motivated and we ended up being the first MotoGP team to present itself; plus, I believe our bikes are beautiful – and I hope all the others will like them, too. I would like to think Fausto is looking at us from above and that is proud of his family. There is almost no distinction between natural and work families, we’re one. I must say that I saw both Diggia and Enea in great shape and eager to start: we’re aiming at being among the protagonists and show up at the parc fermé sometimes.”

   #CiaoFausto❤️

    

2. What to Expect From the 2022 MotoGP Season

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 29th Dec 2021

   The 2021 MotoGP season only came to a close in mid-November, after the Valencia Grand Prix. The race was won by Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia, four spots ahead of title winner Fabio Quartararo.  

   But while the dust has just about settled on 2021, teams, riders, and fans are all gearing up for the 2022 season.  

   Bikes have already hit the track, with a test session taking place at Jerez on 18th November. More testing is scheduled for the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia and the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia in early February, less than a month before the start of the season.  

   So with just a matter of weeks to go before the lights go out, here are some of the things to look for in 2022.  

   2022 MotoGP Favourites 

   Betting on MotoGP has grown in popularity in recent years, with most major bookmakers now offering odds on individual Grands Prix and the championship as a whole. This is also helped by the growing number of free bet promotions that are offered by these bookies, allowing bettors to get more value from the wagers that they place.  

   Few bookies have released their odds for the 2022 season yet, but it’s still possible to make some predictions about the upcoming season.  

   In recent years, Marc Márquez has been a dominant force in the sport. The Spanish rider will turn 29 just before the start of the new season, in which he hopes he will make a triumphant return. The Honda rider missed much of 2020 and several races in 2021 due to an arm injury. If he can put that behind him, expect him to be back at the front of the pack.  

   Fellow Spaniard and 2020 title winner Joan Mir is also likely to be a strong contender, as is reigning champion Fabio Quartararo.  

   The 2022 season is likely to be a close battle, which should make it exciting from start to finish.  

   No Rossi 

   This year will be the first time this century that the MotoGP paddock will not feature the legendary Italian rider, Valentino Rossi. The Yamaha rider finally hung up his gloves at the end of the 2021 Valencia Grand Prix, finishing just 18th in the championship - a far cry from the impressive seven world titles he won between 2001 and 2009.  

   After finishing the season in third place in 2018, Rossi has ended each of the following three in 7th, 15th, and 18th respectively. While he hasn’t been at the front, battling for wins anywhere near as much as earlier in his career, the Italian will still leave a large hole in the paddock for 2022.   

   Although he won’t be riding, Rossi won’t be going too far as the Italian will be running his own team known Racing Team VR46 in 2022.  

   A Changed Calendar 

   After a turbulent few years in which global sports like MotoGP had to adapt and change its scheduling to pack in as much racing as possible, the 2022 calendar is expected to be more of a return to normality.  

   The Argentinian, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Australian, and Finnish Grands Prix are all set to return. This does, however, mean that the doubleheaders in Qatar, Portugal, San Marino, and Austria have been dropped.  

   The Indonesian Grand Prix’s return after 24 years will take place on the newly-built Mandalika International Street Circuit. Meanwhile, the KymiRing, another new track, will become the new home of the Finnish Grand Prix, after a 39-year absence.  

   Lineup Changes 

   As happens each year, there will be new rider and team combinations for 2022. One of the most notable, aside from Rossi’s absence, will be the return of Aprilia as a full factory team for the first time since 2004.  

   Esponsorama Racing will be replaced by Rossi’s Racing Team VR46, Gresini Racing returns as a fully independent outfit, and RNG MotoGP Racing will take the place of Petronas SRT.  

   Meanwhile last year’s Moto2 champion and runner-up, Remy Gardner and Raúl Fernández, will be moving up into MotoGP, riding for Tech3 KTM. Other new faces on the grid include Enea Bastianini, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Marco Bezzecchi.  

   With so many new faces, teams, and tracks the 2022 MotoGP season is shaping up to be an exciting one.  

    

    

    

   article supplied

3. APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI - Valencia Race

   Posted on 6:00pm Sunday 14th Nov 2021

   ALEIX IN THE TOP TEN YET AGAIN, FINISHING OUT A GOOD SEASON WITH 120 POINTS (MORE THAN DOUBLE COMPARED WITH 2020) AND EIGHTH PLACE OVERALL

   UPHILL RACE FOR MAVERICK WHO DIDN'T FIND HIS PACE UNTIL THE FINALE. HOWEVER, THE EXPERIENCE GAINED ON THE RS-GP IN 2021 IS A FOUNDATION TO BUILD ON FOR NEXT SEASON
   
   On a weekend that will be remembered as Valentino Rossi’s last one in MotoGP, Aprilia Racing also pays tribute to a great champion, happy and proud to have played a part in his story. Rossi took his first and unforgettable world titles astride the RS 125 and RS 250, paving the way for an inimitable career. Two pearls in Aprilia’s extensive trophy case.

   For the brand from Noale, this was also the race that marked the end of collaboration with Team Gresini. These have been seven years of growth, culminating in the results of this great season. Goals, milestones, difficulties, joy and a lot of hard work done together characterised these seasons. Now that we are parting ways, all of us at Aprilia Racing extend our thanks and most heartfelt thoughts, in memory of Fausto, to the entire team that has accompanied us to this point.

   In the race, after a good start and first half battling for fifth and sixth place, Aleix had to reckon with a drop in tyre grip, but he defended ninth position to the end. This umpteenth top-ten finish means that Espargaró ends the championship season in eighth place. The 120 points earned, an impressive 78 more than last season, are a clear testament to his growth and that of the RS-GP in a season that peaked with the first podium, taken in Silverstone.

   Until the final part of the race, Viñales was unable to find the good pace he had demonstrated that he was able to maintain yesterday. It proved to be too late to move up any positions, despite closing the gap with the riders ahead of him, but the Valencia weekend also added to his experience on the RS-GP. This knowledge will now serve as the foundation on which to build his 2022 season, starting with the upcoming tests where Aprilia Racing will be busy on the Jerez track this Thursday and Friday.
   
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   "At the beginning, when the tyre had grip, I felt good and made up quite a few positions. However, doing that took its toll on the tyres and they paid the price in the finale. "The RS-GP gets harder to ride with low trip, so in the end I had to settle for a result which still gives me a good season finish. This is my best season with Aprilia. We finished ahead of riders who are extremely worthy adversaries and we know that we can do even better. This is our mindset as we prepare for 2022."
   
   MAVERICK VIÑALES
   "The race today was in line with what we have demonstrated during this final part of the season. I'm able to be fast with Aprilia, doing good lap times, but I'm lacking the right feeling to be consistent throughout an entire weekend. We still achieved our goal, which was to get ready for 2022, identifying the areas we need to work on. We have an extremely clear idea as to what they are and that is what I'm most pleased about, because during the winter, the engineers will be able to use this data and the experience accumulated to make the new RS-GP more suited to my needs."

4. APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI - Algarve Race

   Posted on 4:00pm Monday 8th Nov 2021

   ESPARGARÓ CRASHES DURING HIS COMEBACK ATTEMPT

   VIÑALES RACKS UP MILES AND EXPERIENCE BUT FINISHES OUTSIDE THE POINTS ZONE
   
   Aleix Espargaró started well when the lights went out at the GP of Algarve in Portimao, which hosted its second MotoGP round of the season.

   From the fourteenth spot on the grid, Aleix had moved up through the ranks to tenth place when he ran into trouble, first when he went wide in an attempt to move up a few more positions and then when a crash on turn 1 took him out of action.

   Maverick paid the price for starting rather far back on the grid. Like all his races with Aprilia this season, the Algarve GP was once again, first and foremost, an opportunity to get to know the bike and its characteristics better. With a good pace, in the finale Maverick got close to the points zone, but the interruption to the race following the accident involving Oliveira relegated him to sixteenth place.
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   "I had managed to start rather well, making up a few positions. Then, Lecuona and Pol re-entered the track after running long, forcing me wide. Ending up at the back of the group, I began rebuilding my race, but after overtaking Morbidelli I was too aggressive on the brakes. It was my fault, but in the last few races, something hasn’t been working right and we need to figure it out. Maybe the RS-GP struggles with the low temperatures, but everyone is in the same situation, so knowing how to adapt to the various conditions is important."
   
   MAVERICK VIÑALES
   "This weekend demonstrates once again how much we are lacking, especially in terms of confidence. Rather than in pure performance, I’m lacking in consistency. In the race today, I managed to do one sector well and then lose ground in another, but at the end of the day, it’s all part of the learning curve. The race is still important because you see how you measure up with the other riders and you understand what aspects you need to work on."

5. DELTOMED TO MAKE MOTOGP DEBUT WITH TEAM GRESINI

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 5th Nov 2021

   The partnership between Deltomed and Gresini Racing continues to grow, with the leading Indonesian company in the “herbal medicine” sector to make its premier class debut with Team Gresini MotoGP.

   After four years together in the middleweight class, Deltomed and Gresini Racing have reached a two-year agreement as one of the official sponsors of the team in MotoGP.

   The logo of the Indonesian giant’s top-tier brand – Antangin – will be present on the fairings of Bastianini and Di Giannantonio’s Ducati machines as well as on their leathersuits.
   
   MULYO RAHARDJO – CEO DELTOMED
   "We are very pleased that Antangin will continue to be part of Gresini family for the fifth year, which will also bring Deltomed with its brand Antangin to the next level of such a successful collaboration. In fact, Antangin will now begin a new exciting journey in the premier class of the MotoGP championship with Gresini Racing, which obviously makes us very proud and happy. I would like to send my best wishes to Enea and Diggia, can’t wait to watch their exciting race action."
   
   CARLO MERLINI – GRESINI RACING COMMERCIAL & MARKETING DIRECTOR
   “I’m truly delighted to announce the continuation of our partnership with Deltomed. We started back in 2018 and throughout the years, it became stronger and stronger. Now, the opportunity to take it to the premier class is the natural step of a mutually trusted relationship. Team spirit and passion are just two of many values that we share with pak Mulyo and his team…can’t wait to start this new chapter together.”
   
   #CiaoFausto❤️