Aprilia Will Not Compete in Moto2
Aprilia will not compete in Moto2
According to a press release from parent company the Piaggio Group, Aprilia will not compete in Moto2 and will not provide motorcycles for private teams in the series.
Due to replace the two-stroke 250cc Grand Prix World Championship in 2010, Moto2 will feature bikes with four-stroke 600cc Honda engines installed in prototype chassis. According to the Piaggio Group, the spec Honda engines do not fit with Aprilias image.
In the Groups view, the technological and racing characteristics of the Moto2 Championship are not such as to make participation in this type of race of strategic interest for Aprilia, reads the statement from the Piaggio Group. The Group believes, therefore, that involvement in races where all competitors must necessarily use the engine technology of a rival constructor would serve no purpose and would be detrimental to its image as a leading Italian and European motorcycle manufacturer, with 43 world speed and off-road racing titles.
Aprilia motorcycles saturated the 2009 250cc Grand Prix class, with 18 of the 29 racers that earned championship points riding Aprilia machines. Aprilia riders comprised of six of the top ten spots in the final rider standings. The second most popular manufacturer on the 250cc grid was Honda with eight riders including 2009 Champion Hiroshi Aoyama.
Aprilia will still have a presence in the 125cc Grand Prix class. Julian Simon won the 2009 championship for the Mapfre Aspar team, leading a group of five Aprilia riders in the top seven spots in the final standings.
Other prospective Moto2 teams that were planning to race Aprilia machines include Ajo Motorsport, Cardion AB and Speedup Aprilia.
The Piaggio Groups decision will free up some money that may be diverted to Aprilias World Superbike racing efforts.
Motorcycle.com presents an unrivaled combination of bike reviews and news written by industry experts
More by Motorcycle.com Staff
Comments
Join the conversation