        Enea Bastianini took his time today, heading out on track roughly an hour and a half after the green light, but we can hardly blame him. The Italian shone at this track two days ago, and today&rsquo;s session was mainly about clocking up a few more miles. Miles during which Enea was nevertheless able to have fun testing an important component ahead of 2023. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pleased with this first day, as I've collected some good information&rdquo;, explains Enea, &ldquo;and I've tested the 2023 frame, which has its strong points. The same goes for the old one, so we have more work to do. In the final stages, I rode with used tyres, and was still able to set some good times.&rdquo; Bastianini: "I want to be competitive at other tracks too"  Enea continues to talk about the new frame, aware that it will be available for him to use next year. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll definitely use it next year, although it&rsquo;s not quite ready yet. Pecco&rsquo;s working on it too, as you&rsquo;d expect.&rdquo; In conclusion, number 23 outlines tomorrow&rsquo;s work plan. &ldquo;Tomorrow I&rsquo;ll only ride in the morning. I&rsquo;ve always been competitive here at Misano, but I want to be strong at the next tracks too&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Test MotoGP, Marquez: &ldquo;I rode instinctively, I had fun towards the end&rdquo;       

Enea explains: "It has some strong points, and it&rsquo;s only normal to need time to improve it"

Test MotoGP, Bastianini: “I’ve tested the 2023 frame, there’s still work to do”

        Just prior to the summer break, during the Assen GP, it was confirmed that &Aacute;lex M&aacute;rquez has signed for the Gresini team for 2023. The Spaniard&rsquo;s time with Honda will thus draw to a close, the results during this three-year period having fallen well below expectation. In 2020, his debut year, Marc&rsquo;s younger brother reached the second step of the rostrum on two occasions, before struggling with various issues aboard the RC213V. The difficulties he faces with Honda  In what will be his last season with team LCR, his best result to date a seventh-place finish, Marquez is very self-critical, admitting while appearing on TV show El Larguero that: &ldquo;The season&rsquo;s not going well. I&rsquo;d give myself a 5 or a 4.8&rdquo;. All the Honda riders are clearly struggling with this new bike, the Spaniard adding: &ldquo;Honda took a real gamble. During the pre-season, everything seemed quite good, but then the problems began in Qatar&rdquo;. And things only got worse from there: &ldquo;None of the new parts or ideas they&rsquo;ve brought have worked. And so we&rsquo;ve made no progress. Honda fell asleep and we&rsquo;re all struggling&rdquo;. Brother Marc&rsquo;s physical condition  In all this, brother Marc Marquez, the only rider who has been able to do more with the package, is watching the racing from home after undergoing a fourth surgery on his right arm: &ldquo;He has an impressive scar, and another one behind. He&rsquo;s optimistic, positive and that&rsquo;s the important thing. You can see he wants to come back, but he&rsquo;s cautious. The doctors are in charge&rdquo;. Working together at Honda is not easy and Alex admits: &ldquo;Sometimes I can understand it. If everything had gone well and was perfect, it would be another story. But this hinders rather than helps me&rdquo;. What pushed him to accept this new challenge with the Italian team  In November, the two-time world champion will turn the page and climb aboard the team Gresini Ducati Desmosedici: &ldquo;Once I ride it, I&rsquo;ll be able to get an initial impression of its strengths and weaknesses. It&rsquo;s been the most complete and advanced bike for three years. They&rsquo;ve worked hard and this is an opportunity. It&rsquo;s a test, but the team won me over. They have a lot of experience and history&hellip; and that&rsquo;s something that helped me take this step&rdquo;. An important one for his career. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP: are Oliveira and Fernandez right for Team RNF Aprilia?       

The Japanese manufacturer&rsquo;s difficulties, brother Marc&rsquo;s condition, his impatience to test the Ducati: the team LCR rider tells all

MotoGP, Álex Márquez: “Honda fell asleep, we’re all struggling”

        It wasn&rsquo;t a perfect race weekend for Enea Bastianini, who was back on track today for testing. A way to move forward in a certain sense, his focus already on Le Mans, with a few more reassurances. &ldquo;We tested a few things&rdquo;, begins Enea, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ve taken a small step forward perhaps, though the track conditions were very different compared to yesterday. In terms of pace, I was about two tenths quicker with the medium, which is positive. There was more wind in the afternoon, so I chose not to take any risks, also because we still have many races ahead of us.&rdquo; How did the test with the new fairing go? &ldquo;It went well, though it has its pros and its cons as is often the case. We&rsquo;ll evaluate those in the future before testing it again at Le Mans. With respect to the previous solution, the new one is thinner, which helps in the changes of direction, but it&rsquo;s also more unstable. If we were racing at this track tomorrow, I&rsquo;d use it, though I&rsquo;m not sure about other tracks.&rdquo; Bastianini: "I don&rsquo;t understand how things went so badly over the weekend"  Did you carry out any other tests? &ldquo;I worked on the setting, trying a few things. From yesterday&rsquo;s data, I saw how different my style is to Pecco&rsquo;s, so today I tried to imitate him, and that helped.&rdquo; Do you know why things didn&rsquo;t go as you&rsquo;d hoped yesterday? &ldquo;To be honest no, because things immediately went better this morning, but the different conditions had a bearing. If it had been hotter today, we could have made some comparisons, but it&rsquo;s ok anyway.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Dall'Igna: &ldquo;Bastianini or Martin to leave Ducati? They should think hard&rdquo;       

"But I don&rsquo;t know if that would apply to other tracks. I rode in a more similar way to Bagnaia, which helped me"

Jerez test, Bastianini: “The new fairing? If we raced today, I’d use it”

        A big surprise in Qatar, still in the lead after Indonesia, downsized in Argentina. Enea Bastianini started the 2022 MotoGP season in the best possible way, winning the Lusail race and gifting the Gresini team an inaugural victory that was perhaps unexpected but definitely deserved. At Mandalika, the 2020 Moto2 champion fought hard, taking on the challenges of very hot temperatures, rain, pieces of asphalt breaking away, tyres that wouldn&rsquo;t grip&hellip; And, with effort and patience, his Ducati Gp21 held on to first place in the standings, with a points tally of 30. This lead then vanished at Termas de Rio Hondo however, after a difficult weekend in which material arrived late to the paddock, leaving teams with little time to prepare. In addition,&nbsp; it was the number 23 rider&rsquo;s first visit to the South American track, and so perhaps it was unlikely that he&rsquo;d do any better than he did. Enea prepares to fight back at the US MotoGP  Beyond wanting to score the best possible results for himself and the Gresini team, Bastianini is fighting another battle, and it regards his professional future&hellip;. It&rsquo;s no secret that Bestia wants a factory ride in 2023. Or rather a factory team, bike, spares, support, company and&hellip; salary, all privileges that those belonging to factory squads enjoy. If possible, the Ducati Lenovo&nbsp;team. The 24-year old Italian was already strong last year with Avintia Esponsorama, he&rsquo;s very strong now with the team headed up by Nadia Padovani, and he&rsquo;d clearly do well with the Borgo Panigale factory machine, although he&rsquo;s not alone in targeting this ride, as there&rsquo;s another Ducati man with similar ambitions. We&rsquo;re talking about Jorge Martin, who came so close to a win last weekend but was ultimately pipped to the post by Aleix Espargar&ograve; on the Aprilia. The Pramac Racing rider currently has a GP22, but he wants a Lenovo factory GP23. And he wants it just as much as Enea. While the Termas round saw the Italian&rsquo;s share prices drop, the Spaniard&rsquo;s began to climb. Enea will do his best to claim victory  Enea enjoys the Americas GP and scored a strong sixth-place finish in last year&rsquo;s race. He did even better back in Moto3, reaching the second step of the podium in 2018. But now the situation is different, as well as more complicated. The track is challenging, with potholes and bumps that made life difficult for the riders in 2021. The lap times will also be extremely close. Enea is well aware of all this, but we&rsquo;re certain that he is keen to respond to the recent downhill trend. It will be important to reach Europe with the highest possible morale and the best possible position in the standings, because the Italian is then in for a tough sprint from Portim&atilde;o to Arag&oacute;n. And decisions will be made as to 2023, the riders&rsquo; market seemingly quiet but in fact already buzzing. Bastianini will need to raise his voice already in the States if he wants to be able to sing further down the line. Translated by Heather Watson Argentina MotoGP: Jack Miller teetering on the edge       

Enea struggled in Argentina, finishing tenth and losing the championship lead. In the US, the team Gresini rider needs to respond to Martin, in the mix for the 2023 factory Ducati &nbsp;

Bastianini, a small false move at Termas: will he bounce back at Austin?

        One of the most highly anticipated events of the MotoGP season is here, with riders set to take to the track of Mandalika for round two this coming weekend. This is the first time the championship will compete at this track, and there is great anticipation following test sessions in February. And the stakes are particularly high for team Gresini, home to current leader, Enea Bastianini. Mentally and physically fit, Bastianini can fight at the front  After his superb performance at the Qatar GP, all eyes will be on Bastianini in Indonesia. On paper, the Italian starts as favourite, but the Indonesian track might throw up some curve balls, as we saw during testing. Firstly, riders will need to see what has been done to the asphalt and whether this will allow them to ride smoothly without the issues that arose during testing. &nbsp;The February test sessions at Mandalika saw Enea place thirteenth in the combined standings, although the Gresini rider finished just 0.530 from first-placed rider Pol Espargar&oacute;. At the end of the test, Enea seemed pleased with how things had gone, explaining how they had focus on both set-up and pace in preparation for the upcoming race. He also liked the track, saying he finds it &ldquo;similar to Mugello&rdquo;, albeit it with some different characteristics: &ldquo;I really like to brake hard, and here there&rsquo;s only one real hard braking point, but there are a lot of fast turns&rdquo;. And so Enea, considering how the opening race went, has every chance of being able to do well and battle for the podium. He is also in excellent physical and mental shape following his win in Qatar. All factors that will work in his favour, unlike other &lsquo;top riders&rsquo; who were unable to maximise their potential during the season-opener. Many unknowns and rain forecast for the weekend  The typical Indonesian climate, wet and humid, could impact on the weekend of course, and this is why Bastianini is realistic as he looks ahead to the next round: &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to race in Indonesia&rdquo;, he comments. &ldquo;We had an incredible race in Qatar where I scored my first win. It won&rsquo;t be easy to do it again, but we definitely had good pace during the tests. They should have resurfaced certain sections of the track, so I don&rsquo;t know exactly what to expect. Even the tyres will be different compared to the test, but we need to continue working as we&rsquo;ve done until now. I expect a lot of fans and Gresini Racing supporters&rdquo;. The weather forecast for Mandalika says it all &ndash; 90% chance of rain all weekend. Can Bastianini also perform on a wet track? Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Pirro: &ldquo;Ducati was unlucky in Qatar&rdquo;       

The Gresini rider is ready for round 2 but could the condition of the asphalt, the new track and rain hinder the current championship leader?

MotoGP, Bastianini will aim for the double in Indonesia, but...“It won’t be easy”

The Qatar GP is just around the corner and the Gresini Racing team is ready to embark on a new adventure. Having left Aprilia, the late Fausto&rsquo;s squad will take on the 2022 season as an Independent Team, entrusting two Ducati Desmosedicis to Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio.  The 2020 Moto2 World Champion is highly motivated as he arrives in Losail, spurred on by the progress made during the Sepang and Mandalika tests, while rookie Fabio will take on his first race as a rider in the reigning class.  Bastianini: &quot;I&rsquo;m ready&quot;   &ldquo;I must say we are super ready&rdquo;, comments Bastianini ahead of the season opener. &ldquo;Testing was very good and as a team we are gelling very well together. I like the Qatari track and I did quite well in my MotoGP debut last year&rdquo;. After a strong first season in the MotoGP class, in which Enea challenged Jorge Martin for the title of Rookie of the Year, the Italian is ready to fight at the front this year: &ldquo;We have more experience now so it&rsquo;s time to stop talking and start racing! My physical preparation went very well, and I felt the bike as my own since the first day in Malaysia.&rdquo;  Di Giannantonio: &quot;The physical problems are behind me&quot;   Di Giannantonio is understandably excited: &ldquo;First race of the year and first MotoGP race of my career&hellip; we&rsquo;re so charged up for it&rdquo;, comments Diggia. &ldquo;We are eager to take to the track also considering what we did during testing, as we made steps forward both with the bike and the team. I must admit that the last month has been quite complicated fitness wise as I&rsquo;ve had some issues that affected me Malaysia onwards, but then I was able to work well so we&rsquo;ll be ready&rdquo;. As for his goals, the number 49 rider is keeping his feet on the ground: &ldquo;The realistic goal is to continue to learn and grow, the optimistic one is to score my first points!&rdquo;  Translated by Heather Watson  SBK, let the unveiling begin: 2022 team presentations 

This could be the season of consecration for Enea, while Fabio prepares for his first race in the top class. Here, their comments ahead of Losail

MotoGP: Bastianini and Di Giannantonio on the attack at the Qatar GP

        Fausto Gresini will be sorely missed as his team returns to MotoGP, but the squad is aiming high, particularly in terms of Enea Bastianini. With a year of experience under his belt, a more competitive bike and greater maturity, we expect to see the Italian fighting for the positions that count, an objective that his crew chief Alberto Giribuola confirms. Great faith in Enea  &ldquo;We have a more competitive bike this year, and he was very consistent and fast towards the end of last season. So if we can improve a little in qualifying, then&hellip;&rdquo; explains the Italian, who worked alongside Andrea Dovizioso before moving across to Enea at the start of last season. Things clearly look promising, something Giribuola already realised in November: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re starting with a good base set-up that we tested at Jerez and the new bike was immediately quick without making any huge changes&rdquo;. The technical aspect works in his favour  The competition is stiff if we consider the championship in general and, more specifically, the other Ducati riders. The crew chief isn&rsquo;t giving too much away but admits: &ldquo;He can reach the front positions&rdquo;. Will Enea become the latest nightmare for Bagnaia, Quartararo, Marquez and Mir? From a technical standpoint, he will be at an advantage compared to last year and so will have a little more to exploit: &ldquo;The bike is a little more forgiving and easier to take to the limit, more consistent, and that will be important&rdquo;. And if we add the fact that Enea becomes a different person come race day, then the outlook is very interesting. He&rsquo;s a real &lsquo;race animal&rsquo; as his crew chief confirms: &ldquo;Sunday is Sunday, he feels that. And he&rsquo;s very good at managing his speed in the race, and the tyres. His race management is rather special, and the talent&rsquo;s there, he can aim to do very well&rdquo;. And if he were to become the revelation this season? Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Miguel Oliveira: &ldquo;Ra&uacute;l Fern&aacute;ndez will be fast right away&rdquo;       

Expectations are high surrounding the Italian as his crew chief underlines his potential, on a better Ducati than he&rsquo;s had before

MotoGP, is the title within Enea Bastianini’s reach?

        A new shade for a new and exciting MotoGP project. We&rsquo;re talking team Gresini, which has now revealed the main colours that will stand out on its Ducati bikes in 2022 when it returns to the reigning class as an independent team. Ahead of the Austrian GP, the team provides just a sneak preview, which you can see below:             Visualizza questo post su Instagram  Un post condiviso da Gresini Racing (@gresiniracing)      A meeting of two colours  The colour is Pantone 2121 and the message reads: &ldquo;The colour of the sky, of air&hellip; of breath. A clean and young tint for fresh energy! Gresini's pale blue will meet red&hellip; The colour of courage, of speed and passion for racing&rdquo;. With the valuable collaboration of Drudi Performance, team Gresini &ndash; now headed up by Fausto&rsquo;s widow Nadia Padovani &ndash; is working tirelessly on the new project, which will bring Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio to the track with the aim of scoring great results. In Fausto&rsquo;s name obviously. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP Styria, Vi&ntilde;ales: &ldquo;With this team I can't show my potential&rdquo;       

The work never stops in the Faenza-based offices, as the team prepares for the new season in the top class and reveals the colour that will adorn Bastianini and Di Giannantonio&rsquo;s Ducati bikes

MotoGP, Gresini Racing: new livery colour

Nadia Padovani, Fausto Gresini&rsquo;s wife, will be the new CEO of Gresini Racing. Nadia, a fixed presence alongside the late team manager, will take over Fausto&rsquo;s role, acting as Team Owner and Team Principal.  Nadia&rsquo;s words   &ldquo;I like to think that Fausto&rsquo;s two families, ours and the Racing team, have united to move ahead with everything he was planning and, in particular, with the MotoGP project&quot;, comments Nadia Padovani. &quot;To have an independent team in the reigning class once again is definitely a big commitment, with a squad to be created from scratch, but I know that everyone at the company is giving it 110% to make his dream a reality. Personally, I view it as a real mission, a challenge that we&rsquo;ll take on, also and particularly thanks to Fausto&rsquo;s strength, as he follows us from up there. Right now, we&rsquo;re talking with various manufacturers and in a few weeks&rsquo; time we&rsquo;ll be able to confirm the details of our MotoGP project&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Aprilia a growing star: how long before the first podium? 

Fausto Gresini&rsquo;s dream lives on: his wife will continue the team&#39;s activities, in the role of CEO

Nadia Padovani, Fausto&rsquo;s wife, is the new Gresini Racing Team Owner

        The funeral of Fausto Gresini will take place privately. The Italian passed away on Tuesday 23rd February after a long battle against Covid-19 and a brain haemorrhage. Fausto&rsquo;s son Lorenzo confirms this. "Our final farewell to beloved Fausto will take place privately, not because we want that but due to anti-Covid restrictions that do not allow us to have a ceremony with all his fans, as he surely would have wanted&rdquo;, he explains in a post published on Facebook on Thursday evening. "We are working on a live stream so that those who want to participate can do so&rdquo;. Live ceremony on Facebook  Lorenzo&rsquo;s words are seconded by the team: "The last goodbye to Fausto Gresini will take place tomorrow in Imola, privately. He passed away on February 23 at 60 years of age. Unfortunately, it will not be the kind of send-off we would have wanted for our beloved Fausto, given the current restrictions imposed by the ongoing pandemic. As Gresini Racing, and in agreement with his family, we have decided to live stream the ceremony, to allow everybody to participate in this final farewell". You can follow the live streaming on the Gresini Racing Facebook page on Saturday 27 February at 10am CET.  #CiaoFausto?? pic.twitter.com/wP45V7SmJ8 &mdash; Gresini Racing (@GresiniRacing) February 26, 2021    Charitable donations  The team created and managed by Fausto has also announced that, as of Friday 26 February, those who would like to will be able to make donations to the Bologna Maggiore hospital department that cared for the Italian in his final days. "To everyone who is getting in touch with us to send donations, we please ask you to wait until tomorrow (Friday 26th), when we will communicate an IBAN code to make a specific one to the 10th floor of the Intensive Therapy Unit of Bologna&rsquo;s Maggiore Hospital", the note reads.  From the Gresini family:To everyone who are getting in touch with us to send donations, we please ask you to wait until tomorrow, when we will communicate an IBAN code to make a specific one to the 10th floor of the Intensive Therapy Unit of Bologna&rsquo;s Maggiore Hospital. &mdash; Gresini Racing (@GresiniRacing) February 25, 2021    Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP: who was Fausto Gresini       

His son Lorenzo confirms the plans, which are guided by anti-Covid restrictions rather than the family&rsquo;s wishes &nbsp;

MotoGP, Fausto Gresini: private funeral and hospital donations

        During today&rsquo;s virtual Gresini Racing team presentation, the squad introduced its new Moto3 line-up composed of Gabriel Rodrigo and Jeremy Alcoba, the 2020 &ldquo;rookie of the year&rdquo;. The Argentine embarks on his seventh consecutive season, his third with Gresini, and knows that the moment of truth has arrived . Looking back, Rodrigo comments: &ldquo;I felt really fast during my first year with the team. I learned a lot with them but then I got injured&rdquo;. As for 2020, he says: &ldquo;We started really well, but then came up against a brick wall and the sprint-style championship didn&rsquo;t help. We didn&rsquo;t have time to change course, and lost our way a little&rdquo;. Now it&rsquo;s time to turn the page: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve learned a lot over the last two years and if we can put it all together this season then we can do really well&rdquo;. The expectations  The 2021 championship will get underway on 28 March in Qatar, and the 24-year old comments: &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no clear favourite, but I think we can both do well. You can&rsquo;t rule anyone out, not even the rookies, as we saw last year. The category is quite balanced. We are working on the details and hope to be in the mix up until the final race&rdquo;. Rodrigo has worked hard to prepare over the winter break: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve focused on understanding where I can improve. Last year we learned to manage the races, but then lost a little of the speed we had in 2019. We can do well if we are able to combine both, I&rsquo;m very confident&rdquo;. And as for his physical preparation, he adds: "I&rsquo;ve trained more than ever with the MX bike, and I think this has helped physically speaking. I&rsquo;ve also worked on the mental side, as I needed a total reset. I struggled and needed more time than I imagined, but I&rsquo;m now back with even greater motivation and, with professional help, I&rsquo;m now in a really good place&rdquo;. Superpole?  One Moto3 issue regards qualifying, with riders often waiting for one other on track. Might the Superpole format be a solution? Alcoba comments: &ldquo;A slipstream really helps in Moto3. I don&rsquo;t know what they can do. It&rsquo;s up to Dorna, but they&rsquo;re already doing a good job&rdquo;. Rodrigo adds: &ldquo;Perhaps the only way to solve this problem is with the Superpole but I realise this isn&rsquo;t easy in terms of TV. They&rsquo;re working on it and I think we&rsquo;ll soon see some changes&rdquo;. The Argentinian disaster  Lastly, Rodrigo comments on the devastating fire that has destroyed a significant part of the Termas de Rio Honda circuit, his 'home' track: &ldquo;I was training when I heard the news. Argentina is already suffering due to Covid and with all the financial and health-related problems, this has come as another real blow. I&rsquo;ve spoken to a few people there, luckily they had insurance&rdquo;. The championship wasn&rsquo;t able to race there last year either: "I really want to go back there, it&rsquo;s an amazing setting&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Team Gresini Racing unveiling: the 2021 team       

The Argentine and the Spaniard present their 2021 Hondas and talk about the busy winter period

Moto3, Rodrigo: “You can't rule anyone out”

        Another day of world championship presentations, and today it was the turn of Team Gresini Racing, which will be taking to the track in both the Moto3 and Moto2 classes. The Italian team will be able to count on four riders, namely Fabio Di Giannantonio and Niccol&ograve; Bulega in the intermediate class and Geremy Alcoba and Gabriel Rodrigo in the cadet class. &ldquo;Get well soon Fausto!&rdquo;  The unveiling, which was broadcast on social media, took place without Fausto Gresini, who is still battling Covid-19 in intensive care. &ldquo;We were unsure whether or not to go ahead with the presentation - said presenter Franco Bobbiese &ndash; but then we told ourselves that Fausto would want it to happen&rdquo;. The unveiling included a series of special mentions for Fausto, with Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, IRTA president Herv&egrave; Poncharal, FIM president Jorge Viegas and Loris Capirossi all sending him their best wishes for a full recovery. &ldquo;Fausto is the real team leader - said Carlo Merlini, Gresini Racing commercial - We want to do well and hope Fausto will be proud when he sees what we&rsquo;re doing&rdquo;. The new livery  The racing DNA is clearly still there and both the riders and bikes are ready. The Moto3 riders will head out with a new red and black livery while the Kalex Moto2 bikes will feature a white and red colour scheme that showcases main sponsor Federal Oil. The 2021 team  The riders took to the stage to offer their thoughts on the upcoming season: &rdquo;I want to start as I finished - said Alcoba &ndash; I need to improve in qualifying to be able to start further forward on the grid come race day. Being part of team Gresini means being part of a family, and I&rsquo;m very happy about that&rdquo;. &ldquo;The bike looks amazing - added veteran Rodrigo - For 2021 I need to better understand how to manage the races. We now have the experience and the maturity to aim for the top&rdquo;. The Moto2 team counts on reconfirmed Nicol&ograve; Bulega and new entry Fabio Di Giannantonio: &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of history between Fausto and I - explained Diggia - we met up again and found we had the same ideas. We want to do well, and it&rsquo;s a bit like a homecoming for me. I haven&rsquo;t tested the Kalex yet, but I expect a competitive bike, I&rsquo;ll need to adapt my riding style&rdquo;. Last to speak was Bulega: &ldquo;In the final race of 2020 I hurt my shoulder and needed surgery. I&rsquo;m good now though, I&rsquo;ve worked hard with my trainer and cannot wait to start&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Sky Racing team VR46 presents its 2021 colours and line-up       

The official presentation played out on social media channels this morning. Di Giannantonio, Bulega, Alcoba and Rodrigo are confirmed as riders. The attendees sent Fausto their best wishes

Team Gresini Racing unveiling: the 2021 team

        During this apparent winter break, teams and manufacturers continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes, with Gresini Racing having revealed its MotoGP project. As of 2022 and for a period of five years, the team, headed up by Fausto Gresini, will return as an independent squad having signed an agreement with IRTA. The team will define its plans during 2021, starting with its choice of bike. Various options  Various possibilities are on the horizon, and the two that look most likely relate to Suzuki and Aprilia. Both manufacturers are currently fielding just two bikes and are keen to add another two machines to their respective line-ups in order to be able to collect more data and carry out more comprehensive work. So Gresini Racing might decide to remain with the Italian manufacturer, or take on the challenge with the Japanese giant, the winner of this year&rsquo;s riders&rsquo; title. Alternatively  Otherwise, they would need to wait and see what the Ducati and Yamaha teams might do, seeing as many contracts are up at the end of the 2021. There is also the matter of Valentino Rossi&rsquo;s potential new team. We&rsquo;ll already get a taste of this in 2021, with the arrival of his brother Luca Marini on team Esponsorama (Ducati), which has come to an agreement with Sky Racing Team VR46. We leave out KTM, as it looks pretty certain that the partnership between the Austrian manufacturer and the Tech 3 team is set to continue, while Honda appears to have found the right balance with the LCR team. Translated by Heather Watson Moto2, Di Giannantonio: &ldquo;I'm counting the days until I'm with my Kalex&rdquo;       

Having signed a contract with IRTA to stay in MotoGP for the next five years, the Italian team is still to reveal with which manufacturer it will embark on this new adventure

MotoGP, Gresini 2022: with which manufacturer will it form the perfect marriage?

        The season that has recently concluded at Portimao proved to be one of Fabio Di Giannantonio&rsquo;s toughest yet, the Italian finishing just fifteenth after a disappointing year. But in analysing his season, he still sees the positives, like the experience he&rsquo;s gained in facing adversity. &ldquo;Diggia&rdquo; is now ready to go back to wearing team Gresini Racing colours, before moving to MotoGP. How would you sum up 2020? &ldquo;We need to looks at both my performance and the final result. The latter is bad of course, fifteenth in the championship and with less points than last year. I&rsquo;m aware of that and very self-critical. But I also think I&rsquo;ve stepped up in terms of quality. The new front tyre confused things a little and we struggled to find the way as a team. I have to thank my manager Diego, my best friend Fabio and my trainer Daniele as they were always there for me. It was tough, the results didn&rsquo;t come and yet I gave it my all. Thanks to them, I didn&rsquo;t give up and was able to find the right feeling, becoming competitive again. I was the only rider to reach the podium with the Speed Up, twice, and I was very fast at the end of the year. I was lacking in results because I made many mistakes, this was just because I was doing my best and wouldn&rsquo;t settle for any old result. I just wanted to win, and when you want that, you take more risks&rdquo;.  How have your two years been with Speed Up? &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been great from a human standpoint, it&rsquo;s a family team and I got on great with everyone. We had a lot of laughs. I think it was good from a sporting standpoint too, as in the first year I was the best rookie. This was perhaps the most important year in terms of my personal growth as a rider&rdquo;. And what will Fabio look like in 2021? &ldquo;Different, in that he&rsquo;s more aware of his potential. He&rsquo;s also calm because he&rsquo;s clear about the future. With Fausto I&rsquo;m back with the team I started with, ready to do well&rdquo;. Moto2, Sam Lowes: &ldquo;I want MotoGP, but not with Aprilia&rdquo; What do you expect from the Kalex? &ldquo;I never stop asking questions, I&rsquo;m so curious to ride it. It&rsquo;s a shame I got injured at Portimao and couldn&rsquo;t test it. I wanted to start the winter with an idea of how the Kalex is. I&rsquo;ve been to Fausto&rsquo;s base and it seems like a great bike&rdquo;. You&rsquo;re heading back to Fausto Gresini&rsquo;s team, what are your plans? &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve put together a good work plan. We chose the team members together and I&rsquo;m very proud of that. It&rsquo;s the first time I&rsquo;ve done that and makes me feel more a part of the team. I can&rsquo;t wait to work with the guys. We&rsquo;re now preparing a bike I can use to train and ride with the team, then I&rsquo;ll train with the kart and we&rsquo;ll go to the wind tunnel&rdquo;.  How will you spend the winter? &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll relax until 1 January, spending time with family, seeing friends. My head&rsquo;s already focused on 2021, I&rsquo;m counting the days and can&rsquo;t wait to start&rdquo;. What are your expectations for next season? &ldquo;The realistic goal is to put everything together to be the most complete rider possible&rdquo;. You&rsquo;ve also spoken with your new team-mate, Niccol&ograve; Bulega? &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been butting heads since we were small, for obvious reasons. We&rsquo;ve always been rivals. We&rsquo;ll have to collaborate but that&rsquo;s fine. We need to do right by ourselves but also by the team. We need to start behaving&rdquo;.  In 2022 you&rsquo;ll move to MotoGP, what does that mean to you? &ldquo;I start this year already knowing what will happen the following year. And that means I&rsquo;m relaxed and can focus 100% on 2021. A free mind and full throttle&rdquo;. Who are your main rivals? &ldquo;In Moto2 we&rsquo;re all so competitive and close. There are experienced riders up front, but also some surprises. I think Bezzecchi, Lowes, Gardner, Ramirez and Navarro will be up there. There&rsquo;ll be quite a few of us out to do well&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Briatore: &ldquo;I advise Rossi to stop. We want to remember him as champion&rdquo;       

After an uphill climb of a 2020, the Italian is already focusing on 2021 and the challenge that awaits him with team Gresini, as well as that all-important first taste of his new bike

14 risultati per 'EN gresini racing'