Gresini Racing is a motorcycle racing team competing in the MotoGP World Championship under the name Gresini Racing MotoGP as a Ducati satellite team, in the Moto2 World Championship as Italjet Gresini Racing Moto2, and the MotoE World Cup as Felo Gresini MotoE. The team also competes in CIV Moto3.
Barros recorded two podium finishes and a series of top-five finishes to collect 138 points and fifth place in the final standings.[1]
250 cc class times
In 1999, the team dropped down to the 250 cc class with a factory-supported Honda NSR250 and with reigning 250cc world champion Loris Capirossi as the rider.
In the first race of the season at Sepang, Malaysia, Capirossi took the first ever win for the Gresini team. During the season, he earned two more wins and six other podium finishes, and finished the season third in the final standings with 209 points.
Kato, who had already won two races as a wild-card racer in 1997 and 1998, made an instant impact with four consecutive podium finishes at the start of the season.
Kato ranked seventh in the final standings with 117 points and won the Rookie of the Year award,[4] while the team ranked eighth in the MotoGP team standings.[13]
The team also competed in the 250cc class with Alzamora and Italian rider Roberto Rolfo. Rolfo was ranked third in the final standings with seven podium finishes while Alzamora was seventh with two podiums.[14]
Expansion
In 2003, the team expanded their MotoGP class effort to two riders and was renamed Telefónica Movistar Honda as title sponsor Telefónica joined from Suzuki. Former Suzuki rider Sete Gibernau also joined the team as their second rider.[15]
Kato remained with the team and became one of four Honda official riders, riding the latest 2003-spec RC211V, while Gibernau was given the modified 2002 bike.[16]
In the opening race at Suzuka, Japan, Kato crashed into the tyre barrier. He suffered serious injuries and went into a coma for two weeks before he died in hospital.[17]
A week after Kato's death, Gibernau started from pole position and won the South African Grand Prix at Welkom, which marked the first race win for the Gresini team in the MotoGP class.[18]
During the post-race interview, Gibernau dedicated the win for his late teammate.[19] He remained as the team's sole rider until reigning Japanese Supersport champion Ryuichi Kiyonari joined the team from the fourth race onwards.
The team also promoted Gibernau to the 2003-spec bike left by Kato, while Kiyonari received the modified 2002 bike.[20]
Gibernau won three more races and recorded a total of ten podium finishes as he took the second place in the championship with 277 points. The team was ranked fourth in the teams standings as Gibernau and Kiyonari scored a combined 299 points.[21]
Toni Elías won the 2010 Moto2 World Championship with Gresini Racing Moriwaki
Gibernau era
In 2004, Gibernau fought for the championship and finished runner up. His teammate, Colin Edwards, finished fifth.
Gibernau remained with the team for 2005 and was joined by Marco Melandri.
Melandri won two races. In 2006 the team lined up Melandri and Toni Elías with Elías bringing Fortuna sponsorship back to the team, and the team achieved four victories, three for Melandri and one for Elías.
Both riders remained with the team in 2007, albeit losing the Fortuna sponsorship due to European Tobacco Regulations. The team also changed their tyre supplier to Bridgestone.
The new 800 cc Honda RC212V did not deliver the results expected and the team finished the season with 2 podiums.
In 2010, Marco Melandri re-joined the team after a turbulent period riding for Ducati and Kawasaki, with 2008 250cc champion Marco Simoncelli announced as his new teammate, who finished eighth overall while Melandri ended the season in tenth place.
For 2011, Simoncelli was promoted to ride a factory Honda as part of the Gresini team, whilst Hiroshi Aoyama rode a satellite Honda for the team.
Simoncelli was competitive at the top end of the field, but a number of crashes kept his points score low.
In October 2011, it was announced that Simoncelli would remain with the team for the 2012 season, however, Aoyama announced a move to Castrol Honda in the Superbike World Championship.
On 23 October 2011, Simoncelli died after a racing accident at the Malaysian Grand Prix.[22][23][24]
A new era with Aprilia
In 2015, Gresini ended their long-standing partnership with Honda in the premier class.
Aprilia returned to the MotoGP paddock with a factory effort with track-side operations to be managed by Gresini.[25]
For 2022, Aprilia re-entered the sport with their own factory team, taking incumbent riders Maverick Viñales and Espargaró.
Gresini elected to return to fully independent team status with Ducati machinery, fielding former Gresini Moto3 teammates Enea Bastianini and Di Giannantonio.[27]
1 2 3 4 5 6 Non-bracketed number refers to the number accumulated with team, with number in brackets referring to the total accumulated for the season.
↑ Non-bracketed number refers to the number accumulated with the motorcycle, with number in brackets referring to the total accumulated for the season.
MotoGP results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
1 2 3 Non-bracketed number refers to the number accumulated with the motorcycle, with number in brackets referring to the total accumulated for the season.
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