Fantic wins in Moto2 with Aron canet and leads the world championship: as in the past, the competition is a showcase for the brand's image.
About Alessio Piana / Corsedimoto.com
Moto2 is a special category in certain respects. Single-engine, single-tire, until last year a single suspension supplier, chassis manufacturers can be counted on the fingers of one hand. And yet, the preparatory class par excellence for MotoGP counts on the direct presence of brands such as KTM, Honda, Yamaha, CFMOTO, QJMotor and, in light of the Portimao verdict, above all Fantic. For its second year (and a half) of participation in the intermediate series, the glorious French company climbed for the second time to the highest step of the podium and, with Aron canet, looks down on everyone in the championship for the first time.
COMPETITION AS A SHOWCASE
Few people know that in 1954, Honda was on the verge of bankruptcy, to the point of requesting a large loan from the Mitsubishi Bank,
Takeo Fujisawa, the right arm of Soichiro Honda, mortgaging his own house. In the company, they acted like real tightrope walkers and yet, on March 20, 1954, the “Grand Old Man” himself made the famous declaration of participation in the Isle of Man TT. A sporting commitment which would not materialize until five years later (1959), but which, at the time, had a double objective. On the one hand, offering investors the guarantee that with such an ambitious project, the company was not going through a bad patch, and on the other hand, the far-sighted vision that the race could be a showcase for the image of the brand.
FANTIC IN THE RACE
Today, Fantic is one of the fastest-growing companies in the world, and its revival requires racing. Today, like yesterday, the race is a showcase, provided you do it well. Fantic is essentially reborn and its sporty soul is developing alongside the launch of new models. Mariano Roman, general manager of Fantic Motor (and new president of ANCMA), was the first to realize the importance of motorsport, due to his experience in the golden age of Moto Guzzi and Aprilia . The years pass, but the slogan “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday " is still relevant.
FROM RALLY RAID TO MOTO2
Present in several market segments, Fantic Motor has not neglected any motorcycle competition. This ranges from Rally Raid, with participation in the Dakar, to Enduro, which has already won its first world titles (the last, but not least, with Kevin Cristino in Youth last year). There is also no shortage of commitment in Motocross and, of course, in Moto2. If, in off-road, the philosophy was to rely on already existing structures (Wilvo Racing in MXGP, SM Action in the 250 European Championship and SDM Corse in the 125 European Championship), for the Moto2 program, it’s about intervening by one’s own means. During the second half of 2022, it took over the positions and personnel of the former VR46 Moto2 team, while setting up its own structure.
Stefano Bedon is now coordinator of the Speed Racing department and Robert Locatelli Team Manager.
CELEBRATION IN MOTO2
The skills of the names mentioned have been combined with a “purchasing campaign » of technicians with proven experience in the Moto2 category, winners in the recent past in structures such as Pons and VR46 themselves. In 2023, in Spielberg (Pierer Mobility headquarters), Celestino Vietti Ramus
gave the first push, and the new trajectory started this year went well. If “Celin” decided to embrace the cause of KTM Ajo, Fantic bet everything on
Aron canet (great respect for Xavi Cardelus, but his role is… different), a motorcyclist with limitless speed, but who still has the taboo of victory in Moto2. This taboo was lifted during the second race, after trials as a protagonist, and now allows you to look down on everyone in the world championship. For heaven's sake, with a KALEX chassis and a Triumph engine, but with Fantic everywhere. In front, precisely, KTM, Honda, Yamaha…
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Alessio Piana
