It is the third major manufacturer involved in Moto3, if we want to consider the Peugeot coat of arms as a simple commercial approach. This is the Indian manufacturer Mahindra which is a heavyweight in the world production of motorized two wheels. A commitment at the highest international level which bore fruit in 2016 with three victories. Two taken by one bagnaia fourth in the championship and another snatched in the rain by McPhee and his Peugeot. What will 2017 be like? We don't know, because despite this good last season, the Indian manufacturer's most prominent drivers have left.
A paradoxical situation, but it is clear that while in 2016 Mahindra seemed to get closer to Honda and KTM, 2017 does not seem to be shaping up to be a campaign boosted by last year's momentum. Yet, Mufaddal Choonia, the sports man at Mahindra, reminds us that it would be wrong to underestimate his troops.
The spearheads will be Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Albert Arenas which has Jakub Kornfeil who will talk about his experience on the Peugeot shared with the young person Patrick Pulkkinen. We will also follow with interest the first complete seasons of Marco Bezzecchi et Manuel Pagliani within Alain Bronec's CIP team. Names which will however have to assert themselves to achieve the objective set by the boss: to do better than in 2016 for the Indian firm.
On the motorcycle side, which has nothing Indian since it was designed in Switzerland at Suter, the evolution will come mainly from the engine presented as brand new just as a lot of work on the suspensions has been announced. For the rest, namely the swingarm and the frame, we will be on familiar ground since nothing will be different from last year. We are waiting for the first times of the 2017 off-season to situate Mahindra, knowing that electronic management and in particular that of the engine brake is a recognized area of development. It will be recalled that, during the past season, quite a few Mahindra drivers encountered transmission problems. Finally, for 2017, in the Italian Moto3 championship, there will be a team led from the side of the track by Max Biaggi.
