Max Biaggi has hung up his leathers after a final title in a Superbike category which welcomed him after a cold separation with the world of Grands Prix. However, it is in this last paddock that the one we nickname the Corsair will return. Not as a driver but as a team manager. Its mission is to help the next generation of Italians with the support of Mahindra. A hell of a challenge but the Roman emperor knew how to surround himself.
Helping young transalpine people to become champions is not a new mission. Another active pilot is already dealing with the problem. He has a team, an academy and a group of talented drivers. It is Valentino Rossi and when Max Biaggi discovered the same vocation with the manufacturer Mahindra, many said that the rivalry between the two men would resume. But by proxy.
A prospect that the six-time World Champion initially wanted to nip in the bud on GP One : " it's not a project on the scale of Rossi's. I just have two pilots. It's not an academy, it's a team. My ambition is to make two young pilots professionals ". Here are the foundations laid. “ Maybe one day my pilots will fight against those of the VR46 but we are just getting started. We must first build our identity before going to claim to fight in the World Championship ».
Because the road will be long and it will begin in CEV: “ this team will be mine and we will have to find sponsors. Nothing will be acquired or given. We will have to obtain results in the face of tough competition. For my pilots, I am thinking of a special winter training program. They may not need it yet, but it's a way to lay the groundwork ».
The pilots will be Alexander Del Bianco et Davide Baldini. They therefore do not enter a summer camp but rather a commando with management completely devoted to the boss: “ many people in this adventure have already worked with me during the 250 days at Aprilia. There will be five people who are people I won my world titles with. The goal will be to be able to race in the World Championship in a year or two ».
The challenge is also for biaggi : “ I have always only evolved on one side of the fence. This time I will have to learn how to manage and organize things. There will be a lot of Italy at Mahindra. This manufacturer has given itself the means to win, notably with a test bench ».
The troops will be presented in mid-December near Val Gardena. The team colors will be black. The MGP3O will then be ready to write a new page in its history.
