For the Gresini Racing team, it must have been a real heartbreak to make the decision to stop the Grand Prix entry category in 2022! Of course, this is completely motivated by the desire to mobilize its forces for its full-fledged return to MotoGP (Aprilia now flying on its own), but abandon the series which, indirectly, saw Fausto Gresini Being a two-time world champion was certainly not an easy decision…
Surprisingly, however, it is only since 2012 that the team based in Imola has been competing in the three categories of the world championship, since it competed from its creation in 1997 in 500c before also entering 250cc two years later. late.
The final race of the 2021 season in Valencia marked the official end of a decade in Moto3 for Gresini Racing, during which the team Fausto Gresini achieved great success:
🏆 World Drivers' Championship with Jorge Martín in 2018,
🏆 World Tag Team Championship with Jorge Martín and Fabio Di Giannantonio (2nd) in 2018,
🏆 Rookie of the year with Jeremy Alcoba in 2020,
🥇 12 victories (8 at the hands of Jorge Martín, 2 by Enea Bastianini and 2 by Fabio Di Giannantonio),
🥈 17 second places (7 in the hands of Enea Bastianini, 5 in the hands of Fabio Di Giannantonio, 4 in the hands of Jorge Martín and 1 in the hands of Jeremy Alcoba),
🥉 22 third places (7 by Jorge Martín, 6 by Enea Bastianini, 6 by Fabio Di Giannantonio, 2 by Jeremy Alcoba and 1 by Gabriel Rodrigo),
🕒 32 pole positions (20 for Jorge Martín, 7 for Enea Bastianini, 6 for Fabio Di Giannantonio, 3 for Gabriel Rodrigo, 1 for Jeremy Alcoba and Niccolò Antonelli),
🅿️ 2 total points scored.
Luca Gresini, director of the Moto2 & Moto3 team: “ First of all, I would like to start by saying that this has been a very painful decision for the whole of Gresini Racing. For us and for Fausto, the cadet category has always been very important, but the commitment to MotoGP required a huge effort from everyone and we decided to focus on that in the best possible way. We will stay in both Moto2 and MotoE, and I am convinced that this is just a farewell to a category where Gresini Racing made history… »
Jorge Martín, Moto3 world champion in 2018: “ Thanks to Fausto and Gresini Racing, my Moto3 period was a great journey: we had a competitive bike, a super united team and together we achieved a lot... How can we forget this November 4, 2018? A lot of things happened to us that year, not only positive things, but together we overcame them by winning the title. Fausto was a mentor and thanks to him, many young people like me were able to realize their dreams. So I can only thank. »
Fabio DiGiannantonio, Moto3 world vice-champion in 2018: “ To Team Gresini and to Fausto I owe everything: He took me to Moto3, to Moto2 and in a few days he will give me the chance to start the MotoGP adventure… Moto3 has been fundamental for my career and maybe that this is where we have achieved the best results so far: I played for the title in 2018 and there I fought for a lot of podiums and a lot of victories. I have only good memories of this category, among which my first victory in Brno stands out. »
Enea Bastianini, first podium and first victory in Moto3: “ It all started with Gresini in Moto3, and the first year was something incredible: I have so many memories, good and bad, but above all three podiums that I will never forget. The following years we came close to winning the title, with this fantastic victory in Misano… It was a very good period and now, racing for Gresini again is unique, although unfortunately it is without Fausto. These were fantastic years for Gresini in Moto3 and it's sad that they are now leaving this category, but we are together again in MotoGP so we have many reasons to smile. »
Jeremy Alcove, Rookie of the Year 2020: “ I owe everything to the Gresini team, because it was Fausto who was the first to have confidence in me to move from the Spanish championship to the Moto3 world championship, which was a dream at the time. I ended up in the world champion team and it was a privilege. I had some doubts about the fact that it was an Italian team, very different from the one I came from, but from the start I felt at home with the whole team and with Fausto. He was a great boss, but above all a great person and I must say that with Nadia, the relationship went even further and I can only be doubly honored. It's a shame that Gresini is leaving Moto3, he was an icon in this category. »
gabriel rodrigo : " From the first moment I arrived in this team, I felt at ease and comfortable. Thanks to Team Gresini, I progressed a lot as a driver and this is the period when I felt the most competitive and it's a shame to lose such a team in this category. My best memory is undoubtedly the podium at Mugello, which was very emotional for everyone and which I remember with a lot of emotion, even if I would have preferred that Fausto was there to encourage us that day. »
In addition to Moto2 and MotoE, the Gresini Racing team will be present in MotoGP in 2022, in its own sky blue and red colors, with Enea Bastianini et Fabio DiGiannantonio on Ducatis.
