Aspar shows off full 2012 project

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The Mapfre Convention Centre in Madrid was the setting for a special presentation by the Aspar Team on Wednesday, as owner Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez discussed his 2012 project.

The Spanish team, which unveiled its MotoGP™ line-up last week in Valencia, showed off a video presentation detailing its project across all three World Championship classes, including Moto2™ and Moto3™.

“Every year we set ourselves bigger challenges,” said Martinez, “and year after year we achieve our goals. Last year we were once again 125cc World Champions, we don’t want to stop growing and the base of our team is excellent. In Moto3 we have a challenge, to be the best again, and in Moto2 we have two World Champions who’ll fight for the highest possible targets. In MotoGP we have a big challenge in front of us, to be the best in the new (CRT) concept within the premier class.”

Experienced rider Hector Faubel, who will ride in Moto3, stated that his sole aim this year will be to fight for the title, whilst Alberto Moncayo was highly satisfied with how his pre-season had gone.

Returning to the Moto2 category, in which he won the title in 2010, Toni Elias said he aims to be able to fight for a victory at the season-opening race in Qatar in just over a week, while 2011 125cc Champion and 2012 Moto2 rookie Nico Terol said he had made very good progression throughout the pre-season in his adaptation to the class.

source: MotoGP Official

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Aspar confirms Aprilia deal for 2012

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Spain’s high-profile Aspar squad has officially confirmed it plans to race in the 2012 MotoGP world championship with an Aprilia RSV4-powered 1000cc project.

The team has also confirmed the signing of French rider Randy de Puniet, who tested a hybrid Aprilia machine for two days at the Jerez track in Spain last week.

Former Pramac Ducati rider Aleix Espargaro will be the team’s second rider having initially planned to race for the Aspar Moto2 squad.

Aspar will race under the new CRT rules, which allow teams to tune production engines like the Aprilia RSV4 to race in a prototype chassis.

The Aspar announcement only makes reference to the fact that the team will use Aprilia’s engine next season, without stating which chassis it will run. But it is expected that Aprilia will make a complete bike available for lease.

The Aprilia CRT deal comes after Aspar boss Jorge Martinez was forced to abandon plans to lease two factory Ducati GP12 machines in 2012 because of budget issues.

The former 125GP world champion said: “We are really happy because we find ourselves with a brand new challenge ahead of us and we have full faith that CRT is the future of MotoGP, which is why we are amongst the first to join this initiative.

"As a team we continue to grow and after having a single rider for our first two seasons in MotoGP we will now have two in Randy de Puniet and Aleix Espargaró. I am pleased to welcome Randy back to the team; he was already with us back in 2005 and we have good memories. Aleix was also with us in 2009 although it was only for two races.

"We are sure that this will be a successful project with the riders we have but also with the engine supplier, which will be Aprilia. We always wanted to stick with them for this project because of the fabulous relationship we have with them and their pedigree in the smaller classes.

"Our objective this season is to be the best CRT team and to prepare for another step forward in 2013".

The Aspar deal means at least three CRT projects will run Aprilia engines with British team boss Paul Bird planning to use an RSV4 motor for James Ellison.

source: MCN

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Aspar: We never stop dreaming or moving forward

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Jorge Martinez looks on Nico Terol's 125cc title victory as being a "completed project that was born 12 years ago with the creation of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo”.

Terol is one of many of the circuit's motorcycling school graduates to find a home with Aspar, but the first to go on to be a world champion. 

Martinez's Aspar team has won four of the last six 125cc championships with Alvaro Bautista (2006), Gabor Talmacsi (2007), Julian Simon (2009) and now Terol, a feat Martinez describes as “amazing” and “a dream come true”. 

But this year's victory is special for the team as it marks the first real success with one of the Valencian riders trained by the 'Cradle of Champions' school. 

Martinez describes the title as “the culmination of a lot of hard work between the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, the Cuna de Campeones, Julián Miralles, the Bankia Aspar Team and so many people who have been fundamental in this success.” 

The Ricardo Tormo circuit runs the school named 'Cuna de Campeones' with Jorge Martinez, for six to seventeen year olds, along with Bankia, who also Sponsor the 125cc Aspar team. According to the Cheste based circuit their aim is “to train and promote future motorcycling champions”. 

Other successful riders to come from the school to the Aspar team include MotoGP rider Héctor Barberá, as well as Sergio Gadea, Héctor Faubel and Adrián Martín. 

Happy with his achievements, Martinez is looking to the future and wants to develop his Moto2 squad and is also excited about his CRT MotoGP project. 

"The nice thing about this team and this project is that we never stop dreaming or moving forward. The objective now is to improve our Moto2 effort and start winning there too. We also want to consolidate a major future project in CRT. The MotoGP World Championship is changing a lot and we want to make sure we're involved in the changes to secure a strong and solid team." 

He is however looking at next year as a learning curve for the new rules and that their MotoGP project will be "Revolutionary, all-in, for the season 2013". 

Martinez also revealed how impressed he is with Terol, who remains part of the team's future as he moves up to Moto2 with them, and the work he has put into building his career. 

“He has a huge future. He is a real fighter and a hard worker with a practically faultless approach. You have to admire the effort he has put in and the progress he has made over the past few years. He is never happy, he is always improving and I am sure that will continue in the future. He has great potential, a strong crew and a fantastic bike - all the ingredients to keep winning. If he continues in the same way he will soon be ready to challenge in Moto2.” 

The team's previous best finish in the Moto2 class was in the championships inaugural year, 2010, when Julian Simon claimed second overall, despite never winning a race. 

It was revealed late last week that joining Nico Terol in the Aspar Moto2 team for 2012 will be former Pramac Ducati MotoGP rider Aleix Espargaro, who finished 12th in this year's championship with the Pons HP 40 team. 

Aspar also used Nico Terol's championship reception to announce that his team's 2012 MotoGP CRT bike will have a Suter chassis. 

It also appears that they will use an Aprilia engine as Alex Hofmann, who is reported to be testing the CRT machine for them this Wednesday in Valencia, is Aprilia's test rider in addition to his commentating work. 

No official announcement has yet been made on who will ride for Mapfre Aspar in MotoGP next season. 

source: crash

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Aspar part with Ducati, lose rider to Pramac?

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Aspar, originally rumoured to be aiming to run two Ducatis in MotoGP next season, now looks set to join the ranks of the new Claiming Rule Teams on the 2012 grid. Aspar's 125 title leader Nico Terol set to join Moto2.

According to the Spanish media, Jorge Martinez 'Aspar' has parted ways with Ducati over the rising costs of running a Desmosedici in the MotoGP class. 

Martinez, who runs a team in every class of grand prix motorcycling, is now instead looking at becoming a CRT entry, and planning to run two bikes.

Contrary to initial rumours that this was to be with BMW/Suter machinery, the latest reports by as.com, sport.es and rtve.es claim that Aspar is likely to run Aprilia-powered FTRs.

However, present rider Hector Barbera seems unwilling to ride for a CRT and has instead offered his talents to Pramac Ducati, who have yet to confirm their 2012 plans. Randy de Puniet has been linked to an LCR Honda return next season, while Loris Capirossi will retire at the end of 2011.

Jorge Martinez 'Aspar' has a long history as both a rider and team manager in grand prix racing. 

The Valencian is a former 80cc and 125cc champion - in 1988 he won both classes in the same year. His Aspar team has also been a success, with current Suzuki MotoGP rider Alvaro Bautista, Hungarian Gabor Talmacsi and Aspar's present Moto2 rider Julian Simon all 125cc world champions with the team.

There has also been confirmation that Aspar's current 125cc Championship leader Nico Terol has been promoted to the Aspar Moto2 team for next year, with Pol Espargaro his likely team-mate. Simon is said to be moving to BQR Racing for 2012.

For the inaugural Moto3 season, Aspar's looks set to retain 28-year-old Hector Faubel, but no decision has yet been made as to who his team-mates will be. Alberto Moncayo, current rider Adrian Martin and Portuguese youngster Miguel Oliveira are all named as possibilities.

source: crash

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Martinez Aspar wants two Ducati MotoGP and Kalex Moto2 in 2012 and Moto3

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"Two for Ducati in MotoGP, two and two Moto3 Moto2. If I can run with the Kalex in the intermediate category, enter into a contract for them in Moto3, for the drivers we will see later. The only rider with a contract for the Moto2 Terol, which should assist Simon in MotoGP we are negotiating with Dovizioso, Bautista and Barbera. I'd like to Moto3 Viñales, which is deciding whether to continue with his team or go with us. Other names that we are analyzing Kent, Folger and Faubel "

In these few lines, Jorge Martinez Aspar illustrates what are the plans for next season, a parade of names that a team manager so busy in all categories must be able to administer. The bikes are a Kalex goals for 2012, but will not be easy to have the granting of the motion by the manufacturer.

The Kalex was born as a collaboration between the company and the team of Sito Pons , who initially had the exclusive on these prototypes. With the increasing demand it was decided to collaborate with the other teams, but the team Aspar sworn enemy of fellow Pons Racing, which last year prevented the pilots test of Martinez with their bikes.

Meanwhile negotiations are continuing and will continue working with Suter. If it does not reach an agreement with Kalex, will decide whether to continue with the manufacturer or go to the Helvetic RDF, and the choice would fall on Moto3 for KTM. In addition to contractual wrangling, Martinez will give another chance this year to Elena Rosell who will run the next Grand Prix as a wild card in Aragon Moto2.

source: motoblog.it

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Aspar commits to Japanese GP entry

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Jorge Martinez says his Aspar team will make the trip to Motegi in October for the Japanese Grand Prix, a move that will be seen as a blow to those against the event going ahead.

As the largest team in the MotoGP paddock with entries in 125, Moto2 and MotoGP, Aspar's decision to go to Japan is seen as a significant one and will serve to strengthen opinion for the event, which was moved to October as a consequence of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that shook the region in March and damaged the Fukushima nuclear powerplant some 110km away from Motegi.

The debate over whether to go to Japan has raged for months, with Casey Stoner, and most recently Valentino Rossi, stating that they do not wish to go to the region for fear of being exposed to radiation.

However, with an independent report confirming the risk as 'negligible', the event has been given the green light by Dorna, while Tech 3 Yamaha became the first MotoGP team to confirm its presence during the Brno weekend.

Furthermore, Aspar himself points out that Dorna or Honda – which owns Twin Ring Motegi – wouldn't put the competitors at risk if there was the slightest chance of harm.

"Sometimes you talk too much without having all the information,” Aspar told motoworld.es. “If being 120 km from the Fukushima was that bad, people would not live there. A month ago, the Japanese championship was held at Motegi and companies are going to Japan every week to continue their business. If it were serious, many multinational companies have slowed their commitments to Japan. 

"What we'll do is reduce our stay. If we normally go 6 or 7 days, then we'll try to go for five days, the minimum essential. I do not think Dorna, Honda, or the most important companies related to this MotoGP would risk bringing people to a place where there was an obvious risk.”

Aspar's commitment brings the number of certain MotoGP entries to four – Hector Barbera joining Colin Edwards, Cal Crutchlow and Hiroshi Aoyama -, while Stoner, who has been particularly vocal about the situation, says his stance has softened in recent weeks. 

Aspar's presence means Julian Simon will ride in the Moto2 class, while Nico Terol's title aspirations in 125GP will also be given a crucial boost by not being forced to miss a round.

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