After spending time in Zambia to help promote Riders for Health Experience Africa, new Gresini Honda rider Alvaro Bautista returned home to Spain and today will be undergoing surgery today to remove some screws from his leg that were inserted in his fractured femur following his 2011 opening season Qatar practice session crash.

Bautista is one of the many riders (Stefan Bradl, Randy de Puniet, Yonny Hernandez, just to name a few) that have taken advantage of the winter test ban to undergo minor surgery to remove plates and screws ahead of the new racing season.

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It is now officially official, Alvaro Bautista will be riding for Team San Carlo Honda Gresini in 2012. Suzuki announced earlier this morning that they had released Bautista from his contract and now the Spaniard is currently on track with Hiroshi Aoyama’s RC212V and at the moment is 10th after 21 laps and 2.624s from Dani Pedrosa, who is still leading the timesheets at Valencia.

Fausto Gresini: “I am particularly satisfied that Alvaro Bautista will ride a Honda RC213V in the colours of Team San Carlo Honda Gresini next year. He is a very fast rider and I also hold him in high regard for his personality and pleasant nature. I am sure that he will integrate swiftly into our group and that we will enjoy some pleasant experiences together in the future.”

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According to Sportmediaset Premium commentators and confirmed by Andrea Iannone, the Speed Master Moto2 rider will be testing Gresini’s RC213V Honda on Tuesday during the post-season MotoGP official tests.

With Marco Simoncelli’s untimely death, Fausto Gresini has been forced to find another rider and Iannone ,who was to stay in Moto2 for another season, is now being called up to see how he handles a 1000cc bike. An Italian rider would also satisfy sponsor San Carlo. Iannone tested a Pramac Ducati GP11 at the Mugello test last July.

Other rumors coming from the Valencia paddock has Suzuki staying in MotoGP in 2012 with Alvaro Bautista as their rider with the team fielding only one bike, the same as this year and Randy de Puniet moving to LCR Honda.

More news and gossip when we hear it.

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Hiroshi Aoyama has to celebrate his 30th birthday (today) in the most unhappy way by speaking about the death of Gresini Honda team mate Marco Simoncelli

On his personal blog ‘Hiro Hero’ paid this tribute to his fallen team mate:

“My team mate Marco crashed during the race. He was fighting hard for his life but unfortunately he passed away. I cannot think of any words to describe this tragic loss.

He has been my rival since the 250’s and since we both started in Moto GP class, I could feel the tension in between us and we were always aware of each other as rookies. And now, we have been competing in the same championship as a team mate. He is such an openhearted person, no matter where he is. I know everyone had a high expectation of him since he has been performing so well.

He is loved by so many people and I know why. Last week he came second and was on the podium. And this week again he was so powerful on his bike….. but why…..? How…..? That is all I can think right now.

I would like to give my condolences to Marco’s family, fans, teams and staff. Rest in peace Marco.”

Aoyama will be switching from MotoGP for Superbikes at the end of season and with Fausto Gresini announcing that his MotoGP and Moto2 teams will not be competing at Valencia, the Japanese rider will have to leave the series in the saddest way possible.

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Marco Simoncelli’s manager Carlo Pernat had said earlier this month that the deal with Honda and Gresini Racing was just getting the final touches before signing and ahead of this weekend’s Motegi GP, it has officially been announced that Simoncelli will be back with his Gresini team for another year, and that the bushy haired rider who has been a controversial figure this year, has been signed again by HRC (which takes the weight off of Gresini’s budget) and he’ll have factory RC213V next season.

Gresini Honda press release:

Fausto Gresini is delighted to announce that Marco Simoncelli will once again wear the colours of Team San Carlo Honda Gresini in 2012. The new deal sees the continuation of an all-Italian rider-team project that began last year, when Simoncelli made his debut in the MotoGP class, and has continued with excellent results this season. Next year promises to be a crucial one in terms of Marco’s development, as he looks to consolidate his already blossoming relationship with Team San Carlo Honda Gresini and HRC and establish himself as a frontrunner in MotoGP. As always the cornerstone of the arrangement is the trust shown in the talent of Simoncelli by HRC, who have offered a factory contract to the rider as well as a factory Honda RC213V machine and all the technical back-up he requires to compete at the very highest level.

Fausto Gresini:

“I am really happy to announce that Marco will be back with Team San Carlo Honda Gresini in 2012. Over the past two years together we have been able to appreciate Marco’s qualities as a rider, as a man and as an extroverted communicator, which made us keen to continue our collaboration. Obviously in order to make this possible we needed a lot of effort from our sponsors, who have shown such belief in this project and I am grateful to them. HRC are going to offer a general level of support that will be very important as well as making a factory RC213V factory available to Marco. All this gives us great pride and is a testament to the close relationship we have built with the Japanese factory over fifteen fruitful years of partnership. Marco’s huge determination will give us all a lot of motivation ahead of what promises to be an exciting new season.”

Continue reading: Marco Simoncelli extends contract with Gresini Honda for another year

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Till the ink isn’t drying on the contract nothing is ever sure, but Marco Simoncelli’s manager, the wily Carlo Pernat speaking to Italy’s Radio Sportiva, has confirmed that Simoncelli will be staying with Gresini Honda for another year.

Marco’s situation has now been cleared-up. We talked with Nakamoto [vice-president of Honda Racing Corporation] on Sunday evening and we’ve agreed on most of the issues, especially the economic ones. We still have to fix a few details, but 85 to 90% Marco will be riding for Gresini Honda for another season with official HRC support and the contract will be for a year, with no options,” reported Pernat.

With Simoncelli staying in Gresini and HRC supporting him, this still leaves the odd man out, Andrea Dovizioso who is no doubt the one Honda rider who is getting a raw deal.

Source | eurosport.yahoo.com

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Red Bull is continuing their 1000 fps series and after Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso, it’s Hiroshi Aoyama’s turn to get the slow motion treatment for the ‘Perfect Lap.’

The former 2009 250cc World Championship who is currently 10th in the MotoGP standings says that going 300 km/h is scary, but he “likes that feeling.”

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The rumors that the once considered fairy tale marriage between Valentino Rossi and Ducati is heading towards an annulment are growing stronger; especially considering all his struggles in trying to tame the GP11 and 11.1 and despite the Italian saying “Will I stay with Ducati in 2012? I said I think so, meaning that I reckon that staying here is the logical choice.”

The latest gossip was that Rossi was thinking returning to the Honda fold or run his own MotoGP team with the Japanese manufacturer’s bike, but that was more or less pooh-poohed away, but now the soon-to-be-out of a job Marco Melandri has just lent some credibility to that rumor.

“I know that Valentino Rossi has contacted Gresini for a Honda in 2012: all this confirms what I’ve been saying for some time, that the marriage between the” Doctor “and Ducati have the months counted, said Melandri, who had his own personal stormy relationship with Ducati, that included sessions on a psychologist’s couch.

Whether this is just some summer gossip to fill websites remains to be seen, but that second year option in Rossi’s contract may allow him bow out and count his blessings, and try to forget a nightmare season where for the first time since 1996, he hasn’t had a win to add to his legendary statistics.

Source | theracingtribune.it

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During yesterday’s qualifying session at Qatar, Marco Simoncelli missed out on a front row start by just 0.041s, but the Gresini rider is slightly worried about his fuel consumption during the long race.

Simoncelli is the tallest rider (183cm, the same as Karel Abraham) on the grid and despite having gone through Honda’s wind tunnel twice to have a bigger fairing made to improve his aerodynamics, the electronics on his RC212V tends to cut power and lean fuel in order to let him finish the races.

His long time crew chief Aligi Deganello speaking to one Sportsmediaset’s pit lane reporters also said that Simoncelli’s weight (72 kg) adds to consumption problems compared to the other Honda riders; Andrea Dovizioso (54kg - 165cm), Hiroshi Aoyama (57 kg - 165cm), Dani Pedrosa (51kg -160cm) Casey Stoner (58kg - 171cm), Toni Elias (57kg -163cm).

Here’s what Simoncelli had to say after qualifying:

“Today went well and I’m happy because after practice yesterday I never thought about the fourth time. In this round we have made some small changes and we went a lot better in race trim. Then on the “dry” lap I have been strong and I came within .041s of the front row. I’m still a bit concerned about fuel consumption, but we will still talk about it before the race. In any case, starting from the front is already quite an advantage and that will allow me to consume less fuel. Of course the two who have gone ahead are very strong and will dispute the race between themselves, but I will fight for a position of prestige.”

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