Bautista to Gresini Honda in 2012

The San Carlo Gresini Honda MotoGP team confirmed much anticipated rumours today that Alvaro Bautista will ride for the Honda satellite team in 2012. The parties have reached an agreement for the 2012 MotoGP World Championship season, which will see Bautista campaign the Honda RC213V.

With Suzuki unable to confirm their plans for MotoGP beyond December 31, 2011 Bautista held out for as long as he could before he accepted the offer from Gresini. According to Bautista, "I am very sad to be leaving Suzuki after the two great years that I have had here. It has been a great team to work in and I have learnt a lot of things from everyone in the team...I don't feel like I am leaving a team, but a group of friends that I hope I will know for a long time."

Gresini's boss, Fausto Gresini noted, "I'm particularly satisfied that Alvaro Bautista will ride a Honda R213V in the San Carlo Gresini team colours next year. He is a very fast rider and I hold him in high regard for his personality and pleasant nature."

While Bautista has had his fair share of ups and downs during the 2011 season, he has demonstrated his talent in the latter half of the season with some strong results in qualifying and practice and indeed has become a sought-after rider in the paddock. He hasn't had the greatest of luck during Sunday's races, but perhaps that will all change in 2012 aboard the Honda machinery.

Bautista tested the RC212V Honda in Valencia this morning, where he rode the motorcycle of Hiroshi Aoyama in the Valencia MotoGP test.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Source: http://insidemotorcycles.blogspot.com/2011/11/bautista-to-gresini-honda-in-2012.html

Felice Benasedo Fergus Anderson Fonsi Nieto Fortunato Libanori Franco Battaini