After a substantial hiatus, MV Agusta is headed back to the Grand Prix paddock – though the Italian brand’s return isn’t into the MotoGP class. Instead, MV Agusta will take a more measured, and a more curious, entry with a Moto2 team.
Set to use a 765cc Triumph three-cylinder engine in the class from 2019 onward, it is a little curious to see MV Agusta racing in the Moto2 series, but the similarities between the British engine and what MV Agusta itself produces in Italy, is perhaps close enough.
While we don’t expect to see the MV Agusta Moto2 bike on the track until next month, today we get our first glimpse at what the race bike will look like. Unsurprisingly, the machine looks very much like the three-cylinder MV Agusta F3 supersport.
Taking obvious cues from its street bike counterpart, fans of the Italian brand should have no problem picking out this bike on the grid. The cast/trellis frame is there, along with the iconic tank shape from yore and the tail shape from new.
Gone is the oblong headlight, but in its place is a similarly shaped air intake. Overall, the Moto2 bike looks like an evolution of the F3’s design, and that is perhaps the point.
Of note, Forward Racing will handle MV Agusta’s Moto2 effort, which should give the Italian brand a strong entry into the series. We await official confirmation of their riders, however.
With the Moto2 Championship an absolute bloodbath of a series, MV Agusta has a tough road ahead in terms of competition.
Lately, we have seen Kalex dominating the series, with teams reluctant to try other entries. KTM has had mixed success in Moto2, which is an ominous sign for MV Agusta. Hopefully the Italians are in it for the long-haul, as it will likely take several seasons to perfect their Moto2 program.
“The dream of bringing MV Agusta back to the World Championship was born with Claudio Castiglioni, to whom I have always been linked by deep esteem and friendship, and the dream came true with his son Giovanni” said Giovanni Cuzari, Forward Racing Team CEO .
“I find it difficult to express with words what this means, to be actively part of a common project with both MV Agusta and CRC, the two Italian excellences that created the most beautiful motorcycles in history.”
“I worked many years for this to happen, and now I feel proud to announce that MV Agusta will race in the Moto2 World Championship with Forward Racing Team. I am also aware of the great responsibility involved in having such a prestigious brand on the hulls of our motorbikes.”
“Our team, along with MV Agusta and CRC, will strive to achieve, in the shortest possible time, what all the fans, and we first, expect and dream.”
Source: MV Agusta
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