When Alstare split from Ducati Corse in World Superbike, there was some speculation as to where the Belgian-based racing team would land, and it would seem the trip hasn’t been a far one.
Linking up with the recently acquired Bimota brand, Alstare has signed a five-year agreement to collaborate with the Italian brand, and will serve as the worldwide racing department for Bimota — with a key focus on developing Bimota’s Moto2 and WSBK racing platforms, the latter centering around the recently launched Bimota BB3.
Alstare’s technical expertise will also be responsible for developing Bimota’s future sports and supersport models, while the firm’s communications and marketing experience will serve as Bimota’s race marketing department.
In total, the essence of the deal sees Alstare playing a vital role in Bimota’s business plans, from developing new models, honing race bikes, finding sponsors, and working with the press. With so much of Bimota’s business being outsourced to the Belgian racing firm, one has to wonder what duties are left for the brand’s Italian base.
For Alstare, the move is a bit of genius stroke, as the highly regarded Belgian firm has been drifting the past few seasons with its racing efforts. Securing long-term work for its team members, and collaborating with an exciting brand like Bimota could prove to be a fruitful move, though it remains to be seen how well the new owners of Bimota will manage the brand — the initial reaction to the Bimota BB3, their first creation, was not one of high-praise.
For racing fans, the most immediate result of this collaboration comes from the news that Ayrton Badovini and Christian Iddon will race for the new Alstare Bimota World Superbike team, with the Bimota BB3 being entered under the EVO rules. ParkinGO is said to be a backer of the race team, which supported Iddon’s supersport campaign last year on the MV Agusta F3 675.
All of Bimota’s racing plans are subject to the FIM, and whether Bimota can either meet the homologation requirements, or whether Bimota can get a special dispensation from the governing body. Still, today’s news is an exciting chapter in the Bimota story.
Source: Alstare
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