One more slot in the 2013 MotoGP line up has been filled. Today, the Go & Fun Gresini team announced that they have signed Bryan Staring to ride the FTR Honda CRT bike for them in MotoGP in 2013. The 25-year-old left his native Australia to contest the Superstock 1000 Cup two years ago, winning races in 2012 and contending for the title all season, before ending in 4th.
Staring will continue to develop the Honda CBR1000RR-powered FTR machine contested by Michele Pirro in MotoGP in 2012. The name of Ryuichi Kiyonari had been linked to the ride, the former WSBK and MotoGP rider seen as one candidate to help HRC develop the production racer version of the Honda RC213V, which they intend to start selling for the 2014 MotoGP season.
The signing of Staring leaves just a few CRT rides to fill for 2013. An announcement on the PBM rides is thought to be imminent, with Michael Laverty currently being hotly tipped by UK insiders to get one of the two seats. The second seat should go to Yonny Hernandez, the spectacular Colombian who had impressed in his first year in MotoGP in 2012.
Below is the press release announcing the signing of Staring to Go & Fun Gresini:
BRYAN STARING TO RIDE WITH TEAM GO & FUN HONDA GRESINI IN 2013
Bryan Staring will contest the 2013 MotoGP World Championship on board the Team Go&Fun Honda Gresini CRT bike. The 25 year old Australian is a three-time national champion in the 125 GP, Supersport and Superbike classes in his home country and in 2012 he contested the FIM Superstock 1000 series, taking wins at Aragon, Brno and Portimao. Staring is a resident of the Gold Coast and often trains in his native Queensland with the legendary Troy Bayliss.
Fausto Gresini “Bryan Staring completes the Team Go&Fun Honda Gresini MotoGP line-up for next season. The young Australian will be entrusted with carrying forward the CRT project that we all have such belief in, especially after such a great result in the final round of 2012 at Valencia. Bryan shone in the Superstock 1000 series this season with three wins and he has the right approach and ability to help us achieve our objectives with the FTR-Honda. I can’t wait to see him on track and working with our guys and I am sure he will settle in well. ”
Bryan Staring “In all my racing years I never expected to be in the MotoGP paddock as it seemed unreachable to me. To have the opportunity to race in this championship with a team like Go&Fun Honda Gresini is something incredible. This is my biggest challenge now and I’ll approach it as I have all my other challenges, I’ll give it everything I have. I realize I have a lot to learn and I look forward to taking it all in. I’m very appreciative for Fausto Gresini and the sponsors of the Team who have contributed to the position I’m in now. I can’t wait until I’m rolling out of pit lane”.
Source: Go & Fun Gresini Honda
This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.
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