Gresini’s MotoGP squad will not be the only team to field a Honda production racer next season, as Cardion AB Racing has also decided to field the new machine for Karel Abraham, who will no longer be riding his current Aprilia Racing Technology bike.
According speedweek.
com, up to July it seemed that the Czech team was not interested in switching from Aprilia to Honda, but team owner Karel Abraham Sr.
has told the German website that they’ve reached an agreement with HRC, following the Laguna Seca round.
“For us it wasn’t easy to make this decision,” said Abraham Sr.
who also owns the Brno race circuit.
“Last year the cooperation with Ducati didn’t work [Abraham rode a Ducati in 2011 and 2012], but with ART we have a very correct relationship.
Aprilia wanted to continue, but we want a competitive bike and we had four options: stay with Aprilia, the M1 engines from Yamaha, a complete Honda production racer, or a Ducati, but we wanted a guarantee that there would be continued development by the Italian manufacturer”.
“The Honda offer is very promising for us and we have already signed a preliminary contract,” added crew chief Marco Grana, “but we would like to stick with our own suppliers.
Which could mean that the production racer could be equipped with Öhlin suspension, instead of Showa, and Brembo brakes instead Nissin.
“For me and for our team it will be a big change, but I hope that it gets better,” commented Abraham Jr, who was forced to skip the Indianapolis GP.
“For almost my whole career I’ve rode Italian marques.
Hopefully this time we have made the right move.
Leaving Aprilia isn’t easy, because it is a very good bike and I’ve had a better feeling with it than with the Ducati.
Unfortunately, this machine can only be moderately competitive with the prototypes, although the Aprilia as a CRT machine is by far the best bike.
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