More than 37 years after its last success in the Gran Prix competition, MV Agusta makes its official return to the premier class in the World Championship racing series. The historic Italian brand that has one of the most significant records in the history of motorcycling, with 37 constructors’ and 38 rider world championship titles, has committed to an official return to competition and it will do so thanks to an agreement made over the last few days between the President of MV Agusta Motor S.p.A., Giovanni Castiglioni, and Alexander Yakhnich, owner of Yakhnich Motorsport.

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Vladimir Leonov: “After two years’ experience in Supersport, I believe I have enough experience to get on top. The bike might be new, but the team, with which I’ve now been racing three years, is the same, and I’m confident that the MV Agusta F3 is going to be highly competitive. In short, this time the strategy is to aim straight for the top of the leader board… and stay there”.

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Claudio Corti: “I’ve never ridden a bike with a front end that gives such great feedback; moreover, the engine also feels extremely promising. I can’t wait to ride the completed, definitive version of the bike in the January tests, and I get the feeling we could get good results even in our very first year”.

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On the second day things moved along even faster with a string of practice sessions and, by the time they were over, the happiest-looking man in the Yakhnich paddock was, without a doubt, Claudio Corti. The Varese-built Superbike – even with the engine still undergoing preliminary development and tuning and a chassis set-up that is still not definitive – was lapping at 1’42”9 by the end of testing.

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Jules Cluzel: “We didn’t ride as many laps as we wanted to set up the electronics and get the riding position right. I’m having to readjust to the Supersport riding style and tyres, but by the end of the second day I was really starting to enjoy myself and believe the F3 has outstanding potential”.

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Claudio Corti: “When the team offered me a place, well, the decision couldn’t have been easier. I’m honoured and can’t help but feel the responsibility of being part, together with the entire team, of such an ambitious project with none other than MV Agusta, a manufacturer that is a motorcycling legend. Everyone on the team is going to have their work cut out for them during this first year in the world Superbike championship. I’m looking forward to giving it my all, drawing on all the experience gained so far and turning goals into results!”

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Defending the team colours – this time astride an MV Agusta – in the Supersport class will be Russian rider Vladimir Leonov. Already a veteran of two years with the Yakhnich team, in 2013 Leonov enjoyed another positive year that saw him start from the front row of the grid twice and achieve a podium place in Imola.

Joining Vladimir Leonov in the Supersport team will be Frenchman Jules Cluzel, who returns to this category after a year competing in Superbike, his goal is to go all out for the championship title.

In the Superbike class, the racer chosen to ride the F4 RR is Claudio Corti.

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At the contract signing Giovanni Castiglioni, President of MV Agusta, had this to say: “The official return to racing is a very important and ambitious step for MV Agusta. However, my decision came directly from my heart. Racing was always my father’s greatest passion and he led his companies to victory in every form of racing: from the 500 GP Class and the Paris-Dakar with the legendary Cagiva to the first world championships won in Superbike with Ducati as well as off-road with Husqvarna. But his true dream was to see MV race again. I am very proud to be able to see this happen.”

Alexander Yakhnich, President of Yakhnich Motorsport said: “We have worked very hard to achieve great results in 2013. With MV Agusta, new and important opportunities have been opened up to us. We are very pleased with this agreement and we are looking forward to achieving a number of victories very soon.”

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The goal for the 2014 season is to compete as a key player in Supersport series, in which the F3 has already demonstrated a high level of competitiveness in 2013, and to develop the F4 RR for the Superbike World Championship (Factory) with the objective of being a leading protagonist in the 2015 season.

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Giovanni Castiglioni: “I am convinced of the potential of our team and very pleased that we are making this announcement today, the date of my father’s birthday, who had always dreamed of taking MV Agusta back racing at the highest level of the World Championship”.

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The ParkinGO MV Agusta team took three podiums in the 2013 World Supersport Championship – two for Robbie Rolfo, who finished 6th in the Championship and one podium for Christian Iddion who was 15th overall in the Championship race

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The Russian Yakhnich Motorsport team has already shown that they are one of the strongest teams in the world championship by winning the 2013 World Supersport title, just two years after their rookie year in the championship.

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Photos by MV Agusta, Sam Tickell
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