Melandri Back to Gresini

Henny Ray Abrams | August 15, 2009

Marco Melandri will return to the team where he had his greatest MotoGP success for the 2010 season.The Italian was announced as the second rider on the San Carlo Honda Gresini team, joining fellow Italian, and MotoGP rookie, Marco Simoncelli. The announcement puts the MotoGP careers of Toni Elias and Alex De Angelis in jeopardy, though De Angelis is expected to move to the Moto 2 class.Moving back to his former home should provide Melandri with some stability and success after a rough couple of years. The 27-year-old from Ravenna spent last year fighting a losing battle with the Ducati Marlboro Desmosedici. Never able to mesh with the finicky Ducati, Melandri and the team agreed to part company at the end of the season. His struggles also seemed to confirm that only Casey Stoner could ride the Desmosedici.In the midst of his travails, Melandri caught on with the Kawasaki MotoGP team for this season, only to have Kawasaki withdraw late in the winter. The team was rescued at the last minute and revived as Hayate Racing, though it isn’t clear who’s funding the team. Melandri has had a few inspired rides-he finished second in France-but knew early on that there would be no development parts. The return to Gresini Honda, where he last raced in 2007, is a welcome change of direction.Racing for the team from 2005 through 2007, the 2002 250cc World Champion won five races and scored 17 podiums. He also finished runner-up in the championship to Valentino Rossi in 2005.Team owner Fausto Gresini said, “It gives us great pride and satisfaction to have Marco Melandri back with us. I have always had great belief in his potential and to get our sporting and technical project with him back on track following his experiences with other teams creates fresh and important motivation. Melandri is a huge part of the Honda Gresini story – we have had great results together that over time consolidated a relationship founded on mutual respect and friendship. Now I am confident we can recreate the past successes that gave us so much joy and excitement. With Simoncelli and Melandri together in the premier class and San Carlo as main sponsor we have a true Italian flavor to the team. Circumstances have conspired to allow us to create an “Azzurro Dream Team”, which provides us all with extra motivation.”