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Forward Racing

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Forward Racing
2024 nameMoto2:
Klint Forward Factory Team
MotoE:
Klint Forward Factory Team
WorldWCR:
Klint Forward Factory Team
BaseAgno, Switzerland
PrincipalGiovanni Cuzari
Rider(s)Moto2:
11. Álex Escrig
43. Xavier Artigas
MotoE:
6. María Herrera
9. Andrea Mantovani
WorldWCR:
6. María Herrera
MotorcycleMoto2:
Forward F2
MotoE:
Ducati V21L
WorldWCR:
Yamaha YZF-R7
TyresMoto2:
Pirelli
MotoE:
Michelin
WorldWCR:
Pirelli
Riders' Championships–

Forward Racing is a motorcycle racing team competing in the Moto2 World Championship, MotoE World Championship and WorldWCR.

History

[edit]

The team started competing in the MotoGP class as the Hayate Racing Team, a scaled down version of the Kawasaki factory team that withdrew from MotoGP for the 2009 championship due to the Great Recession.[1] The team took its name from the Japanese word Hayate meaning hurricane. The team ran one Kawasaki ZX-RR motorcycle that was ridden by Marco Melandri.

Kawasaki stopped developing new parts for the motorbike in March 2009, meaning Kawasaki's involvement was limited to servicing and maintaining the motorcycle for the rest of the 2009 season.[2] Despite this, Melandri achieved a remarkable result in coming second at the French Grand Prix at Le Mans in May.[3]

In 2010, they participated as Forward Racing in the new Moto2 class, with Jules Cluzel and Claudio Corti as their riders on Suter bikes. Cluzel won the British Grand Prix and finished 7th in the championship. Corti had a pole position for the same race, but his best result was ninth at Misano. In 2011 the team competed with Cluzel and Alex Baldolini, later replaced by Raffaele De Rosa. The best result was a fourth place clinched by Cluzel at the British Grand Prix.

The team returned to MotoGP in 2012 as one of the Claiming Rule Teams and signed Colin Edwards,[4] fielding a Suter chassis with a BMW engine.[5]

For the 2012 Moto2 Championship Forward Racing signed Alex de Angelis and Yuki Takahashi.[6][7] The team started the season with Suter bikes then switched to FTR after six rounds; with the new chassis de Angelis won the Malaysian Grand Prix.

For 2013, Forward Racing expanded its MotoGP involvement to a two-rider team, signing Claudio Corti alongside Colin Edwards with new FTR-Kawasaki bikes. The Moto2 effort was expanded to four riders with Simone Corsi, Mattia Pasini, Alex de Angelis and Ricard Cardús aboard Speed Up bikes.

In 2014 the team again entered the MotoGP class with two bikes for Colin Edwards and Aleix Espargaró. Taking advantage of the new Open category, Forward Racing intended to use Yamaha-leased YZR-M1 engines with FTR frames, however the team started the season with a complete Yamaha YZR-M1 engine-frame-swingarm package[8] with other parts supplied by FTR. At the Mugello round Edwards debuted the new Forward frame built by Harris Performance.[9] Espargaró, who stayed with the Yamaha frame, achieved a pole position at Assen and finished on the podium at Aragon with second place, finishing seventh in the championship.

In Moto2 Forward Racing stepped back to a two-rider team, retaining Pasini and Corsi. The team started the season with 2013-specification Kalex frames modified in-house and rebadged as Forward KLX.[10] At the fifth round the team switched to official Kalex bikes.[11] Riding the new frame Corsi scored two podiums, but a crash at Silverstone ended his season. He was then replaced by Supersport World Championship rider Florian Marino.

For the 2015 season, Forward Racing renewed their partnership with Yamaha, planning to run two bikes with YZR-M1 engine-frame-swingarm packages and abandoning the in-house chassis project.[12] New riders were Stefan Bradl and Loris Baz. Forward also renewed its commitment to the Moto2 class fielding two Kalex frames for Simone Corsi, returning from his injury, and new teammate Lorenzo Baldassarri.[13]

Shortly after the German round, littles problems afflict the team that than announced that they had released Stefan Bradl from his contract at his request.[14] The team returned on track at Brno in both the MotoGP and Moto2 classes with Bradl being replaced by Claudio Corti alongside Baz, Corsi and Baldassarri.[15]

In 2016, the team left MotoGP, but remained in the Moto2 class. On 11 September 2016, at the San Marino Grand Prix, Lorenzo Baldassarri achieved his first victory, which was the third victory ever for the team in the World Championship.[16] In 2017, the team continued in Moto2, with the same pair of riders as the previous season.[17] In 2018, the team used Suter motorcycles entrusted to the Italian Stefano Manzi and the Brazilian Eric Granado without obtaining significant results. In 2019, Forward began a collaboration with MV Agusta to bring their F2 to the track. The riders were the Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter and Manzi. The season ended in eleventh place in the Moto2 team championship, obtaining their best performances in the Dutch TT and the Valencian Community Grand Prix.

In 2020, Forward continues its collaboration with MV Agusta. The riders who were entrusted with F2 are Manzi and Simone Corsi. The season ends in third place in the team standings,[18] while Manzi obtains the first pole position of his career in the Valencian Community.[19] For 2021, Lorenzo Baldassarri is hired alongside Corsi. The season, in which both owners are forced to miss races and are replaced, ends in fourteenth place in the team standings with another pole, again in Valencia by Corsi.[20] In 2022, Corsi begins his third consecutive year with the team, the other rider is Marcos Ramírez. The season turns out to be below expectations with five points scored by Ramírez.[21] Corsi, having ridden in over three hundred Grand Prix in his career, retires.[22]

In January 2023 the end of the collaboration with MV Agusta was announced. The team originally planned to use a Kalex prototype that was branded as Forward, but chose to retain the MV Agusta chassis and rebranding it as Forward instead.[23] The regular riders were Ramírez and Álex Escrig. The first point of the season came on at the Indian Grand Prix with the replacement rider Sean Dylan Kelly. The season ended in third, and last, place in the constructors championship with only 4 points.[24]

In 2024 the team made its debut in MotoE[25] and the inaugural WorldWCR season.[26] In Moto2, Escrig is joined by Xavier Artigas, who was making his debut in the category. The team also moved away from the MV Agusta-based machine from 2023 to form their own chassis, marking the team's return as a chassis manufacturer.[27][28] In MotoE, the team announced Andrea Mantovani and María Herrera as official riders.[29] Herrera was also entered by the team into the WorldWCR season[26] where she finished second overall in the championship.[30]

The team announced they were to increase their participation in WorldWCR in 2025 by running two bikes and signed Roberta Ponziani to ride the second bike.[31]

Results

[edit]
Year Class Team name Motorcycle No. Riders Races Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points Pos.
2009 MotoGP Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR 33 Italy Marco Melandri 17 0 1 0 0 108 10th
2010 Moto2 Forward Racing Suter MMX 16 France Jules Cluzel 17 1 2 0 1 106 7th
71 Italy Claudio Corti 17 0 0 1 0 20 25th
70 Italy Ferruccio Lamborghini[a] 1 (5) 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2011 Moto2 NGM Forward Racing Suter MMXI 16 France Jules Cluzel 17 0 0 0 0 41 21st
25 Italy Alex Baldolini[b] 10 (14) 0 0 0 0 18 27th
35 Italy Raffaele De Rosa[b] 7 (13) 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2012 MotoGP NGM Mobile Forward Racing BMW-Suter MMX1 5 United States Colin Edwards 17 0 0 0 0 27 20th
7 Australia Chris Vermeulen[c] 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Moto2 Suter MMX2
FTR Moto M212 		15 San Marino Alex de Angelis 16 1 2 0 1 86 10th
72 Japan Yuki Takahashi 17 0 0 0 0 2 30th
FTR Moto M212 54 Italy Mattia Pasini[d] 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2013 MotoGP NGM Mobile Forward Racing Kawasaki-FTR MGP13 5 United States Colin Edwards 18 0 0 0 0 41 14th
71 Italy Claudio Corti 18 0 0 0 0 14 19th
Moto2 NGM Mobile Racing Speed Up SF13 3 Italy Simone Corsi 17 0 1 0 0 108 11th
54 Italy Mattia Pasini 17 0 0 0 0 58 15th
NGM Mobile Forward Racing 15 San Marino Alex de Angelis 17 0 0 0 0 81 14th
88 Spain Ricard Cardús 17 0 0 0 0 9 23rd
2014 MotoGP NGM Forward Racing Forward-Yamaha 5 United States Colin Edwards 10 0 0 0 0 11 22nd
41 Spain Aleix Espargaró 18 0 1 1 0 126 7th
15 San Marino Alex de Angelis[e] 8 0 0 0 0 14 21st
Moto2 Forward KLX-Kalex
Kalex Moto2 		3 Italy Simone Corsi 12 0 2 0 0 100 7th
54 Italy Mattia Pasini 18 0 0 0 0 35 21st
Kalex Moto2 20 France Florian Marino[f] 6 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2015 MotoGP Athinà Forward Racing
Forward Racing 		Yamaha-Forward 6 Germany Stefan Bradl 8 (17) 0 0 0 0 9 (17) 18th
76 France Loris Baz 17 0 0 0 0 28 17th
71 Italy Claudio Corti[g] 4 0 0 0 0 0 NC
24 Spain Toni Elías[h] 5 (6) 0 0 0 0 2 27th
Moto2 Kalex Moto2 3 Italy Simone Corsi 17 0 0 0 0 86 12th
7 Italy Lorenzo Baldassarri 17 0 1 0 0 96 9th
2016 Moto2 Forward Team Kalex Moto2 7 Italy Lorenzo Baldassarri 17 1 2 0 1 127 8th
10 Italy Luca Marini 18 0 0 0 0 34 23rd
2017 Moto2 Forward Racing Team Kalex Moto2 7 Italy Lorenzo Baldassarri 16 0 0 0 0 51 16th
10 Italy Luca Marini 16 0 0 0 0 59 15th
Forward Junior Team 22 Italy Federico Fuligni 4 (6) 0 0 0 0 1 38th
1 (6) 0 0 0 0 0 (1)
2018 Moto2 Forward Racing Team Suter MMX2 51 Brazil Eric Granado 10 0 0 0 0 0 NC
62 Italy Stefano Manzi 15 0 0 0 0 8 24th
32 Spain Isaac Viñales 9 (17) 0 0 0 0 0 (7) 26th
50 Indonesia Rafid Topan Sucipto 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
3 Germany Lukas Tulovic 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2019 Moto2 MV Agusta Idealavoro Forward
MV Agusta Temporary Forward 		MV Agusta F2 62 Italy Stefano Manzi 18 0 0 0 0 39 19th
77 Switzerland Dominique Aegerter 19 0 0 0 0 19 22nd
6 Italy Gabriele Ruiu 1 (2) 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2020 Moto2 MV Agusta Forward Racing MV Agusta F2 24 Italy Simone Corsi 14 0 0 0 0 15 24th
62 Italy Stefano Manzi 15 0 0 1 0 21 22nd
2021 Moto2 MV Agusta Forward Racing MV Agusta F2 7 Italy Lorenzo Baldassarri 14 0 0 0 0 3 31st
24 Italy Simone Corsi 14 0 0 1 0 16 24th
10 Italy Tommaso Marcon 1 (5) 0 0 0 0 0 35th
3 (5) 0 0 0 0 0
77 Spain Miquel Pons 1 0 0 0 0 0 36th
18 Spain Manuel González 2 0 0 0 0 0 33rd
2022 Moto2 MV Agusta Forward Racing MV Agusta F2 24 Italy Simone Corsi 19 0 0 0 0 0 35th
42 Spain Marcos Ramírez 20 0 0 0 0 5 30th
98 Spain David Sanchis 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
17 Spain Álex Escrig 1 0 0 0 0 0 38th
2023 Moto2 Forward Team Forward F2 17 Spain Álex Escrig 9 0 0 0 0 3 27th
42 Spain Marcos Ramírez 8 (19) 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 (65)[i] 16th
67 Italy Alberto Surra 8 0 0 0 0 0 33rd
98 Spain David Sanchis 3 0 0 0 0 0 43rd
19 Italy Lorenzo Dalla Porta 2 0 0 0 0 0 35th
55 Italy Yeray Ruiz 2 0 0 0 0 0 42nd
4 United States Sean Dylan Kelly 4 (14) 0 0 0 0 1 29th
2 (14) 0 0 0 0 0
2024 Moto2 Klint Forward Factory Team Forward F2 11 Spain Álex Escrig 18 0 0 0 0 0 33rd
43 Spain Xavier Artigas 19 0 0 0 0 10 25th
9 Spain Jorge Navarro 1 (9) 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 (27)[i] 23rd
5 (9) 0 0 (1) 0 0 6 (27)[i]
40 Spain Unai Orradre 1 0 0 0 0 0 41st
MotoE Ducati V21L 6 Spain María Herrera 16 0 0 0 0 43 16th
9 Italy Andrea Mantovani 16 0 0 0 0 113 9th
WorldWCR Yamaha YZF-R7 6 Spain María Herrera 12 6 9 3 1 215 2nd
2025 Moto2 Klint Forward Factory Team Forward F2 11 Spain Álex Escrig
43 Spain Xavier Artigas
Key
Regular rider
Replacement rider
Wildcard rider
Replacement/wildcard rider
Notes

* Season still in progress.

  1. ^ Lamborghini raced for Forward Racing at the San Marino Grand Prix as a wildcard.
  2. ^ a b Baldolini rode for the team in the first ten races, then he was replaced by De Rosa. Both riders competed for other teams during the season.
  3. ^ Vermeulen replaced Edwards at the French Grand Prix.
  4. ^ Pasini replaced de Angelis at the Valencian Grand Prix.
  5. ^ De Angelis replaced Edwards from the Czech Grand Prix onwards.
  6. ^ Marino replaced Corsi from the San Marino Grand Prix onwards.
  7. ^ Corti replaced Bradl from the German Grand Prix onwards. He was himself replaced by Toni Elías for the Aragon Grand Prix.
  8. ^ Elías replaced Corti from the Aragon Grand Prix onwards.
  9. ^ a b c Non-bracketed number refers to the number accumulated with the motorcycle, with number in brackets referring to the total accumulated for the season.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Kawasaki statement in full". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 9 January 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  2. ^ "Marco Melandri: I will race the Hayate". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 12 March 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  3. ^ "Lorenzo takes dramatic victory at wet-dry Le Mans". motogp.com. Dorna Sports. 17 May 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  4. ^ "Colin Edwards confirms he will leave Tech 3 team at end of the season". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  5. ^ Birt, Matthew (20 October 2011). "Colin Edwards to ride Suter/BMW in 2012". Motor Cycle News. Bauer Media Group. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  6. ^ "de Angelis to NGM Forward for Moto2". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  7. ^ "Moto2: Takahashi goes Forward for 2012". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  8. ^ "Qatar MotoGP: Espargaro sticking with Yamaha frame". Crash.net. Crash Media Group. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  9. ^ "Forward Racing to use new MotoGP chassis at Mugello". Motomatters.com. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  10. ^ "Moto2: Forward announces new 'KLX' chassis project". Crash.net. Crash Media Group. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  11. ^ "Le Mans Moto2: Forward announces official Kalex deal". Crash.net. Crash Media Group. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  12. ^ Birt, Matthew (15 January 2015). "Forward Racing abandons chassis project". Motor Cycle News. Bauer Consumer Media. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  13. ^ Rowles, Aaron (10 March 2015). "Forward Racing release 2015 bikes". GPxtra.com. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  14. ^ Emmett, David (31 July 2015). "Stefan Bradl released by Forward, Aprilia signing imminent?". MotoMatters.com. David Emmett. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  15. ^ Emmett, David (6 August 2015). "Forward Racing to return at Brno, but doubts beyond that". MotoMatters.com. David Emmett. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Moto2: Baldassarri super, vince a Misano" [Moto2: Baldassarri super, wins at Misano]. corrieredellosport.it (in Italian). 11 September 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Forward Racing si presenta per il 2017: stessi piloti, obiettivi al top" [Forward Racing Presents Itself For 2017: Same Drivers, Top Goals]. www.motosprint.it (in Italian). 2 September 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  18. ^ "World Championship Classification" (PDF). motogp.com. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  19. ^ Guglielmetti, Riccardo (14 November 2020). "Moto2, Valencia: Manzi riporta in pole la MV Agusta dopo 44 anni" [Moto2, Valencia: Manzi brings MV Agusta back to pole after 44 years]. GPone.com (in Italian). Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  20. ^ Tamantini, Diana (13 November 2021). "Moto2 Valencia: Il ritorno di Simone Corsi in pole, Celestino Vietti 2°!" [Moto2 Valencia: Simone Corsi back on pole, Celestino Vietti 2nd!]. Corsedimoto (in Italian). Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  21. ^ "World Championship Classification" (PDF). motogp.com. 6 November 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Moto2, Cala il sipario per Simone Corsi: si ferma dopo 300 GP e 5 vittorie" [Moto2, the curtain falls for Simone Corsi: he stops after 300 GPs and 5 victories] (in Italian). 6 November 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Moto2, MV Agusta e team Forward si separano" [Moto2, MV Agusta and Forward team part ways]. www.insella.it (in Italian). 23 January 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  24. ^ "World Championship Classification" (PDF). MotoGP. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  25. ^ Ardemagni, Pietro (23 December 2023). "Forward Racing debutta nel MotoE World Championship 2024" [Forward Racing debuts in the 2024 MotoE World Championship]. epaddock.it (in Italian). Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Herrera readies for inaugural WorldWCR campaign: "We'll make history together!"". www.worldsbk.com. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  27. ^ "Moto2 | Forward Racing mette sotto contratto fino al 2026 sia Álex Escrig che Xavi Artigas" [Moto2 | Forward Racing signs both Álex Escrig and Xavi Artigas until 2026]. P300.it Motorsport Media (in Italian). 26 November 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  28. ^ "El Forward Factory Racing da a conocer sus proyector 2024 en Moto2, MotoE y JuniorGP" [The Forward Factory Racing unveils its 2024 projector in Moto2, MotoE and JuniorGP]. Super7Moto.com (in Spanish). 9 February 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  29. ^ Triolo, Rosary (9 February 2024). "Moto2, Forward per il rilancio e debutta in MotoE" [Moto2, Forward seeks relaunch and also debuts in MotoE]. sport.sky.it (in Italian). Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  30. ^ "Final Corner Decider: Carrasco crowned Champion as Herrera crashes out at final corner, Sanchez wins". www.worldsbk.com. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  31. ^ "Roberta Ponziani ficha por el Forward Racing para el WorldWCR 2025" [Roberta Ponziani signs for Forward Racing for the 2025 WorldWCR]. super7moto (in European Spanish). 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
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