After 42 years, Sito Pons' team has left the Motorcycle World Championship; in his place in Moto2 e MotoE the MT Helmets – MSi team takes over.
Sito Pons and PONS Racing have spent 42 seasons in the MotoGP World Championship but from next season they will not be present. PONS Racing leaves both Moto2 and MotoE, a championship in which he had won three of the five editions raced so far.
Over these years in Moto2, the team has been one of the protagonists of the championship and the best riders who compete in MotoGP today have passed through it: Pol and Aleix Espargaró, Fabio Quartararo, Maverick Viñales, Alex Rins and Augusto Fernández.
But the history of PONS Racing in the World Championship dates back much further, to the two titles won by Sito Pons himself in 1988 and 1989. Among its riders, the Spaniards Álex Crivillé, Alberto Puig, Carlos Checa, as well as the riders Alex Barros, Loris Capirossi, Max Biaggi, Troy Bayliss, Tohru Ukawa.
PONS Racing was the last team to achieve victory in the now defunct 250cc class with Héctor Barberá, and achieved success in 2013 by winning the Moto2 title with Pol Espargaró, adding two more world team titles.
In MotoE, PONS Racing debuted in 2019 fielding Sete Gibernau. The following year it was Jordi Torres who raced with the Spanish team, winning the MotoGP electric category title together. 2021 was the encore year of Torres and the Pons team, who once again confirmed themselves as the Champions of the MotoE. Sito Pons' team also won the last MotoE World Championship with Mattia Casadei and the Ducati V21L.
From 2024 on, PONS Racing slots in Moto2 and MotoE will become the property of the MT Helmets – MSi team, which this year participated in the Moto3 World Championship. The MT Helmets – MSi team is owned by Teo Martín, who will ensure the continuity of most of the PONS Racing staff, one of the premises for which this acquisition took place.
Sito Pons (Pons Racing team principal)
“Sometimes you have to make certain decisions and I think now is the time to close this very successful period that we have enjoyed with the team. From my time as a rider, it's 42 years in the championship and when we made the project we knew we wanted to be a protagonist team and season after season we have always been fighting among the best. And our time in MotoGP was very successful, as well as the years in Moto2. I am proud to have contributed to the development of the sporting careers of all these riders and that some of them are still protagonists in MotoGP today. The commitment of PONS Racing has always been to support the Spanish riders and to serve as a launch path for them in MotoGP and we have done so, providing them with the best tools to achieve the best results and training them both professionally and personally. I can't forget all the sponsors who have been part of the team. We have always felt supported and thanks to them we have been able to carry out all these projects. My most sincere thanks. And also to all the drivers, mechanics and team staff who have put their trust in PONS Racing. People are what make the team work and we have been lucky to have the best. I also want to thank all MotoGP, Dorna and IRTA for their constant help and support. Now it's time to step aside and face the future with optimism. We will always see each other on the circuits."
Photos: MotoGP
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