Team San Carlo Honda Gresini Racing Team – Facts
October 23, 2008
In just a short time, the team managed by Fausto Gresini has achieved major sporting success and is now considered one of the top teams in the MotoGP Championship (in fact, the top satellite team).
Gresini Racing relies on the expertise of more than 30 people, including employees and external assistants. Two trucks/workshops are used to transport the bikes, spare parts and everything required in the pit garages to the tracks. There are three hospitality trucks, one of which is for back-up. For every race outside Europe more than 10,000 kg of equipment is shipped in 36 cases.
The enlarged, modernised hospitality suite is both smart and functional. It provides an important reference point in the paddock area and forms a meeting place for guests, the riders, the team and the media. The air-conditioned unit covers an area of 200 square metres, including the dining area, fitted with television screens for a comfortable, live view of the races, meeting rooms and offices complete with computer equipment, and lounge areas.
The team has two permanent sites in Faenza and San Clemente di Rimini. The company’s luxurious business premises are located in Faenza and cover an area of 300 square metres with a staff of nine. All the commercial, contractual and financial activities are carried out here. Next to the offices there is also an 800 square metre building that supports the hospitality management and is used to store equipment.
The efficient, hi-tech racing division is situated in San Clemente di Rimini, not far from the Misano Adriatico circuit, and is run by Fabrizio Cecchini.
It covers an area of 1100 square metres and is equipped with the latest technology in motorcycle preparation. After every racing weekend the bikes return here and undergo all the necessary work in preparation for the next event.
The racing division also houses various artefacts of historical interest such as the Honda 125 that Fausto Gresini rode to victory in the 1993 World Championship, the Honda 500 V Twin, the first bike used by the Gresini Team, the Honda NSR 250 with which Daijiro Kato secured his 2001 World Title and the Honda RC211V in the MoviStar livery.
The racing division remains active throughout the winter season, when new facilities are built to improve on the previous year’s performance and style.
The site also includes a spare parts warehouse, managed by an assistant who keeps a check on the equipment available. There is also an office area that supports the Faenza facility.
THE BIKE – HONDA RC212V
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Honda RC212V
Engine type: Four-stroke DOHC 4 valve V-4
Cooling System: Liquid
Displacement: 800 cc.
Power: over 200 cv
Frame type: AluminumTwin Tube
Wheels (front): Bridgestone 16.5 inches
Wheels (back): Bridgestone 16.5 inches
Suspension (front): ShowaTelescopic fork
Suspension (back): Showa Pro Link
Overall length: 2.050 mm.
Overall width: 645 mm.
Overall height: 1.125 mm.
Wheelbase: 1.440 mm.
Road Clearance: 125 mm.
Weight: over 148 kg
Fuel tank capacity: 21 litres
KEY SUPPLIERS
Lubricants Castrol
Spark plugs NGK
Tyres Bridgestone
Suspensions Showa
Chain RK
Brakes Nissin
Riders
Shinya Nakano
Born 10th October 1977 in Tokyo, Japan
Age: 30
Nationality: Japanese
Hometown: Chiba, Japan
Marital status: single
Height: 167 cm
Weight: 58 Kg
Race number: 56
Web: www.shinya56.com
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Shinya Nakano began his career aged 5, racing minibikes which he continued to ride very successfully until 1993. In 1995, he competed in the Japanese 125cc championship, finishing the season in 12th position. The following year he finished 6th, and in 1997 he moved up to the 250cc class, finishing 5th and then going on to winning the championship in 1998.
This result opened the way for him to compete in the 1999 250cc World Championship. To everyone’s amazement, Shinya secured 4th in the championship in that first season, winning the ‘rookie of the year’ award in the process. In 2000, Nakano finished 2nd in the 250 championship missing the World title by just a few points.
Since 2001, Shinya has competed in the GP’s premier class. He finished his debut season in 5th position, once again securing the “Rookie of the year” award. The following years in MotoGP were to prove much harder for him. After two years with Yamaha, Shinya moved to Kawasaki for the next three reasons building valuable experience with Bridgestone tyres from 2004 until 2006.
After spending 2007 aboard a Michelin-shod Honda RC212V, Shinya now joins his new Team San Carlo Honda Gresini, and returns to Bridgestone tyres. “I have very good memories racing with the Japanese tyres. I used them for three years, so in these first tests, I was able to focus more on the bike set-up without having to adjust to new tyres”.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
1999: 4th in the 250cc World Championship (Yamaha) – “Rookie of the year”
2000: 2nd in the 250cc World Championship (Yamaha)
2001: 5th in the 500cc World Championship (Yamaha) – “Rookie of the year”
2002: 11th in the MotoGP World Championship (Yamaha)
2003: 10th in the MotoGP World Championship (Yamaha)
2004: 10th in the MotoGP World Championship (Kawasaki)
2005: 10th in the MotoGP World Championship (Kawasaki)
2006: 14th in the MotoGP World Championship (Kawasaki)
2007: 17th in the MotoGP World Championship (Honda)
Alex De Angelis
Born 26th February 1984 in Rimini, Italy
Age: 23
Nationality: San Marino
Hometown: San Marino
Marital status: single
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 66 Kg
Race number: 15
Web: www.alexdeangelis.com
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Alex De Angelis has lived and breathed motor racing since birth: his father Vinicio is a rally car tuner. Aged 7, Alex and his brother William were given a minibike, which they used to learn to ride on a track near home.
From that moment, Alex’s career evolved rapidly. After competing in the Italian and European 125cc championships, he raced his first World GP season in 2000 at the age of 16. He finished 18th in the championship and secured the ‘rookie of the year’ award.
The following year he finished 14th, then 9th in 2002 and 2nd in the 2003 championship. It was time to move up to the next class, 250cc.
In the four racing seasons spanning 2004 and 2007, he achieved many podium finishes and his first ever GP win at Valencia in 2006.
In the quarter-litre class, Alex acquired valuable experience, learning to control his aggressiveness to achieve incredibly consistent results. Qualities that helped him prepare for the premier class. MotoGP is the ultimate goal for any rider, especially so for Alex who, before riding the RC212V for Team San Carlo Honda Gresini, had never tested a powerful four-stroke motorcycle. “True,” says De Angelis. “I’d always ridden two-stroke bikes and never a more powerful bike, not even on the road. For this reason, I was very excited on my first day on a MotoGP bike, but lap after lap, all that tension went and I already feel at ease. I actually like the riding style needed for the RC212V.”
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
2000: 18th in the 125cc World Championship (Honda) – “Rookie of the year”
2001: 14th in the 125cc World Championship (Honda)
2002: 9th in the 125cc World Championship (Aprilia)
2003: 2nd in the 125cc World Championship (Aprilia)
2004: 5th in the 250cc World Championship (Aprilia)
2005: 7th in the 250cc World Championship (Aprilia)
2006: 3rd in the 250cc World Championship (Aprilia)
2007: 3rd in the 250cc World Championship (Aprilia)
Team San Carlo Honda Gresini – Personnel
TEAM MANAGEMENT
Team Manager Fausto Gresini
Sales and Marketing Manager Carlo Merlini
Marketing Assistant Ivo Tamburini
Press Officer Annalisa Maiolani
Guest Coordinator Beppe Ferrario
Legal Advisor Tullio Matarese
Enrico Ghirotti
Tax and Contractual Advisor Andrea Visani
Raffaella Bandini
Admin and Accounts Office Ilenia Valentini
Elisa Bandini
Logistics Fulvia Castelli
PIT CREW – #56 SHINYA NAKANO
Chief mechanic Antonio Jimenez
Telemetry engineer Diego Gubellini
Mechanics Andrea Bonassoli
Ryoichi Mori
Alberto Presutti
Pit assistant and driver Jonny Donelli
PIT CREW – #15 ALEX DE ANGELIS
Chief mechanic: Fabrizio Cecchini
Telemetry engineer: Francesco Fava
Mechanics: Ivan Brandi
Simone Alessandrini
Marco Rosa Gastaldo
Pit assistant and driver: Renzo Pini
TEAM SUPPORT
Spare parts coordinator: Maurizio Visani
HRC engineer: Tomonomi Sato
Bridgestone engineer: Klaus Nöhles
Nissin engineer: Yoshi Kumagaya
Showa engineer: Paco Fonsea
HOSPITALITY
Hospitality Manager: Maurizio Giordani
Chefs: Ivica Samadan
Antonio Trotta
Daniele Pollet
Staff: Amitabha Mazza
Yarno Rossi
Eddy Bosi
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