Alex de Angelis signs Moto2 deal

Alex de Angelis may not have been able to clinch a MotoGP deal with the Scot squad for 2010, but the San Marino rider has signed for the Italian team to ride in the new Moto2 600cc four-stroke class.

The 25-year-old, who was axed from the Gresini Honda MotoGP squad despite a podium finish in Indianapolis, has signed a deal to partner Niccolo Canepa in the Scot squad.

The former factory Aprilia 250GP rider will ride in the colours of San Marino and he said  “I am happy to collaborate on a project where I am the standard-bearer of my nation.

“As well, in a sense, I could define the Scot Racing Team as my home team: I know everyone for years and some of them drink their coffee in my own bar!

“They won two world championship titles and now we are working together to build a winning project in 2010, a prelude to my return to MotoGP the following year”.

The Scot team won the final world 250GP championship in thrilling fashion with Hiroshi Aoyama claiming the crown in a dramatic final race in Valencia.

But the cash-strapped squad failed to find funding to remain in MotoGP as well as Moto2 and Team Manager Cirano Mularoni said: “It’s a long time that we were thinking of Alex de Angelis as rider of our team.

“It is San Marino’s dream, that we would have been happy to accomplish in MotoGP, but that will start from the new class Moto2: an innovative class that I think will offer a very interesting show.

“Our team, with a world title, aspires to the strongest available riders, not only to try to keep the record, but also to participate to this new adventure with my neighbour, gives it a lot of significance. Along with Alex will be Niccolò Canepa.

“We do believe in his skills as a test rider for the development of our prototype, aware that we have created a bike that is the expression of the know-how got from years of high level competitions but we must not neglect the delicate post-production testing”.