Melandri to return to Gresini for 2010

Italian MotoGP star Marco Melandri is returning to the Honda Gresini with whom rode for three years, from 2005 to ‘07, following an announcement made by Fausto Gresini in Brno on Saturday.

The 27 year-old rider was the MotoGP World Championship runner-up with Gresini in 2005, winning five races for the team and finishing on the podium 17 times over those aforementioned three seasons. After spending year with Ducati in 2008, Melandri has ridden very well with limited resources for Hayate this year and has impressed Gresini enough to bring him back into the satellite Honda squad.

“It gives us great pride and satisfaction to have Marco Melandri back with us,” said the San Carlo Honda Gresini boss. “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.”

Gresini continued, “With Simoncelli and Melandri together in the premier class and San Carlo as main sponsor we have a true Italian flavour to the team. The choice we have made means that we will not be extending our relationship with Toni Elias or Alex de Angelis, but after a start to the season that certainly wasn't easy, thanks to a lot effort from everybody involved we are starting to pick up some good results so I hope we can keep it up until the end of the season and help them find a good ride in MotoGP.”