Granado to line up for Forward Racing in 2018

Brazilian set to move up next season

Forward Racing Team has revealed that Eric Granado will join the Swiss-based squad for the 2018 Moto2™ World Championship. The 21-year old is set to return to the intermediate class following a successful season in the ultra-competitive FIM CEV Repsol, where he could take the title in only a few weeks’ time, after already celebrating five wins in 2017.

Granado commenced his motorcycle racing career in 2003, before becoming the youngest winner of a race in the Mini GP Brazilian championship with only nine years. His first international victory followed in the Spanish Mini GP 70cc in 2007 and the first title arrived shortly after in 2008 in the 80cc class in the same championship. The next three years saw the youngster compete in pre-125 and 125cc races in the Spanish and other Mediterranean championships, before finishing fifth in the 2011 CEV 125cc class at the age of only 15.

In 2012 the Grand Prix rookie contested his first year in the Moto2™ class, although he found it very challenging after having joined the category only before for the Silverstone round. In 2013 and 2014 Granado decided to collect valuable experience in Moto3™, yet, opted for another category to continue in career with the return to the European Championship in Moto2™. With some brilliant results so far and the lead of the Championship, the young Brazilian is keen to join the Forward Racing Team in 2018, where he will compete alongside the promising Italian Stefano Manzi.

Eric Granado: “I’m very happy and I so grateful to the Forward Racing Team and especially Giovanni for giving me this opportunity. In my opinion Forward Racing is a very professional team with an experienced crew. This is very important for me, coming from the best year of my career, which I had this season in the European Championship. I think my level is pretty decent now and I am ready to move up to the Moto2 world stage again and doing this with the Forward Racing Team is a fantastic chance for me. I’ll give my best from the beginning in order to try to be as close as possible to the front very soon. I can’t wait to get going and I’m incredibly excited for the next season, but first I have to concentrate on the final event of the European Champion and of course, I need to say a huge thanks to everybody, who helped to make this happen.”

Giovanni Cuzari, Team Owner: “With Eric, our rider duo for the upcoming season is complete now and I can’t be happier to have such a promising pairing inside our garage. I’m sure, that he is the right choice for us, as he has already shown great determination and some outstanding performances, especially this year in the European Championship. We were amazed to watch him this year and it’s a logical consequence to offer him this possibility as the CEV is already highly-competitive and serves to prepare young talents. Eric has displayed exactly this with five victories and eight podiums in 2017 until now, therefore he’s the kind of rider a team in the World Championship has to look for, cultivate and build up on. We can’t wait to implement this strategy with him.”