Lambretta back in 125GP racing

YOU'D NORMALLY associate the name Lambretta with fully-enclosed two-stroke scooters, but after a 60-year sabbatical from the racing scene, the iconic Italian motorcycle manufacturer is making a comeback to the 125GP arena.

Nicola Casadei will head-up the operation as the team’s Sporting Director, while Giancarlo Cecchini will develop the bike’s rotary-valve engine. The team will operate from Bologna, despite Lambretta being based in Milan.

Lambretta Reparto Corse, as the team will be officially known, has already confirmed Marco Ravaioli as one of their two riders.

“It’s is a wonderful day for Lambretta and one we’ve been working towards for nearly two years. We’re delighted to be back on the racetrack and to compete in such an exciting and expanding sport. It’ll be fun to compete with the big boys and see what happens,” said the brand’s Marketing Director John Scully.

“We’ve been talking to Engines Engineering for quite a long time about this and it’s pretty much a joint project at the moment, which we own. We see it as potentially a way for our technical director and all our technical people to develop innovations for our on-road products. Lambretta has an Italian heritage and we’re very keen to maintain that at the centre of everything that we do. We want authenticity and that’s the reason we started talking to Engines Engineering in terms of MotoGP. They have a great reputation and are a great engineering company, and very importantly for us they are Italian,” Scully continued.