Ex-MotoGP racer and BSB race winner Michael Laverty is to head up a brand-new team that will compete in the 2022 Moto3 World Championship with the express intention of giving British talent a foothold on the grand prix stage.
The VisionTrack Honda Racing team will assume the entry left vacant by the Sepang Racing Team for 2022, with Laverty - who campaigned the PBM MotoGP entry in 2013 and 2014 - taking on the role of team principal.
The aim of the team is to give burgeoning youngsters hailing from the UK a dedicated platform at the entry level to develop their burgeoning skills, a tactic that has been utilised to great effect by the large number of Spanish and Italian flagged outfits that do something similar.
The unveiling of the VisionTrack Honda team comes in a year the UK had no full-time representative in MotoGP, with just Sam Lowes, Jake Dixon and John McPhee flying the flag in Moto2 and Moto3.
Laverty hopes this will go some way to expanding British numbers at the highest levels of motorcycle racing.
“The path to the pinnacle of motorcycle racing is not an easy one for any rider, but for some time now it has become especially difficult for British youngsters to make it, without a home-grown team competing at the top level,” Laverty said.
“Far too often young British riders have been overlooked because of a lack of sponsorship or financial support.
“Now, thanks to the fantastic structures and a title sponsor, VisionTrack, already in place we know there is a lot of talent out there just waiting for an opportunity.”
“We believe that with the VisionTrack Honda team we can offer them a more supportive route into Grand Prix racing.
“The UK has a rich history of grand prix success on two-wheels, and our aim is to help change the future by providing a route into the world’s premier motorcycle racing series for our talented youngsters.”
