Gil Motorsport steps up to WorldSBK for 2021 with Christophe Ponsson

The 2021 WorldSBK Championship grid will be boosted by a brand-new entry under the Gil Motorsport banner, which will enter Christophe Ponsson for a return to full-time WorldSBK action.

Created back in 2005 byu Jean-Christophe Ponsson., the French outfit has established itself in the Spanish Superbike series over the years and has in time provided a habitat for a number of Kawasaki legends over the years, including Pere Riba, Chris Walker and Katsuaki Fujiwara

It also inspired a young Christophe Ponsson to begin along the journey of his racing career, which has so far seen him compete in the 2015 WorldSBK Championship with Pedercini Kawasaki, while he took in selected events in 2020 aboard a Nuova M2 Aprilia RSV4. He was also runner-up to Max Scheib in Spanish Superbikes.

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For 2021 though Ponsson will join the family business to ride a Yamaha YZF-R1, bringing the total number of full-time WorldSBK entries to 18.

"I'm very excited to ride in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with Yamaha. I had a great time riding the Yamaha R1 during my three seasons in the Spanish superbike championship. I always felt comfortable on the Yamaha R1, made progress, achieved my best results and I’ve always been very confident with the bike. 

“I am convinced that it will be the ideal package with the Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha team. I look forward to discovering the Superbike Yamaha R1 at our first test in January 2021, and to starting the work with the team.”

“With a strong background in World Supersport, the Gil Motor Sport team decided to take part in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in 2021,” said Team Manager Andre Arimondo. 

“An experienced team has been built up around our rider Christophe Ponsson who has all the required experience to succeed in WorldSBK. We needed to build a strong partnership with a manufacturer, and it has been quickly obvious that Yamaha would be the right one as our rider, Christophe Ponsson, has just completed three seasons onboard of the Yamaha YZF-R1 in the Spanish Superbike Championship. 

“We purchased two 2021 Yamaha YZF-R1 Customer Competition and are supported by four experienced technicians, supervised by our Chief Mechanic, Lucio Gomes. In mid-January, the Gil Motor Sport – Yamaha team will head to their first tests with its Yamaha YZF-R1.”