Photo: Facebook capture
Peugeot will put a motorcycle on the Moto3 grid for the first time at the debut of the 2016 GP season. With support from its parent company Mahindra, the French maker will field two machines with Saxoprint Racing Team Germany, and we now have the first teaser that shows Peugeot's Grand Prix debut bike.
Almost one year ago to the date, Peugeot and Mahindra were announcing that the Indian automotive giant acquired a 51% majority in the motorcycle division of the French maker.
At the end of the 2015 racing season, Peugeot MGP3O and Mahindra Group confirmed that the French manufacturer would make it on the starting grid of the 2016 Moto3 championship. The two had already collaborated successfully, clawing the Italian CIV Moto3 title with 16-year-old Marco Bezzecchi.
The historic French manufacturer is thus entering a new era in its evolution. Having fabricated the first motorbike back in 1898, Peugeot is now returning to the motorcycle racing's first league.
As we said earlier, Saxoprint Racing Team Germany will have two motorcycles on the grid. One will have 21-year-old Scot John McPhee behind the bars, while the other will be piloted by the experienced French rider Alexis Masbou.
Now that Peugeot has been under new ownership for around a year and we see things moving in the racing department, a question arises naturally. Is there any chance to see the French makers deliver road-going small-displacement sport motorcycles?
Even with our moderate optimism, we cannot simply rule this one out. It is not at all uncommon for Asian makers to use European brands as vectors for their own businesses, especially those who are, at times, struggling with financial difficulties.
And if Mahindra decides to implement some Moto3 technology in a street-legal Peugeot quarter-liter or 300cc-ish bike, who knows where this can lead? The segment is becoming increasingly competitive, and there is serious money to be made here, so we should never say never.
At the end of the 2015 racing season, Peugeot MGP3O and Mahindra Group confirmed that the French manufacturer would make it on the starting grid of the 2016 Moto3 championship. The two had already collaborated successfully, clawing the Italian CIV Moto3 title with 16-year-old Marco Bezzecchi.
The historic French manufacturer is thus entering a new era in its evolution. Having fabricated the first motorbike back in 1898, Peugeot is now returning to the motorcycle racing's first league.
Even though sharing Mahindra's DNA, Peugeot is distinct Constructor
Peugeot MGP3O's bike prototype has a lot in common with the machines Mahindra has been fielding in Moto3 already. However, the French maker will make its GP debut as a Constructor in its own right.As we said earlier, Saxoprint Racing Team Germany will have two motorcycles on the grid. One will have 21-year-old Scot John McPhee behind the bars, while the other will be piloted by the experienced French rider Alexis Masbou.
Now that Peugeot has been under new ownership for around a year and we see things moving in the racing department, a question arises naturally. Is there any chance to see the French makers deliver road-going small-displacement sport motorcycles?
Even with our moderate optimism, we cannot simply rule this one out. It is not at all uncommon for Asian makers to use European brands as vectors for their own businesses, especially those who are, at times, struggling with financial difficulties.
And if Mahindra decides to implement some Moto3 technology in a street-legal Peugeot quarter-liter or 300cc-ish bike, who knows where this can lead? The segment is becoming increasingly competitive, and there is serious money to be made here, so we should never say never.
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