[kropotkin thinks...] - The First Of Many Moto3 Defections: Ambrogio Drops Suter Hond

[Ninjette Newsbot]

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Ambrogio Racing has become the first of what is likely to become a torrent of defections from Honda in the Moto3 class at the end of this year. The Italian team of Brad Binder and Luca Amato - Danny Webb was forced to leave the team over a lack of sponsorship - will be switching from the Suter Honda to a Mahindra from the next round of Moto3 at Misano.

The reasons for the switch are simple. The Honda NSF250R engine simply does not produce sufficient power to be able to rival the KTMs. At every circuit on the calendar so far, the KTMs have simply powered away from the the Hondas, with only some excellent riding by youngsters such as Jack Miller and Alexis Masbou keeping the KTMs in sight, using the stronger handling of the FTR chassis. Binder and Webb have also had good results with the Suter Honda, though again, they have been beaten on sheer horsepower by the KTMs.

The switch from the Suter Honda to the Mahindra is not as large as it seems. The Mahindra MGP30 is being built by Suter in a collaboration between the Swiss firm and the Indian engineering giant, with a large number of Indian engineers working on the engine and chassis at the Suter factory. The chassis is very similar to the Suter Honda chassis, and the engine bears some resemblance too, though the Mahindra power plant produces much more power than the NSF250R.

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