The 2011 race season is fast approaching with the World Superbike Championship kicking off in Australia this weekend. Italian leathers giant Dainese is investing in a whole host of talent in 2011.
Dainese will continue its support of reining World Superbike champion Max Biaggi as he fights to keep his title-crown firmly in place. Other riders under the Dainese banner in SBK include Joan Lascorz, Mark Aitchinson, Maxime Berger, Tom Sykes and popular Brit Leon Haslam, who makes a return to Dainese for the forthcoming season.
Nine-time MotoGP world champion and Dainese ambassador Valentino Rossi will be wearing red leathers this year following his move to Ducati. Rossi’s new team mate and former world champion Nicky Hayden will also be Dainese-backed for the first time in his career. Rossi and Hayden will be joined on the grid by fellow Dainese-protected Marco Simoncelli.
In Moto2 Dainese is supporting six riders in total including Pol Espargaró, who has moved up from 125cc after finishing third in 2010. Other riders in Moto2 include Simone Corsi, Mattia Pasini, Ratthapark Wilairot and Stefan Bradl. In the 125cc class Dainese will support Luis Salom, Sergio Gadea, Alessandro Tonucci, Luigi Morciano and Niklas Ayo. The MotoGP championship kicks off at the Losail Circuit in Qatar on 20 March.
The Italian company has continued its investment in lovable rogue Guy Martin for his 2011 assault on the roads and British Superstock Championship. His Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing team mate and British Superbike contender Josh Brookes has also been snapped up by Dainese. Brookes heads to Spain for the opening test of the year at Cartagena from 3-6 March ahead of the first race on 25 April at Brands Hatch.
Selected riders will be continuing to help develop and test D-Air Racing – Dainese’s revolutionary airbag system. The invaluable feedback from the supported riders is vital for the development of the system, which is due to launch in the UK in late Spring. D-Air Racing is a world first in airbag technology as unlike many of its rivals is not connected to the motorcycle. The device works on clever telemetry that reads track conditions and recognizes when a bike starts to slide. The airbag is deployed within 45 milliseconds and takes 10 seconds to deflate, so the rider can remount and continue to race. For more information visit: www.dainese.com
Supported riders wearing D-Air Racing include:
MotoGP:
Valentino Rossi | Nicky Hayden | Marco Simoncelli
Moto2:
Pol Espargaró | Stefan Bradl | Mattia Pasini | Simone Corsi
WSBK:
Max Biaggi | Leon Haslam
Leon Haslam, World Superbike Championship
"I'm very happy to be rejoining Dainese. Having visited the Dainese headquarters it's clear that the heritage of motorcycle racing and safety protection is synonymous with the Dainese name. I'm also very much looking forward to having the D-Air technology - I just hope I don't need it!"
Nicky Hayden, MotoGP
“I know Dainese has a long history, you know a couple fast guys have worn Dainese in their life. I’ve tried the leathers, I’ve been to the factory, seen all the technology before I made the decision to go that way. I’ve seen the products, seen the science that goes into it, and I’m on board.”
AGV is investing alongside Dainese to provide head-to-toe protection for selected riders. Under the banner of Italian Legendary Protection both iconic brands join to create 'ILP' and provide the ultimate in head-to-toe protection. The two brands are also supporting a host of riders in off-road championships and riders throughout Europe in their selected championships.
