News

Luca Salvadori is set to take on STK1000 in 2016, contesting the new season aboard factory-supported Aprilia machine run by Team GP Project. 

The 4-wheeled traditions of his home region are what originally lead Salvadori to motor racing, first competing in Go Kart races when he was 16, but his love for two wheels gained traction after some successful testing that quickly caused a change of course. After winning in the national Superstock 600 championship at 17, the move up to European Stock 600 in 2013 saw him prove a main protagonist with victories and pole positions, alongside the same at national level. He moved to STK1000 in 2015; a first season that saw some interesting results despite struggling with injuries and focusing on preparing for 2016.

This season sees Aprilia Racing put their full support behind the young rider from Milan, with technical assistance and development throughout the season provided by the Italian manufacturer. The project will be entrusted to Team GP Project from Spoleto, who will run the venture in line with the high standards of Aprilia.

“We were in the middle of negotiations, trying to secure the ride we were looking for in 2016, but without much success in finding the right deal,” explained Salvadori. “That’s when I got a call from Cristian Marocchi, who offered me a meeting in Noale at the headquarters of Aprilia Racing and introduced me to the complex project. The idea of racing in a "World Championship" with top technical specifications satisfied what I’m looking for and what the sponsors wanted, so much so that just a few days later we decided to go down this road. 2016 will be a big challenge for me both in sporting terms and in the media, but we have a really powerful package and we’ll do our best to put on a good show."

"Salvadori stood out in the 600 category with top results,” added Project Coordinator Cristian Marocchi. “Therefore, together with Aprilia Racing, we thought it was well-timed to work out a made-to-measure sporting project that suited everybody. Starting with the technical certainties of the Aprilia RSV4 RF, we needed a structure to collaborate with Aprilia as the "Team GP Project”, captained by the Altai brothers who have been part of racing for years. Then the final piece of the puzzle proved to be the marketing department, which looks after communications and coordinating the promotional activities of the team and rider, along with the help of the hospitality area at race meetings.”

The first STK1000 race for the new partnership will be at MotorLand Aragon on the 1st of April as the WorldSBK paddock returns to Europe.