Michele Pirro, winner of an emotional final Moto2 race of the 2011 season at Valencia, will be the rider entrusted with the new Team San Carlo Honda Gresini CRT bike, which features an FTR chassis and Honda CBR 1000R engine, next season.

After an encouraging first campaign together in Moto2, the Italian rider and team now take the same enthusiasm and work ethic into a new adventure in MotoGP.

“We have decided that it feels right for a new project such as CRT to give Michele Pirro the opportunity to show his talent,” Gresini said. “He demonstrated in the closing stages of the 2011 Moto2 World Championship that he has the technical ability to improve further as a rider and we believe that he can be one of the leading CRT riders.

“His fantastic and truly unforgettable win at Valencia was emotional for all of us and it convinced us that he is worthy of this chance. We are also obviously an Italian team so it is also important to us to carry this new project forward with an Italian rider in Michele.”

Pirro is thankful for the opportunity and is excited to move into the premier class aboard a CRT entry.

“I am happy to have made this choice and proud to be competing with Team San Carlo Honda Gresini in this new adventure,” Pirro said. “It wasn’t an easy decision to make because my initial priority was to build on my results from 2011 in Moto2.

“The faith shown in me by Fausto Gresini at the end of the season left me in little doubt which route I should take. I am honoured to remain part of this fantastic group of people and to be joining them as part of an ambitious project that represents the future of MotoGP.

“Hopefully I can pay back the faith they have shown in me with some good results and technical development.”