Source: Aprilia.

Marco Melandri will race alongside Alvaro Bautista in the 2015 MotoGP World Championship on board a Gresini Racing-run factory Aprilia.

Melandri returns to grand prix fresh from the conclusion of the 2014 World Superbike season, also with Aprilia Racing, where he took six wins and another five podiums which contributed significantly to the WSBK Manufacturer Title that the brand won.

“I was offered the chance to develop a completely new project and it is something that I have not yet done in my career since I have always had inherited bikes,” Melandri said. “Precisely for this reason I am very intrigued by this challenge.

“I am working with a company and a racing department which sought me out and with which I want to continue to work in order to develop and grow a great project. Aprilia Racing has always demonstrated their ability to make great bikes and make them fast. I’ll put in my efforts.

“Our goal is quite ambitious, to grow a bike and at the same time to develop a new prototype that will race in 2016. It will be a demanding season and a lot of work but we are ready to take on these challenges.”

As announced at the beginning of September, Aprilia Racing has signed an agreement with Gresini Racing, based on which Gresini will manage the Aprilia bikes on the track in the MotoGP class for four years – beginning with the 2015 season.

Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing director, commented: “With Marco Melandri the last piece of the puzzle has been put into place for Aprilia’s participation in next year’s MotoGP season.

“These have been very intense and exciting days where in just a few hours we went from the last round of superbike at Losail to this new adventure in MotoGP. We are very pleased to announce Marco’s signing because this completes our team in the best way possible on the eve of a great challenge.”

Melandri was 25th fastest on day one at Valencia during the post-season test, his 1m35.959s in nine laps trailing Bautista in 23rd by a second.