CFMOTO BUILDS ITALIAN RACING BASE AS IT EYES MOTOGP

CFMoto is building a European racing base as it continues to pursue a possible future place in MotoGP. The Chinese manufacturer, already active in Moto2 and Moto3, has begun work on a racing technology centre in Rimini, in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, close to the established motorcycle industry around Bologna.

Samantha Liu, general manager of CFMoto’s Motorsports Management Centre, told Visordown the project involves assembling staff and preparing to move into a new building. The racing operation will work alongside the company’s existing research and development and industrial design teams in the area, rather than operating as a separate unit.

Liu stressed that the facility will support more than a MotoGP bid. CFMoto is involved in several racing programmes, she said, and the centre is intended to strengthen the company’s knowledge of technology and testing across them. “It’s going to be a long way, and we are prepared to be patient,” Liu said, adding that CFMoto wants to develop in line with its own strategy and identity.

A premier-class entry does not appear imminent. MotoGP’s five current manufacturers—Ducati, Aprilia, Honda, Yamaha and KTM—have signed a commercial agreement running through 2031. CFMoto has nevertheless made clear in recent years that it wants to reach the top class, and team owner Jorge Martinez, known as Aspar, has said the manufacturer is interested in joining the series.

The company has been involved in grand prix racing since 2022, when it entered Moto3 with Germany’s PruestelGP. Its subsequent expansion into Moto2 came through its relationship with Aspar. CFMoto replaced GasGas as the team’s title sponsor in 2024, building on earlier industrial links with Pierer Mobility Group, which owned KTM and had CFMoto build engines for some of its more affordable models. The Aspar partnership could offer a route into MotoGP, although no entry plan or timetable has been confirmed.

CFMoto’s ambitions also extend beyond grand prix racing. It has expressed interest in WorldSBK, where it has a V4 SR-RR sports bike yet to be released. From 2027, it is also set to replace Yamaha as the supplier for WorldWCR, the women’s championship held within the WorldSBK paddock.