De Angelis slams Gresini bosses
Added on Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
De Angelis slams Gresini bosses
Alex de Angelis has blasted the Honda Gresini team who he claims “never believed” in him and suggested that he was only signed by the team because he was the “only Italian available” when he joined in 2008.
De Angelis, who secured his first premier class podium with a second in Indianapolis last weekend, was told last month that he would not be offered a new contract with the satellite Honda team for 2010 after they confirmed Marco Simoncelli and Marco Simoncelli as their rider line-up for next year.
The news came as a surprise to the Sanmarinese rider and the 25-year-old has launched a scaving attack on his employers, claiming that he never received full support since signing for the team in 2008.
“I’m convinced the team has never believed in me 100%,” he told Motosprint Magazine.
“They had only hired me because two years ago I was the only Italian on the market. And they’ve never given me what my team-mates have had.”
When asked why he felt Gresini did not offer him their full support, De Angelis, who lies seventh in the rider’s championship, replied: “You should ask Gresini. It’s true that I made some mistakes last year, I crashed four times in the opening lap, and it was in races where I could do well.
“However I’ve always put in the effort.”
De Angelis did however reveal that talks to remain in MotoGP are ongoing, although he has not ruled out a ride in the new Moto2 series of World Superbikes for 2010.
“I’m speaking with Team Tech 3, and there could also be Team Pramac or a Honda team,” he said.
“Alternatively I will have to look at Moto2 and SBK. For sure I won’t take a sabbatical year, that would drive me crazy.”
Do you agree with De Angelis’ comments? Is he right in his criticism? Discuss this in the Insidebikes forum.
