Reale Avintia Racing is pleased to announce a two-year agreement reached with Xavier Siméon that will see the 28 year-old Belgian rider step up to MotoGP with the team and Ducati in 2018.
Xavi Siméon’s debut in the World Championship was in 2010, the same year the Moto2 class started as the new intermediate category, after clinching the World FIM Superstock 1000 Championship with Ducati. He also won the European Superstock 600 championship back in 2006, so his ‘four stroke experience’ is out of question. Since then, he has been racing in Moto2 with different bikes and teams. In 2013 he was on the podium for the first time at Le Mans, and it was the first time for a Belgian rider since Didier de Radiguès back in 1990. Two years later he got his first Moto2 World Championship win at the German Grand Prix, and he wrote his name in the Belgian rider winners list alongside Didier de Radiguès and Julien Vanzeebroeck.
Together with Reale Avintia Racing, Siméon will make history once again in 2018, when he moves up to the premier class as only the second Belgian rider after De Radiguès in the premier class, and when he will give his debut as the first ever Belgian rider in the MotoGP class.
“This is a fantastic opportunity and I have been working hard for it for a lot of years. I’m really happy to realize this dream that has followed me since my childhood. Day after day, I have done everything I can to get up there. My efforts, combined with those of Freddy Tacheny and Zelos’ crew ended up paying and I have to thank each of them. I conquered my world title in Superstock with a Ducati and I am delighted to find again the Bologna brand with the team Reale Avintia Racing. I’m really looking forward to discover the Ducati. Once again I would like to thank all of my partners and fans for believing in me and the support they are bringing in this new challenge!”
“I’m really happy to announce that Xavi Siméon will be riding for our team next season. He is a hard worker and he has won in Moto2, a very competitive and hard-fought category. After several seasons in the middle class, he will step up to MotoGP with high motivation, looking forward to learn everything. I think he will form a great team with Tito Rabat, who is going into his third season in MotoGP and will be the reference inside the team. But the 2017 season is still running and in the last five races I’m confident that we can celebrate a great result with our current riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz. Both have contributed to making our team bigger and better. I wish both of them the very best in the future.”
“I founded Zelos five years ago with only one ambition: make every effort to ensure that our Belgian athletes reach the highest level of their discipline. We haven’t seen a Belgian rider in the MotoGP class since a very long time, Today, I’m therefore particularly proud and moved about this process. Our country has the real potential to shine when it is given the means. For sure, it was not really easy but we found and convince our partners to join the adventure. With them, this opportunity became reality. I have to thank each of them a lot and especially Raúl Romero, CEO of Reale Avintia Racing. I am delighted about this 2 years partnership. Xavier has all our confidence to take up this magnificent challenge. He is the spearhead of the pathway we’ve created in Belgium.”
