Pasini out, Rolfo in at Speed Master

Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Roberto Rolfo will return to MotoGP action from the forthcoming Japanese round.

The 32-year-old, who recently left the Technomag-CIP Moto2 team, is to spend the remainder of the season at the Speed Master squad in place of fellow Italian Mattia Pasini.

The change strikes more of budget requirements than a desire by Speed Master to get more performance from their Aprilia CRT machine - Rolfo having failed to score a point in his eleven Moto2 starts this year.

"I'm really happy there was the chance to reach this agreement with Speed Master Team, as I'll be taking part in the last four races of the season in the circuits of Motegi, Sepang, Phillip Island and, eventually, Valencia,” confirmed Rolfo.

“It'll be awesome to be back on top of a bike with such horsepower and to do it on the tracks that are among my favourite ones, where you really have a good time.

"Thanks to the Team for giving me this opportunity, I'd like to take advantage of it at its best to prove that the desire to compete is high, as well as the intention to achieve good results."

The move leaves Pasini without a ride.

A ten-time winner on 125 and 250cc two-strokes, but a lessor force since the change to four-stroke grand prix machines, Pasini has taken a best finish of tenth on the Speed Master ART Aprilia.

While the Italian has not set the world alight in his debut MotoGP season, scoring points on just four occasions, he has shown decent pace in qualifying.

Pasini has posted the following reaction, in Italian, on his Twitter page (@MattiaPasini):

"29 podiums, 10 wins, 12 pole positions! Sold my car and motocross bikes to race! Now I'm left standing because people deal with the money... I am very disappointed, there are too many vultures, my only misfortune is that I trusted people!"

A former runner-up in the 250cc Word Championship, Rolfo spent a full season in MotoGP with the d'Antin Pramac Ducati team in 2005, claiming numerous points finishes on the Dunlop-shod machine, including a tenth place at the British GP.

Rolfo then switched to World Superbike before a 2010 race-winning return in the new Moto2 grand prix category, which prompted another ill-fated attempt at WSBK in 2011.

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