Dakota Mamola to make Moto2 World Championship debut

The MAPFRE Aspar Moto2 team announced today that it has selected 19-year-old Dakota Mamola—son of former 500cc Grand Prix star Randy Mamola—to ride in place of team rider Nico Terol at the upcoming Silverstone round of the Moto2 World Championship. The younger Mamola has been receiving technical support from the Aspar team during his current campaign in the Spanish CEV Moto2 championship series with the GRT Racing Team since May, and with Terol taking time off from racing to allow doctors to find out the cause of the mystery muscle fatigue that has hampered his efforts this season, Mamola was given a golden opportunity to race on the world stage. He has already ridden on many of the world's racing circuits (including Silverstone) while competing in the FIM European 600 Superstock Championship last year on a Yamaha R6 as part of the Yakhnich Motorsport team, with a best finish of 8th at Jerez. Interestingly, Mamola has been racing in the Spanish CEV series under a Belgian passport (his mother Barbara is Belgian), but when he raced in the FIM European 600 Superstock Championship, he raced under a Spanish passport (where he has done nearly all of his racing).

“First of all I would like to wish Nico a swift recovery," said Mamola in the Aspar team press release. "Thanks to him and the MAPFRE Aspar Team I have this incredible opportunity and I would also like to thank the GRT team for their support in the CEV. To compete in the World Championship is a dream come true, we didn't expect it to happen this year but this is the way it's worked out. It is going to be a completely new experience for me and it will be a good opportunity for me to learn about Moto2. It will also be a chance to build my confidence ahead of the next round of the Spanish Championship at Navarra. I am really happy, it's a great honour that the MAPFRE Aspar Team have turned to me as Nico's replacement for this race. I know that they will help me a lot, I am not under any pressure and the objective is to enjoy the experience.”

Team manager Jorge "Aspar" Martinez made a point of subverting any rumors that Terol would be replaced in his statement. “We are delighted to offer another opportunity to Dakota Mamola. At the end of May we decided to support him in the CEV and he has shown the potential that he possesses as a rider. He is progressing quickly and we are sure he will continue to do so. He can go out and enjoy Silverstone because he is not under any pressure. The idea is that he continues to build his confidence on the Moto2 bike in preparation for the final few rounds of the Spanish Championship. Whilst we are delighted to have Dakota with us in Silverstone, we want to make it clear that the MAPFRE Aspar Team's official rider is Nico Terol, who is currently in a process of recovery, and we hope that process is swift so that he can return to racing as soon as possible.”