Niccolo Antonelli
San Carlo Honda Gresini team owner Fausto Gresini chose the young Italian Niccolo Antonelli to be his rider in the newly formed Moto3 class. Gresini sees the class as a way to breed young Italian talent and will expand to a two-rider team in 2013. But for now it’s up to Antonelli to fly the Gresini flag aboard the San Carlo Honda Gresini NSF250R in Moto3.
Antonelli followed his father into racing, though it isn’t his only pursuit. The younger Antonelli is also a fan of mathematics, science, and football. And his long-term view is the same as Gresini’s, to work his way through the ranks of the World Championship to the premier MotoGP class.
His racing career began in 2004 as an eight-year-old. His progress was steady with wins in regional and national championship races before moving to the European Championship, and later to Spain to race in the Catalan and Mediterranean campaigns.
Antonelli had a spectacular 2011 season. After failing to score points in the first race, and carding a fourth in round two, he either won or finished second in the next six races, winning the title by eight points.
Rider information
| Team | Gresini Racing |
| Racing number | 27 |
| Race machine | NSF250R |
| Date of birth | February 23 1996 |
| Birthplace | Cattolica, Italy |
Rider career
| Grand Prix debut | 2012 Qatar Moto3 |
| First pole position | -- |
| Total Pole positions | -- |
| First Grand Prix win | -- |
| Total Grand Prix wins | -- |
| First Grand Prix podium | -- |
| Total Grand Prix podiums | -- |
| World titles | -- |
| 2008 | Italian MiniGP 50cc Champion |
| 2009 | 4th Metrakit Spanish 125 PreGP |
| 2010 | 6th CIV (Italian) 125GP Championship |
| 2011 | (CIV) Italian 125cc Champion |
