AJO MOTORSPORT LTD

Ajo Motorsport Ltd was founded in Finland in 1997. From the very beginning the main target of the company was to establish its own team at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing world, in the FIM Road Racing World Championships – the MotoGP -series.

In 2000 Ajo Motorsport as a company was ready to pursue success at international level, making a 4-year contract with the most promising Scandinavian rider of quite some time, then 17-year-old youngster named Mika Kallio.

For the 2001 season Ajo Motorsport ran a team in The European Championships, with Mika Kallio finishing in 5th place at the overall standings of the season. For the 2002 season the company had two separate teams. Grand Prix efforts were built around the European Championship graduate Kallio, who finished 11th at the end of his, and Ajo Motorsport’s, first season of MotoGP racing. In the European Championship level Danish Robbin Harms finished 4th, graduating to Grand Prix level like his predecessor Kallio a year before.

Season 2003 was the company’s first Grand Prix season with a two rider team, since then the norm for Ajo Motorsport operations in the World Championship. The season started again with the talented Finn Kallio, and a Japanese veteran Masao Azuma. Azuma scored a total of 64 points with Kallio taking 46 points of his total 88 of the season with Ajo Motorsport. Italian Andrea Ballerini entered the team rider roster mid-season, and took Ajo Motorsport’s first Grand Prix victory in the Australian GP, further enhanced by Azuma’s second place in the same race - making Ajo Motorsport's first World Championship victory actually even more memorable as the two riders of the team took the first two places on the podium!

For the season 2004 Ajo Motorsport acquired two young and enthusiastic riders. Czech talent Lukas Pesek and Danish Robbin Harms, whose season was unlucky with two serious injuries. Also for the 2004 season the company ran a Junior-team in the Spanish Championship, bringing yet another newcomer to the Grand Prix starting grid, when Junior Team rider Mikko Kyyhkynen stood in for injured Robbin Harms in three GP´s.

For season 2005 Ajo Motorsport continued on the talent finding route, already becoming a trademark for the Finnish team and its team manager Aki Ajo. The talents found for 2005, and 2006 for that matter, were Japanese Tomoyoshi Koyama and Frenchman Alexis Masbou. Continuing with the same rider-duo for 2006 the company also took the role of major technical developer, as the Finnish outfit took the responsibility of providing the machines and team operations for Italian Malaguti. The season started unlucky though, as in first race in Jerez both riders were injured in successive track sessions. During the season the team was forced to use several replacement riders (Kuzuhara, Froehlich, Otani), but in the process, and true to the roots and nature of the team and company, the replacement riders had their chance of taking on valuable experience at the top level of the racing world.

In season 2007 Ajo Motorsport turned for the Piaggio Group machinery, riding with the Derbi –brand with riders Austrian Michael Ranseder and Romanian Robert Muresan. During the season both riders developed well, and were able to gain both good experience and strong positions in races with some good results.

The 2008 season saw Ajo Motorsport continue with Derbi –machinery, this time signing with Frenchman and seasoned veteran Mike Di Meglio and young swiss talent Dominique Aegerter. The season proved to be a great success for the team as Di Meglio was to go on to take the 2008 World Championship title at the Phillip Island race, two races before the end of the season. Young Aegerter also gained much experience, and showed his potential in many races specially during the latter part of the season after gaining more and more experience.

The 2009 season commenced where the previous season had left off, with Derbi brand, and also the team’s second bike now the RSA-racing machine. As riders, the team signed German’s talent Sandro Cortese, who opened the season superbly with a podium finish in Qatar, and Swiss Dominique Aegerter, who gained even more experience with a strong showing throughout. Cortese continued further with podium form in the latter part of the season, gaining a pole positon in Assen in the process.

The 2010 season will see another development from the team and the company, as the bikes within the team will run in two different colours. New signing for the team is Spaniard Marc Marquez, riding for the Red Bull Ajo Motorsport –team with his Derbi RSA-machine. German Sandro Cortese continues with the Finnish outfit, riding his RSA under the team name of Avant Intact Ajo Motorsport. Both riders will operate from the same box of course, with the same professional group behind the riders as usual, its only the colours that will be the difference.

Take a closer look at the 2010 action, starting on 11.4.2010!!