News Summary

CFMoto has taken a concrete step towards its long-term ambition of joining MotoGP, establishing a new motorsport technology centre in Rimini, Italy, as the Chinese manufacturer expands its racing activities and prepares the foundations for a possible future entry into motorcycle racing’s premier class.

The company already competes in Moto2 and Moto3 through its partnership with Aspar, but its ambitions extend beyond the junior categories. The new Italian facility will bring together engineering, racing development and industrial design expertise, allowing CFMoto to build a more substantial technical organisation in Europe.

Samantha Liu, general manager of CFMoto’s Motorsports Management Centre, confirmed that the project has entered its implementation phase, with recruitment and preparations for the new headquarters already underway.

Speaking to Visordown, Liu explained that the facility is being developed alongside the manufacturer’s existing research and development activities rather than as a completely independent racing operation.

“Our Italian technology centre, specifically for racing, is underway,” Liu said.

“We are working very hard to build the structure, to put the employees together, and also move into the new building,” she added.

The announcement provides a clearer picture of CFMoto’s ambitions, although the company has not committed to a particular season for its MotoGP debut.

CFMoto explains why Italian headquarters matter

The new racing department will be based in Rimini, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, an area with a strong concentration of motorcycle manufacturers, engineering specialists and racing organisations.

The location places CFMoto within reach of several important European motorsport businesses, including Ducati’s headquarters near Bologna.

However, Liu stressed that the new centre is not being established exclusively for MotoGP.

“It’s not a standalone team; it’s actually sitting beside our current R&D industrial design team that is in the same area. So they are working together,” she explained.

The arrangement will allow engineers to share knowledge between racing programmes and the manufacturer’s wider product-development activities.

CFMoto sees competition as a means of accelerating technical development, particularly in areas such as engine performance, electronics, materials, testing and engineering processes.

Liu said that the experience gained from racing could benefit several areas of the business, rather than serving only the objective of reaching the premier class.

“Is this going to be only for MotoGP? No. It’s helping us in several different fields, as you can imagine,” she said.

The executive also acknowledged the technical challenge involved in competing at the highest level of motorcycle racing.

“It’s going to be a long way, and we are prepared to be patient,” Liu explained.

The comments reinforce the manufacturer’s preference for gradual development instead of announcing an immediate entry without the necessary technical and operational foundations.

Aspar partnership provides a possible route to MotoGP

CFMoto’s existing relationship with Aspar is an important element of its expansion strategy.

The Chinese manufacturer first entered Grand Prix motorcycle racing in 2022 through the Moto3 programme operated by PrüstelGP. Its involvement expanded in 2024, when CFMoto replaced GasGas as Aspar’s title partner in Moto2 and Moto3.

The partnership gave the brand a stronger presence in the world championship and closer access to a successful racing organisation.

Aspar has won multiple titles in the junior categories and has a long history in MotoGP, having competed in the premier class until 2018.

Team owner Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’ has previously acknowledged that returning to MotoGP is a shared ambition, although he has repeatedly emphasised the financial and technical challenges involved.

Earlier in 2026, reports suggested that Aspar and CFMoto were examining a possible return as early as 2027, potentially using KTM machinery while a longer-term manufacturer project was developed.

However, Martínez subsequently rejected the suggestion that a 2027 entry was being prepared, stressing that the project required more time.

The new Italian headquarters therefore represents a concrete development in CFMoto’s broader strategy, not confirmation of an immediate MotoGP entry.

MotoGP’s 2027 agreements complicate a new manufacturer entry

CFMoto’s ambitions must also be considered against MotoGP’s existing commercial structure.

The championship currently features five manufacturers: Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, KTM and Yamaha. All five have signed agreements covering the 2027–2031 period, alongside the championship’s existing teams.

Those agreements provide stability for the new technical era, but they also limit the options available to a manufacturer seeking to join the championship.

A potential CFMoto programme would therefore require negotiations over a grid position, potentially involving an existing team or another approved arrangement.

There are also significant technical questions.

MotoGP will introduce 850cc engines in 2027, replacing the current 1000cc machines, alongside revised aerodynamic regulations and a new tyre supplier.

Developing a competitive motorcycle for that environment would require substantial investment in engine design, electronics, chassis engineering and testing.

CFMoto’s new Italian centre could contribute to those capabilities, but the manufacturer has not confirmed that it is developing a complete MotoGP prototype.

CFMoto expands its international racing programme

The company’s motorsport ambitions are not limited to the Grand Prix paddock.

CFMoto is also expanding its involvement in production-based motorcycle racing, with its future V4-powered sports bike expected to support the brand’s longer-term sporting ambitions.

Another confirmed development will come in 2027, when CFMoto replaces Yamaha as the motorcycle supplier for the Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, known as WorldWCR.

That programme will increase the manufacturer’s visibility within the World Superbike paddock and provide another platform for developing its competition operations.

Combined with its Moto2 and Moto3 presence, the initiative demonstrates how CFMoto is building a broader racing structure before committing to the considerable expense of a MotoGP factory programme.

Liu emphasised that the manufacturer intends to follow its own development strategy rather than rush into the premier class.

“We are CFMoto, and we’re working on our own way. We want to be a brand that is CFMoto, and we focus on our strategy,” she said.

The manufacturer has not announced an entry date, a MotoGP technical partner or a confirmed premier-class team agreement.

MotoGP returns for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on October 23–25, with the championship approaching its decisive final rounds. GRANDE PRÊMIO will follow the weekend and the developments surrounding the sport’s future manufacturers through its MotoGP coverage.