MotoGP Gossip: Sito Pons facing long jail term over tax evasion case
- Two-time 250GP champion and title-winning team owner Sito Pons could be facing a long stint in prison after prosecutors in a tax evasion case recommended a hefty 24-year sentence. Pons, who won the 1988 and 1989 250GP World Championship, has since gone to become a successful team owner, with his eponymous outfit clinching the 2013 Moto2 title with Pol Espargaro.
Prosecutors have been investigating the period between 2010 and 2014 when he was purported to be living in London and Monaco, when financial and phone records indicate he was mostly in Spain. He is accused of evading 2.7million in tax, prompting the recommendation of 24 years in jail, together with a 12million euros fine. (ABC via Visordown)
- Valentino Rossi’s ‘right hand man’ Alessio ‘Uccio’ Salucci has all but confirmed the Italian will race on into 2021 as expected, adding that the anticipated deal with Petronas SRT Yamaha could be announced by the end of the month. Rossi has increasingly intimated that it is his intention to race on next year aboard a factory-backed Yamaha M1 in Petronas SRT colours. While PSRT boss Razlan Razali says talks have been positive – but ‘not easy’ – Uccio says he has a ‘great desire’ to continue next year and he will ‘surprise us all’. (Marca)
- Honda MotoGP development rider Stefan Bradl says either Cal Crutchlow or Takaaki Nakagami could find a good ‘Plan B’ in the WorldSBK Championship next year if one of them is frozen out of the LCR Honda MotoGP team. With Pol Espargaro rumoured to be closing on a deal to join Repsol Honda, Alex Marquez is likely to be shifted over to the LCR squad at the expense of Crutchlow or Nakagami. Any WorldSBK move for Crutchlow would be a return to the series he raced in briefly in 2011 before moving up to MotoGP, while it would represent Nakagami’s debut. Bradl says “Honda now has a powerful team, which could be an alternative”. (Speedweek)
- Valentino Rossi is busily staying active and preparing to make get back to ‘match fitness’ by getting out on at his ranch,,,
