Paul Bird reveals ambitious future MotoGP strategy

High profile British MotoGP boss Paul Bird has unveiled ambitious plans to run a factory-backed effort for Yamaha or Ducati in the 2015 world championship.

Bird currently runs an Aprilia ART machine for Yonny Hernandez, while Irishman Michael Laverty uses Aprilia’s motor but in a PBM frame designed and built in the UK.

Bird is expected to run two Aprilia-powered bikes using his own frame in 2014, though he may run Aprilia’s complete package next season, with the Italian factory preparing a radical upgrade next season.

But multi-millionaire businessman Bird has ambitious expansion plans for the future, which include on-going talks with Yamaha and Ducati about running a satellite squad.

Bird told MCN: “We’re already looking at our long term plans. We’ve prepared a four-year plan from 2015 onwards and we’re talking to some people about where we’re going. The deal would be for full factory bikes though.”

With Yamaha offering a Yamaha engine and chassis package and Ducati looking to sell a production version of its struggling Desmosedici, Bird has options but he was cagey about his preferred future route in the premier class.

He said: “We’ve been talking to both Yamaha and Ducati and I’m happy that there’s something on the way. We’ll keep working at it and it’ll hopefully build momentum through 2014.”