Corti signs for Yakhnich MV Agusta team

MV Agusta has announced that Claudio Corti is to spearhead its full factory return to the World Superbike Championship in 2014.

The Italian marque, which last week confirmed its much anticipated move into the Superbike class as part of a deal with Russian outfit Yakhnich Motorsport, made the announcement on the birthday of late MV Agusta owner Claudio Castiglioni.

Corti's signing comes after a season spent competing in the CRT tier of MotoGP, the 26-year-old picking up a best finish of 12th place aboard the Forward FTR-Kawasaki to finish seventh in the privateer class.

Though he has spent recent seasons competing in the GP paddock, Corti is a three-time runner-up at FIM Superstock 1000 level, while he produced an eye-catching turn aboard the unfancied Pedercini Kawasaki Superbike during a one-off outing at Magny-Cours last year.

The Yakhnich MV Agusta deal, however, represents his first foray into full-time Superbike racing, the Italian delighted to be associated with such an iconic manufacturer.

"When the team offered me a place, well, the decision couldn't have been easier," Corti, who is set to test the F4 RR for the first time next week, said. "I'm honoured and can't help but feel the responsibility of being part, together with the entire team, of such an ambitious project with none other than MV Agusta, a manufacturer that is a motorcycling legend.

"Everyone on the team is going to have their work cut out for them during this first year in the World Superbike Championship. I'm looking forward to giving it my all, drawing on all the experience gained so far and turning goals into results."

Meanwhile, Jules Cluzel and Vladimir Leonov have been confirmed to ride the MV Agusta F3RR in the World Supersport Championshp, where they will look to defend Yakhnich's 2013 title, achieved by Sam Lowes on a Yamaha.