Mahindra gifts Francesco Bagnaia its race-winning Moto3 bike

Mahindra Moto3 boss Mufaddal Choonia, on Tuesday, gifted its former factory Aspar rider Francesco Bagnaia with the 2016 race-winning MGP3O bike.

Choonia revealed that he had promised the VR46 Academy rider in Qatar last year, when the Italian took a podium finish, that he would present Bagnaia the Moto3 bike, should he win a race in 2016.

The Italian obliged with a fantastic run at Assen last year, to claim his and the manufacturer's first win in the Moto3 world championship in a closely fought race.

Choonia said: "We are here to celebrate a very very important and a very emotional [thing], because today is the day that we are actually fulfilling a promise.

"Last year at the Qatar Grand Prix, after Pecco's sensational podium, he came up to me and said, Mufaddal, what will you give me if I get Mahindra, it's first win that year?

"There's a lot of things that we could have given him, maybe a cash incentive or some lovely holiday somewhere, but we thought, let's try and give him something that would make him remember Mahindra for his entire career.

"Because we know for sure, Pecco is going to have a fabulous career ahead of him, as we know he was second in the race in Jerez, in only his fourth race in Moto2 [this season].

"[So], there's one thing that would always remain part of his career that his first grand prix win came on a Mahindra and that day at Assen, I promised that I'll give him the bike on which he has won in Assen.

"We are here to handover that very machine, which is part of our history and Pecco's history of his career," the Indian added.

Bagnaia added: "For sure, this is one of the biggest presents that someone give to me and it is very important to share this with this fantastic [Mahindra] family.

"For me, it was an incredible day in Assen, my first victory and also for Mahindra and surely that day will stay with me for the rest of my life."

Post his maiden win in Assen, Bagnaia took another win in Malaysia along with a total of four podium finishes (Qatar, Jerez, Mugello & Silvertsone) to end up fourth in the riders' standings.

The Italian has since graduated to Moto2 with Sky Racing Team VR46 for the 2017 season and sits fifth in the standings - also the highest rookie rider, after claiming his maiden podium in the last round at Jerez.

[Image courtesy: Aspar]