Jorge Martinez, known as "Aspar," founded the team in 1992 while still competing himself on a Honda RS125R. For 1993 he expanded operations into the 250cc class with Juan Borja, before switching to Yamaha TZ125 machinery for two seasons. From 1996, Aspar began an 18-year partnership with Aprilia, a relationship that formed the backbone of the team's competitive identity in the smaller classes.
During the Aprilia years, the team fielded riders including Fonsi Nieto and Arnaud Vincent before re-entering the 250cc class in 2000 with Alex Debon. The team's 250cc roster over the following years included Toni Elias, Alex de Angelis, Sebastian Porto, and Randy de Puniet, bringing consistent points and occasional podiums.
The team's greatest period of success in the 125cc class came between 2006 and 2011, when Aspar riders claimed four World Championship titles. Alvaro Bautista won the title in 2006, Gabor Talmacsi in 2007, Julian Simon in 2008, and Nicolas Terol in 2011. Bradley Smith also raced for the team in that era, finishing fourth in 2010.
In 2010 Aspar entered the MotoGP premier class with Hector Barbera aboard a Ducati Desmosedici GP10, with Barbera finishing twelfth overall. The team also had Julian Simon finish second in the inaugural Moto2 season. Barbera remained for 2011, recording a best result of sixth at the Spanish Grand Prix, before Aspar expanded to two MotoGP bikes in 2012 switching from Ducati to ART machinery as Claiming Rule Team entrants.
In the CRT category, which allowed teams to run production-based prototypes under relaxed technical rules, Aleix Espargaro and Randy de Puniet delivered dominant results across two consecutive seasons. Espargaro claimed three straight CRT class titles between 2012 and 2014. In 2014 the team moved to Honda machinery, recruiting former MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden to partner Hiroshi Aoyama. Irishman Eugene Laverty joined in 2015 for what proved Hayden's final full MotoGP season before he transitioned to the Superbike World Championship.
Before the 2018 season, the team renamed itself Angel Nieto Team as a tribute to Jorge Fernandez's late compatriot Angel Nieto, the legendary 13-times world champion. Nieto's son Gelete became the new team principal. At the start of 2020, the team returned to its Aspar name.
On the competitive front, 2020 brought a return to world championship glory when Albert Arenas won the Moto3 title, ending a nine-year wait since Terol's 2011 triumph. The team then won Moto3 again in 2022 with Izan Guevara, and in 2024 David Alonso delivered another title in historic fashion. Alonso set multiple records in that 2024 season, including the most overall Moto3 wins, the most consecutive Moto3 victories, and the most wins in a single season across all classes.
Also in 2024, Aspar began a partnership with Chinese motorcycle manufacturer CFMoto, extended through 2031, marking a significant new chapter in the team's equipment and commercial strategy. The team additionally joined the MotoE World Championship at its inception in 2019 with Nicolas Terol and Maria Herrera.
Over more than three decades, Aspar Team has developed into one of Grand Prix motorcycle racing's most enduring institutions, providing a pathway for Spanish talent and producing consistent world champions in the junior classes. The team's combination of longevity, championship success, and development of riders at all levels of the sport cements its place among the most significant teams in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
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