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Marco Melandri has admitted he only came back to MotoGP with Aprilia reluctantly and would have preferred to remain in World Superbikes for 2015.

Aprilia has dropped its factory WSBK programme in favour of its new MotoGP project with Gresini, and brought Melandri back to grand prix racing with it.

Melandri's return was the last 2015 MotoGP deal to be announced, and he conceded that the process involved had been "strange".

"It's all happened very quickly, very abruptly. It's been strange," he told Motosprint.

"At the time when the chance for Aprilia to do MotoGP instead of Superbikes was becoming concrete, they took up the option to make me stay for 2015.

"I was a bit perplexed, I couldn't understand it. But at the same time I was happy because I was convinced that, in the end, the SBK project would have gone on.

"Instead, shortly after, I was asked to find an agreement again - but for MotoGP.

"It was difficult to decide, that's why I took my time.

"I have only tried to understand if it was possible to stay another year in order to win in SBK, while beginning work for MotoGP in 2016. But that wasn't possible."

Asked if he had pushed to get answers over Aprilia's change of plan, Melandri replied: "No, because I already have one thousand questions that need answers.

"And besides, even if I had an answer, it wouldn't change the situation."

He is concerned that the Aprilia project will be a long way off the pace at first.

Its initial bike will have its roots in the ART machinery used by CRT/Open class MotoGP teams in recent seasons, before a new MotoGP bike is prepared for the major technical rule changes in 2016.

"We are trying to catch up, and I don't know how much progress we can do in the short term," Melandri said.

"We need to live it like an experience ahead of 2016 - that's the important year."

The 32-year-old Italian, who won five grands prix on Gresini's Hondas in 2005 and '06, is confident Aprilia will make progress given time, and that he is still quick enough to succeed in MotoGP.

"I'm returning a bit quietly now - we know we certainly don't have victories in our sights at the start, but we have an important and ambitious project," he said.

"I'm not afraid of not being able to adapt to modern MotoGP riding, but I'm not going to say that I'll be as quick as [Marc] Marquez, as that would be arrogant and stupid.

"When I'm well sorted, I can be quick."

Translation by Michele Lostia