Putting the rest of the MotoGP puzzle together.
In what has been undoubtedly the most manic rider market in perhaps even the history of MotoGP, there are still a handful of spots left to fill.
These seats are namely at Trackhouse Aprilia, LCR Honda and Pramac (who make the switch to Yamaha). Though it is yet to be officially, announced, Fermin Aledguir is a Gresini rider in all but confirmation. While Miguel Oliveira seems to be the odds-on bet for the lead seat at Pramac, there isn’t a clear indicator of who will partner the Portuguese rider.
It was speculated that either Alonso Lopez or Sergio Garcia could make the step up from Moto2. Both riders have had strong Moto2 campaigns thus far. There have been flashes of brilliance from Lopez, whilst Garcia has been the dark horse of Moto2 this year, the Spaniard currently a top the Moto2 standings. However, it has been reported by Motorsport.com’s Dutch site that the title sponsor of Pramac, Prima, wants neither Lopez nor Garcia on their bikes next season. This is reportedly due to the company wanting an Italian rider to fill at least one of the vacant spots.
Tony Arbolino’s name has been thrown into the ring as a potential candidate for stepping onto the satellite Yamaha next year. Despite a difficult season, that has yielded the best of a 6th thus far, the Italian may have to find an increase in form to get his name on the dotted line.
Another struggling rider in potential contention for the second Pramac seat is Jack Miller. The four-time race winner has had a bruising second season in orange, so much so that he was dropped in favour of rookie Acosta before the midway point of the year. Though Miller had previously stated that he hadn’t had a single offer, it was rumoured that Ducati had offered him Alvaro Bautista’s World Superbike seat. With still no confirmation of plans for next year from Bautista, a return to red could be an option for the Australian.
Remy Gardner has also been linked to moving into the Pramac outfit, in what would be a return to the GP paddock. The Australian has been looking like the strongest Yamaha rider in World Superbikes this season, stepping onto the podium back in Assen. Gardner has made two GP appearances already this season, filling in for Alex Rins in Germany before taking over an injured Cal Crutchlow’s spot at the British GP. So, with at least some experience of the M1, Gardner could be a solid option for a second rider.
It’s not just Pramac that has a spot that needs filling, as Trackhouse Aprilia are still searching for a rider to partner Raul Fernandez next season. After a pretty stellar start to his campaign, the smart money would have been on American Joe Roberts, seeing that it is an American-owned team......
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5moWell, this news is creating mixed feelings. Aleix did a very good job, he believe(d) in Aprilia when long time nobody was thinking of a gp win. He showed world champion attitude and brought the brand much forward. Muchas gracias ALEIX!