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MOTOGP MOVES AND SHAKES

MotoGP moves and shakes - Photo: LAT

By Dan McCarthy

MotoGP moves and shakes - Photo: LAT

MotoGP moves and shakes – Photo: LAT

The MotoGP silly season continues as riders sign deals and rumours spread like wildfire.

By DAN McCARTHY

In recent days factory Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci confirmed that he would be leaving the Italian squad at the end of the 2020 season, just days after Aussie Jack Miller was confirmed at the red team for 2021.

Lead rider Andrea Dovizioso’s contract negotiations with Ducati were reported by European sources to have stalled over financial disagreements, however discussions now appear to be back underway.

Petrucci, the one-time Grand Prix winner joined the factory red team at the start of last year but confirmed that Ducati did not renew his services. It seems unlikely that he would return to Ducati customer squad Pramac, leaving his only viable option a seat with factory team Aprilia alongside Aleix Espargaro.

Espargaro announced a new two-year deal with the Noale factory through until at least the end of 2022. The older Espargaro brother joined the team in 2017 from Suzuki and since then has scored a best race result of sixth.

“I am happy about this confirmation. The human aspect is extremely important for me, and in four seasons, Aprilia has become my second family, so with this contract, which is certainly the most important of my career, they demonstrated that I am at the centre of this project,” Aleix Espargaro said.

“On a technical level, the growth in recent months convinced me, with the arrival of many reinforcements and the debut of the 2020 RS-GP, which did so well in the tests. I feel like we need to finish the job we started over the winter. I can’t wait to get back together with my entire team and race with the new bike, to take this project where it deserves to be.”

At this stage it is unknown who will join Espargaro at the team this season as Andrea Iannone’s 18-month drug ban appears unlikely to be overruled and could even be extended to four years.

Aleix’s younger brother Pol Espargaro has been heavily linked to a ride alongside Marc Marquez at the factory Repsol Honda team in 2021, to replace Marc’s younger brother Alex after just one season.

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