Motorcycle World Championship changes, signings and moves

The Motorcycle World Championship moves very fast, there are signings, changes of teams, of riders and everything ahead of the 2012 season, which is about to begin, since the current season is about to finish at the Cheste circuit, so rumours of comings and goings flood the paddock.

Let’s review some possible moves in the Moto2 and MotoGP categories. In the intermediate class there is a lot of coming and going. The first news we had is that Julián Simón will not continue with Team Aspar, and it has already been officially confirmed by Jorge Martínez. The Toledo rider’s destination is Team BQR, a team that supposedly will only have one bike, so Tito Rabat and Yonny Hernández will have to leave their place.

In principle, Tito Rabat seems to have signed with Sito Pons for next season and will be a Kalex rider for 2012, so he would already have his future secured, while his teammate Hernández has every chance of moving up to MotoGP with one of the two BQR CRTs, so we will see him in the big class, and it seems that alongside Iván Silva as a teammate.

But then what happens with Aleix Espargaró, who currently occupies the seat that would be Rabat’s… well, it seems the eldest of the Espargarós will also move up to the top class with another CRT, in this case Aspar’s, after being left without a Ducati for next season.

Another name that has been mentioned a lot these days is Pol Espargaró, one of the most wanted given his performances in the latest rounds. The Catalan had several options, but the ones that sounded strongest were with Pons or staying at his current team, and today his manager has almost confirmed that the Catalan will stay at his current team, the HP Tuenti Speed Up, because the 44 wants to return all the support and affection he has received in the bad moments.

In MotoGP the name that resonates most is Álvaro Bautista. Everyone is waiting for the decision of the 19th, since depending on him there will be some moves or others. For now it seems that Suzuki has confirmed it will start the 2012 season with the 800cc, and in mid-season will bring out the 1000cc. So this is bad news that could set back Bauti’s aspirations to continue with the blue bullet. He could therefore reconsider the options of Honda, both LCR and Gresini, but we have to wait until tomorrow for official confirmations.

Depending on what Bauti chooses, De Puniet will end up at LCR or will have to look for other doors, such as a CRT or Superbikes, so there is still a lot to know.

It is also worth mentioning that Barberá will not continue with Aspar. He will take his step to Pramac Racing to keep working with his Ducati, with which he is doing a great job. The Toni Elías matter is more complicated: it seems he has to decide between a CRT or returning to Moto2, with his move to Superbikes completely ruled out in principle.

And of course there is one bike, a Honda that right now and unfortunately is empty… Sic’s RC213V, which will have a new owner shortly, and which has Andrea Iannone, a Moto2 rider, as its candidate.

Many changes, we have to wait.

Photo | MotoGP Official website