MotoGP: Aleix Espargaró confirmed at Aprilia

Aleix Espargaró will, as reported a number of weeks ago by MCN, join Sam Lowes at the Gresini Aprilia team for the 2017 and 2018 season. Dumped by Suzuki and replaced by Andrea Iannone, the Spaniard has secured another factory bike in the form of the rapidly developing RS-GP machine.

He had been linked to a number of deals in the weeks leading up to Sunday night’s announcement, but with the option to remain on a factory Grand Prix machine he is believed to have turned down offers from both Kawasaki and Ducati in World Superbikes.

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Instead, the Spaniard will now join Lowes at the Noale factory. He is set to get his 2017 campaign underway later this week, when he tests the new RS-GP MotoGP machine for the first time at Italy’s Misano circuit, the first in a series of tests ahead of his debut next season in the class.

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