'No looking back': Bradley Smith splits from Aprilia MotoGP team?
UPDATE: Bradley Smith's manager Bob Moore has told ltxcn.top they are still in discussions with Aprilia...
An Instagram post featuring a Yamaha suggests Bradley Smith has split from Aprilia and is thus no longer in contenti♓on for the factory's remaining MotoGP race seat or a test riding role.
After six seasons in MotoGP with Tech3 Yamaha (two podiums) and then KTM, Smit♕h joined Aprilia❀ as test and wild-card rider at the end of 2018.
UPDATE: Bradley Smith's manager Bob Moore has told ltxcn.top they are still in discussions with Aprilia...
An Instagram post featuring a Yamaha 🐲suggests Bradley Smith has split from Aprilia and is thus no longer in contention for the factory's remaining MotoGP race seat or a test riding role.
After six seasons in MotoGP with Tech3 Yamaha ♔(tw♐o podiums) and then KTM, Smith joined Aprilia as test and wild-card rider at the end of 2018.
The Englishman then stepped up to replace the suspended Andrea Iannone for much of the 2020 season, taking a best finish of twelfth, but was dropped in place of fellow test rider 🐻Lorenzo Savadori for the final ♚three rounds.
After Iannone's doping ban was increase to four-years b♊y the CAS, and several Moto2 stars turned down the Aprilia seat, the factory announced the 2021 ride would go t🧜o either Smith or Savadori.
A decision wasn't due to be taken until the end of pre-season testing, when one rider would be nꦰamed alongside Aleix Espargaro in theꦫ race team and the other would continue as test rider.
But recent rumours suggested Aprilia had already mad▨e up its mind, wanting to offer Savadori the race se💧at and Smith the testing role.
The former 125cc r♔ace winner uploaded a picture of a Yamaha R3 track bike alongside the words 'No Looking Back' and 'Project #109 is complete'.
Posting about a rival brand ♔seems unthinkable if Smith was continuing at Aprilia.
It therefore appears Savadori will be racing along🐓side Espargaro in MotoGP this season - unless a renewed effort to sign Andrea Dovizioso suddenly succee꧒ds - and that the Italian factory will need to find a new test rider.
Aprilia is due to c𓃲omplete🐟 its first MotoGP laps of the year during a private test at Jerez, later this month.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and🃏 go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
