Photo: motogp.com
Paddock rumors say that the next round, the Indianapolis race which will take place this very weekend could be the last time when we get to see Colin Edwards aboard an official MotoGP bike. The Texas Tornado is said to be heading directly home after the Indianapolis round, and call it quits before the actual end of the 2014 season.
Earlier this year Edwards, 40, announced his intentions to hang his leathers at the end of the current season, but it looks like he reached an agreement with NGM boss Giovanni Cuzari for an early retirement after the first round of the second half of the championship. At the same time, Edwards is rumored to be back on a MotoGP bike for the final round at Valencia, to properly salute the fans and say good-bye to his real-life friends and on-track rivals.
This means that Cuzari will have to find a substitute for Colin Edwards really fast, with Alex De Angelis being the name which constantly seems to be mentioned for the job. The San-Marino rider will then have to part with hiw Moto2 Tasca Racing team and rejoin with NGM, his former 2013 team in the intermediate class. With Aleix Espargaro’s official confirmation at Suzuki, NGM Forward Racing will field Stefan Bradl as De Angelis’ team mate in 2015. Bradl left LCR Honda and was replaced by Cal Crutchlow.
Crutchlow’s unexpected move from Ducati to the Honda satellite LCR team (after initially conforming one more year with the reds) caught Pramac Ducati off-guard. Their top man Andrea Iannone instantly became a full factory rider and team mate for Andrea Dovizioso, and this leaves Pramac one rider short, with only Yonny Hernandez signed for 2015.
One of the initial choices, Bradl is no longer available, and team boss Francesco Guidotti sort of becries the lack of choice he has. So far the Italian manager can only enumerate the few possible choices he has for a rider to replace Iannone, mentioning Superbike riders Eugene Laverty (brother to Michael Laverty) and Jonathan Rea, alongside the name of Danilo Petrucci.
Guidotti also adds that Petrucci could be the favorite, with his MotoGP experience, upcoming end of contract with IodaRacing and the fact that he is younger. Age seems to be one of the key assets for the ideal rider Pramac is looking for, as the satellite Ducati team needs a multiple-year deal with a rider to help them develop the bike, and hopefully – develop the new Desmosedici Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna is working on.
This means that Cuzari will have to find a substitute for Colin Edwards really fast, with Alex De Angelis being the name which constantly seems to be mentioned for the job. The San-Marino rider will then have to part with hiw Moto2 Tasca Racing team and rejoin with NGM, his former 2013 team in the intermediate class. With Aleix Espargaro’s official confirmation at Suzuki, NGM Forward Racing will field Stefan Bradl as De Angelis’ team mate in 2015. Bradl left LCR Honda and was replaced by Cal Crutchlow.
Crutchlow’s unexpected move from Ducati to the Honda satellite LCR team (after initially conforming one more year with the reds) caught Pramac Ducati off-guard. Their top man Andrea Iannone instantly became a full factory rider and team mate for Andrea Dovizioso, and this leaves Pramac one rider short, with only Yonny Hernandez signed for 2015.
One of the initial choices, Bradl is no longer available, and team boss Francesco Guidotti sort of becries the lack of choice he has. So far the Italian manager can only enumerate the few possible choices he has for a rider to replace Iannone, mentioning Superbike riders Eugene Laverty (brother to Michael Laverty) and Jonathan Rea, alongside the name of Danilo Petrucci.
Guidotti also adds that Petrucci could be the favorite, with his MotoGP experience, upcoming end of contract with IodaRacing and the fact that he is younger. Age seems to be one of the key assets for the ideal rider Pramac is looking for, as the satellite Ducati team needs a multiple-year deal with a rider to help them develop the bike, and hopefully – develop the new Desmosedici Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna is working on.
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