We speculated a few days ago that Niccolo Canepa had fewer days left in MotoGP than was expected, and today that speculation came true. GPone.com reported today that Pramac Ducati’s manager, Paolo Campitoni, has announced that Aleix Espargaro will be riding for the satellite Ducati squad in Estoril. With Casey Stoner slated to return at the Portugal round, Mika Kallio will be returning to Pramac, which means that for Espargaro to ride, Canepa will have to step aside.
The news has upset Canepa, and his manager is currently in talks with Pramac to ensure he gets paid for the rest of the season. Canepa’s contract does not stipulate that he must ride, only that he must be paid, so Espargaro will most likely be filling in pro-bono.
The battle between Espargaro and Canepa is hardly finished, however; both are slated to be potential candidates for Pramac’s Moto2 project next year, and while Espargaro would certainly like to stay in the premier class, spending a year in Moto2 might be more beneficial for the surprise Spaniard. If Espargaro continues to be successful, expect to see him riding somewhere for Pramac next year, while Canepa will most likely have to step back to World Superbike or World Superstock.
