Aprilia announced Lorenzo Savadori as a replacement of Bradley Smith for the rest of the 2020 MotoGP season.
Having taken up the role of being a Aprilia factory rider due to the doping ban for Andrea Iannone, Smith has had a difficult time so far with just the 12 points in the 11 MotoGP rounds he has raced alongside Aleix Espargaro.
The Spaniard, as well, hasn’t had a great time as mechanical issues and crashes has left him with just the 27 points. With three races to go in the 2020 MotoGP season, Aprilia has decided to reward their to-be full-time test rider, Savadori.
The Italian will make his MotoGP debut during the European GP at Valencia and will then see-through the 2020 season in Portimao. “To say I’m happy would be an understatement and I wish to thank Aprilia Racing straight away for this great opportunity,” said Savadori.
“I will be arriving prepared for the event, thanks both to the work done during the tests on the RS-GP and to the CIV season that just ended. It was a challenging Championship that demanded top form and maximum concentration from me.
“Now I need to reorganise my thoughts, glean from the kilometres I’ve ridden astride the RS-GP and make sure I’m ready and focused for the first practice session,” summed up Savadori, who was crowned the Italian Superbike champion this year.
At the same time, Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO, added: “First and foremost, I wish to thank Bradley for his efforts this season. He took one the unexpected role of factory rider with great dignity and outstanding performance, and his contribution was extremely valuable. Now we are excitedly awaiting Lorenzo’s début.
“This promotion is certainly a reward for his great season as a CIV rider, dominating the Superbike category. But it is also a step of growth for a rider who will be a tester for our RS-GP in 2021 as well. Riding our fledgling project in the race as well will certainly be a step forward for Lorenzo and, therefore, for all of Aprilia Racing.”
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