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Aprilia have today confirmed another of the worst-kept secrets in the paddock, announcing that they have signed Scott Redding to replace Sam Lowes in the Gresini Aprilia MotoGP team for the 2018 season. 

The news came as no surprise, after it became apparent that Aprilia had decide to break Lowes' contract at the end of this season. Lowes had been contracted for two seasons in MotoGP, but Aprilia decided to invoke an escape clause after the Englishman had struggled at the start of the season. For the full background to the story, read the Friday MotoGP round up from Austria.

With Redding confirmed at Aprilia, that leaves five seats officially still open for 2018. Most of those seats are close to being filled, however. Aspar is very close to extending their deal with Karel Abraham for another year. The second seat at LCR (if it happens, as that is still not 100% certain) will be filled by Taka Nakagami. 

The seats at Avintia Ducati are also still open, though the list of candidates there is very small. It looks like Hector Barbera and Loris Baz will be out from the team, despite Baz posting some solid results. Tito Rabat is believed to be close to a deal for one of the bikes in the Avintia garage, while there are strong and credible rumors that Xavier Simeon could take the other seat. That would be a surprising move, as Simeon has had a thoroughly nondescript career in Moto2, after a single notable victory at the Sachsenring in 2015. But he is said to have the backing of Belgian TV and several other interests, and be bringing around €1 million to the team.

That leaves only the seat at Marc VDS. Sam Lowes is one rider under discussion for that seat, after he was ousted from Aprilia. Stefan Bradl is also talking to the Marc VDS team, in the hope of returning to MotoGP after a disastrous year in WorldSBK. The choice looks to be between those two riders, though rumors persist of Tom Luthi moving up from Moto2. Luthi seems an unlikely candidate, however, as having two rookies from Moto2 in the team at the same time is a risky step to take. Risky, but not impossible, as Tech 3 has demonstrated this year.

More news is likely to be announced in the next few days. The last few seats in MotoGP should be filled before MotoGP leaves Europe for the flyaways.

Below is the official press release from Aprilia on the deal with Redding:

SCOTT REDDING WITH APRILIA IN MOTOGP FOR 2018
ESPARGARÓ AND REDDING TOGETHER TO FORM A MOTIVATED, WELL-ROUNDED DUO WITH GREAT POTENTIAL
ROMANO ALBESIANO: “HIS TALENT AND THE GROWTH OF THE RS-GP FOR IMPORTANT RESULTS”

British rider Scott Redding will team up with Aleix Espargaró and Aprilia Racing astride an RS-GP in the 2018 MotoGP World Championship.

Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing Manager, commented: “Scott is a rider who, in spite of his young age, has significant experience in MotoGP. We are pleased to have him join our project and we think that his talent and the continued growth of the RS-GP will allow the team and him to achieving important results.

Our bike has grown consistently, race after race. The goal to battle stably in the top ten has been more than achieved. And while further steps in technical development are on their way already this season, with this agreement with Scott, we are preparing for next season. Aprilia will be at the starting line with a pair of quality riders that have interesting potential. Aleix is demonstrating more and more that he is a high quality rider and a guarantee for the team. With Scott's contribution, we expect that the team's work will bring Aprilia even closer to the top of the championship, into the positions that such a glorious brand deserves to occupy.

At the same time, we bid Sam Lowes farewell, certainly thanking him for his commitment and efforts during this, his rookie season in MotoGP, and for the contribution he has made to the team's growth. He is a rider who will doubtless be able to express his talent, but right now we must make choices that allow us to fulfil our commitments to the Piaggio Group and our fans. We will continue to work together with the efforts we have always made so that he can have a good season finale and we wish Sam all the best for his career in the future.”

Born in 1993, Scott Redding took his first steps in World Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing astride an Aprilia in the 125 class. In the 2008 season, his rookie year, he took a win at his home GP in Donington Park. In 2010 he moved over to Moto2, where he would remain for four seasons, taking 3 wins and 11 podiums. In MotoGP since 2014, as his best result, he boasts a third place finish at Misano in 2015 and Assen in 2016.

Pramac Ducati have announced they have signed Jack Miller for the 2018 MotoGP season. The Australian will ride a Desmosedici alongside Danilo Petrucci next year. Miller's contract is directly with Ducati, however, rather than Pramac.

The move had been rumored for some time, and had been expected to be announced last week at Brno. But last week, Miller was still waiting for details of the package his current Marc VDS team could offer. Marc VDS, in turn, were waiting for confirmation from HRC of exactly what equipment they would be supplying, and more importantly, which personnel would be available.

Reportedly, Miller was keen to keep his current team together, but as his crew chief and much of the crew were employed by HRC rather than Marc VDS, he was dependent on what Honda wanted to do. When no information was forthcoming from HRC, Miller accepted the offer from Ducati, which had been on the table for several weeks. Miller will ride a Desmosedici GP17 at Pramac.

Miller's move to Pramac raises several questions elsewhere. First of all, his departure from Marc VDS leaves an open seat at the team. Secondly, his arrival at Pramac leaves Scott Redding looking for a seat. It is tempting to put two and two together, and see Redding return to the team with which he had so much success in Moto2, but that is by no means a foregone conclusion. Marc VDS is said to have a long list of potential candidates to fill the seat, though obviously Redding remains a possibility.

Other names in contention include Stefan Bradl, but it is believed the German would not be a popular choice for the team. Marc VDS is also looking at other riders in Moto2, but the most obvious candidates to make the move up to MotoGP are already signed up, either in Moto2 or MotoGP.

The press release from Pramac Ducati appears below:

Octo Pramac Racing announces agreement with Jack Miller for 2018 MotoGP season
The Australian rider, directly under contract with Ducati, will defend the colours of the Team on board a Ducati Desmosedici GP

The Octo Pramac Racing team wishes to announce that it has reached an agreement for 2018 with Jack Miller. The Australian rider, who will be directly under contract with Ducati, will defend the colours of the Tuscany-based team in the MotoGP World Championship on board a Ducati Desmosedici GP bike as team-mate to Danilo Petrucci.

Born in Townsville, Queensland, on 18th January 1995, Miller made his debut in the 125 cc World Championship in 2011 and then moved immediately into Moto3, where he finished runner-up in the 2014 season. The Australian rider then joined MotoGP the following year and, in 2016, scored his first win in the Dutch GP at Assen.

The new fairing unveiled by Ducati yesterday was not entirely complete. On Saturday morning, the fairing fitted to Danilo Petrucci's Pramac Ducati revealed an added layer of complexity and variability. Below is the new fairing used by Jorge Lorenzo, and fitted to the bike yesterday:

 

Funky fairing on both of Lorenzo's bikes, but not on Dovizioso's

A post shared by David Emmett (@motomatters) on

Aug 5, 2017 at 12:41am PDT

The aerodynamic package consists of a side pod on each side, with two large aerodynamic surfaces at the top and bottom.

But that is not the complete package. As you can see from Petrucci's fairing below, the side pod allows the number of internal vanes to be varied. Petrucci's bike has a single internal vane added (in white in the picture), which will increase the amount of downforce.

 

Extra internal vanes on Petrucci's bike, for more downforce. Only one of his bikes has the fairing.

A post shared by David Emmett (@motomatters) on

Aug 5, 2017 at 12:43am PDT

It is clear from the design that the side pods are meant to be swappable to change the amount of downforce at different tracks. If you look closely at the top of the side pods, you can see that the outer vertical element of the pod is attached with a couple of screws at the top, and a couple of screws at the bottom. That makes it possible to unbolt an element with no internal vane and replace it with one with an internal vane quite quickly.

That is allowed under the rules. The aerodynamic regulations mean that only the external shape has to be homologated. What happens on the inside of the side pods is completely free. Yamaha exploited the same loophole in the design of their aerodynamic package, using different numbers of internal vanes at different tracks. Interestingly, Yamaha are not using their aerodynamic package at Brno, while Ducati and Honda experiment. Suzuki, similarly, are not using their aero fairing.

However, the side pods on Petrucci's and Lorenzo's bikes are different. Petrucci's extends much further down the side of the fairing, the lower part containing a lower wing. The question is whether these have been homologated as two fairings or as one. Technically, the rules say that the outer shape must remain unchanged. However, teams are allowed to attach and detach bolt-on parts, such as is the case with the Honda aerodynamic package. If the upper and lower sections are regarded as detachable parts (which the prominently visible screws suggest they are), then the entire package may be regarded as a single, homologated part. This can be cleared up by MotoGP Technical Director Danny Aldridge. We shall attempt to get an affinitive answer from him later.

Another note on the size of the side pods of the Ducati. In the flesh, the side pods aren't as large as they look in photos. They are still significant - roughly the size of Ducati's winglets last year - but they are not abnormally huge.

Grand Prix racing is to return to Finland after an absence of 38 years. Today, Dorna announced that they have confirmed the five-year agreement signed with the KymiRing circuit. The Finnish circuit is to host a round of MotoGP from the 2019 season onwards.

A deal had been signed between Dorna and the KymiRing in 2016, which gave the circuit a five-year contract to host MotoGP. The original plan had been for the circuit to be completed in time to host a race in 2018, but time constraints have pushed that back a year. While progress is being made on the circuit, there is still much work to be done. Finnish Twitter user Jyrki Hämäläinen posted a picture of the work being carried out at the circuit taken on the last Sunday of July:

Went to see the track last sunday. pic.twitter.com/GHQJWqQBfa

— Jyrki Hämäläinen (@Jyrki83) August 2, 2017

The track will be a stark contrast to the previous circuits which hosted a Finnish Grand Prix. After two years at Tampere, the Grand Prix circus visited the Imatra street circuit between 1964 and 1981. That circuit was most famous for the spectacular leap riders had to make crossing the railway line which transected the street course. In contrast, the KymiRing will be a purpose-built circuit 110km north of Helsinki. The track will be 4.6km long, and feature a total of 18 corners, 9 left handers and 9 right handers, all with varying speed and radius.

The addition of the Finnish round of MotoGP will bring the 2019 schedule up to a total of at least 20 rounds. The Chang International circuit in Buriram, Thailand is scheduled to join the MotoGP calendar in 2018, though there are still loose ends to be tied up before that is confirmed. The addition of Finland would make 20 rounds in 2019, with the possibility of the calendar expanding to 21 races if a suitable track in Indonesia is completed, and that track can reach agreement with the Indonesian government to allow it to proceed.

It had looked like one, or maybe even two Spanish rounds could drop off the calendar. But with Jerez having already been resurfaced, living up to a requirement from Dorna, and Barcelona having committed to resurfacing, those two tracks look set to continue on the calendar for the foreseeable future. The regional government in Aragon are keen for the Motorland Aragon circuit to continue hosting a race, and the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia also wants to continue to host MotoGP. So it looks more like the calendar will be expanded, rather than races removed.

To compensate for this expansion, preseason testing will be dropped. For 2018, the Phillip Island test will be replaced with a test at Buriram, to allow the teams - and more importantly, Michelin - to gather data at the circuit. But for 2019, testing will be reduced to two preseason tests, at Sepang and Qatar. There is pressure to cut down preseason testing to just the single test at Sepang, following the Valencia test at the end of the season, but the manufacturers are resistant to that idea.

The calendar expansion is also unpopular with the riders and the teams. The vast majority of the riders have previously expressed a reluctance to see the calendar expanded beyond 18 rounds, and team staff - many of who are married and have children - are even more opposed. The reduction in testing is one way for Dorna and IRTA to meet the concerns of the teams.

Replacing testing with more races would also be more financially favorable for the teams. The teams receive a subsidy from Dorna for races, but not for testing. That may prove to be the argument which helps persuade the team owners and managers, if not the team staff.

The official press release announcing the deal appears below:

Finland confirmed to join MotoGP™ calendar in 2019

KymiRing ready to put the Finnish GP back on the map

The Finnish GP at Kymiring is set to join the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship calendar from 2019, with the first event of a five-year contract set to bring Grand Prix motorcycle racing back to a country with an incredible history in motorsport. The date of the venue’s inclusion was confirmed at a Press Conference at Helsinki Music House, where almost 50 representatives from the media gathered to hear the details of the project. The Press Conference was attended by key personnel involved in the return of the Finnish GP, including Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna Sporting Manager Carlos Ezpeleta, Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sport Sampo Terho, Chairman of the Board of the Directors of KymiRing Kari O. Sohlberg, Chair of the Finnish Motorcycling Federation Tapio Nevala and KymiRing Project Manager Timo Pohjola. That followed a visit to the track on Tuesday, to see the venue taking shape.

KymiRing motorsports complex, in Iitti, is currently under construction as it prepares to host the return of the Finnish Grand Prix, with considerable economic impact expected in Southern Finland as a result of hosting MotoGP™. Around 100,000 spectators are anticipated at the event, with the circuit in a strategic location as the only track of its kind in Northern Europe – making it a perfect addition to the MotoGP™ calendar.

Sampo Terho, Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sport: "This is a fantastic announcement for Finland, a country passionate about motorsport and with an illustrious racing history. MotoGP will have a fantastic impact, both economically and in terms of exposure for the entire country and region. It also ensures our continuing role in the history of motorsport, and we are eager to write more chapters of that history together in the Finnish GP."

Kari O. Sohlberg, Chairman of the Board of the Directors of KymiRing: ”MotoGP is one of the most popular sports in the world. The five-year contract made with Dorna Sports has significant impact not only on Finnish motorsport but on the whole of Finland. Finland has a good reputation as an organizer of big international events. A good example from the sporting side is the WRC Finland, Neste Rally held last weekend. Good reputation, the Imatra GP and legendary drivers and riders in addition to long term personal relationships have for sure been major facts when Dorna Sports has made the decision to bring back the Finnish GP.”

Timo Pohjola, KymiRing Project Manager: “This is something we’ve wanted for many years and now it’s true. I think the layout is based on Finnish racing experience – Finns love motorsport and that’s why we want to make a special layout and track for MotoGP, something new. We are the only international circuit in northern Europe and that’s why so many other countries are interested in KymiRing. The first Finnish champion was Jarno Saarinen, then in Formula 1 we had Keke Rosberg and Mika Hakkinen and so on, but motorcycling has always been very popular in Finland.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO Dorna Sports: “It’s a big pleasure to announce the agreement we have with KymiRing and the works are now underway. We will propose to the FIM to have Finland on the MotoGP calendar for 2019. This is a great day as it's so many years since the Imatra GP here in Finland and we are very proud to announce this new venue. Finland has been a traditional place for motorsport. It has had number of fantastic riders in MotoGP in the past. I remember Jarno Saarinen and recently Mika Kallio, and many other people have raced. Finnish people understand motorsport very well and I think KymiRing will be hosting incredible events in the future. The layout of the circuit is very nice, it’s fast and it’s safe, and we’re very happy to announce this today.”