07 October 2009 11:5

Aleix Espargaro has secured the second Pramac Ducati GP9 ride after his recent impressive performances in the Indianapolis and Misano. The Spaniard’s dramatic upturn in fortunes mean he will partner Finn Mika Kallio and join a massive influx of new talent into MotoGP next season with Marco Simoncelli, Hiroshi Aoyama, Hector Barbera and Alvaro Bautista all moving up from the 250GP class. Espargaro was without a ride only two months and any hopes of a MotoGP slot in 2010 seemed remote at best before he was the chief benefactor in Casey Stoner’s recent illness problems. With Stoner on a three-race sabbatical, Kallio was seconded to Ducati’s factory team with Nicky Hayden, while Espargaro was given his big break alongside Niccolo Canepa at Pramac. And Espargaro’s 13th place in Indianapolis, which was followed by him clocking the fifth best lap of the race in Misano, saw him clinch a deal with Ducati’s satellite squad. Espargaro said: "Life can change so quickly in just a few months. At the beginning of this year I had to stay home as my 250cc team retired from the championship and now I have the opportunity to ride with the fastest riders in the world in MotoGP category. I also had some really interesting offers from Moto2, but as soon as Paolo Campinoti made me the offer to race for his team I took less than a second to accept. I found myself really well in the races ridden for them this season: I was enthusiastic of their professionalism. They work really close with Ducati and they have immediate technical feedback when needed. The bike has impressed me so much for its power and its manageability. I have to thank Pramac Racing Team, Paolo Campinoti and Ducati for this fantastic opportunity they are giving me."