Avintia Racing’s Hector Barbera has been called up by the factory Ducati squad to replace the injured Andrea Iannone this weekend in Japan. 2015 Australian Superbike Champion Mike Jones will take the Spaniard’s place at Avintia.
Iannone fractured his T3 vertebra in a heavy fall during FP1 at Misano last month. He tried to ride two weeks later in Aragon, and although he finished a competitive sixth in practice the pain in his neck was too much, forcing him to sit that particular Grand Prix out as well.
The Italian had hoped to be back for this weekend’s race at the Twin Ring Motegi, but his doctors advised him to rest up for a few more days and return to action next week at Phillip Island.
Ducati had originally announced that they would be not be fielding a replacement for Iannone in Japan, with usual test rider Michele Pirro testing next year’s GP17 at Valencia this week and Casey Stoner still not interested in making a racing comeback.
However, the Bologna manufacturer made a last-minute decision to promote Avintia Racing’s Barbera to the factory squad and onto the GP16, which will of course be the bike he will ride next season in Avintia colours.
Twitter: RT @MotoGP: . @mikejonesracing to debut @ #JapaneseGP replacing @HectorBarbera at @AvintiaRacing_ while the Spaniard joins @DucatiMotor for… (@MotoGP)
The Spaniard is currently top satellite Ducati in 10th in the standings on 84 points on the two-year-old GP14.2 and was the top Desmosedici rider for much of the first half of the season. Neither Pramac rider was considered as both Scott Redding and Danilo Petrucci are locked in an inter-team battle for a GP17 next season, and so both have to be on identical machinery.
Speaking to the press on his call up earlier today, Barbera stated: “It’s like a dream come true, no? It’s my best opportunity in MotoGP and the Dcuati is very fast here; this track is stop-and-go and the Ducati has a lot of power.
“This year the results have been good. But I want to make my best result here. I think the track is good for me. The bike is better, it’s the official team. I’m very motivated and ready to start.”
Filling in for Barbera at Avintia will be Mike Jones. The Australian finished fifth in this season’s Australian Superbike Championship, winning the series outright last year, and scored points on his WorldSBK debut at Phillip Island as a wild card back in February. Jones will race with number seven this weekend as his usual 46 is currently in use.
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