MotoGP 2015 Musical Chairs Update
The music is about to stop in the final stages of MotoGP Musical Chairs 2015 with the recent announcements of Eugene Laverty to Drive M7 Aspar after Loris Baz was deemed too tall for the Honda.
Yamaha obviously have fewer problems with Baz’s height after confirming the Frenchman will join the Forward Yamaha squad alongside Stefan Bradl for season 2015.
Suzuki recently confirmed Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales will join their fledgling 2015 effort while Jack Miller and Cal Crutchlow will pilot LCR Honda MotoGP machines of differing specification, Crutchlow on a Factory Class bike and Miller on an Open class machine.
Alvaro Bautista has long been confirmed on a Gresini Aprilia but it is unclear as yet whether Marco Melandri will return to MotoGP with Aprilia, or instead choose to stay in the World Superbike paddock. Either way, Melandri will be on an Aprilia in 2015, but the final decision as to whether that will be in MotoGP or WSBK is yet to be taken and that choice, as we understand it, is essentially Melandri’s choice to make. If Melandri plumps to stay in WSBK it is unclear who might ride alongside Bautista on the Gresini Aprilia in MotoGP in 2015, one would imagine however that Aprilia would be urging Melandri, a five-time MotoGP race winner, 20-time MotoGP podium getter, with a best premier class season of second place in the 2005 MotoGP World Championship to Valentino Rossi, with 22 GP victories across the three major classes and 62 podiums along with a 250cc World Championship in 2002, has the experience that Aprilia needs to help develop their MotoGP contender. Gresini has a four-year contract MotoGP contract with Aprilia.
Scott Redding will ride for the new Marc VDS Honda squad while Tech 3 Yamaha encumbents will be Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith.
All the top flight factory seats have been settled for some time now with Repsol Honda and the factory Yamaha squad all keeping their current line-up. Andrea Dovizioso will continue at Ducati while Andrea Iannone will take up the seat vacated by Cal Crutchlow’s move to LCR Honda alongisde Miller. Karel Abraham is set to continue in his family run squad.
Danilo Petrucci and Yonny Hernandez have both been confirmed at Pramac Ducati. Avintia Racing will also be Ducati powered in 2015 with Hector Barbera most likely on one of their machines while the other seat is still one of only two possibly left open, with Mike Di Meglio apparently unlikely to retain his seat. The other seat remaining looks to be at Ioda, if the team continues in MotoGP next year, as at this stage details are sketchy about just what Ioda may bring to the grid in 2015. Paul Bird Motorsport will be out of MotoGP in 2015 as they shift their focus back to BSB.
MotoGP 2015 Riders / Teams
- Marc Marquez / Repsol Honda
- Dani Pedrosa / Repsol Honda
- Jorge Lorenzo / Yamaha
- Valentino Rossi / Yamaha
- Andrea Dovizioso / Ducati
- Andrea Iannone / Ducati
- Maverick Vinales / Suzuki
- Aleix Espargaro / Suzuki
- Pol Espargaro / Tech 3 Yamaha
- Bradley Smith / Tech 3 Yamaha
- Jack Miller / LCR Honda
- Cal Crutchlow / LCR Honda
- Loris Baz / Forward Yamaha
- Stefan Bradl / Forward Yamaha
- Karel Abraham / Cardion AB
- Scott Redding / Marc VDS Honda
- Nicky Hayden / Drive M7 Aspar Honda
- Eugene Laverty / Drive M7 Aspar Honda
- Danilo Petrucci / Pramac Ducati
- Yonny Hernandez / Pramac Ducati
- Alvaro Bautista / Gresini Aprilia
- TBC Gresini Aprilia / Marco Melandri very likely
- TBC Avintia Ducati / Hector Barbera very likely
- TBC Avintia Ducati / Perhaps Mike Di Meglio unless Leon Camier can be persuaded across to the team
- TBC Ioda Aprilia
