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On Monday Autosport broke the bombshell news that Suzuki will quit MotoGP at the end of the season in a decision it only communicated to the race team on the same day during the post-race test at Jerez.

An official announcement was expected on Tuesday, but did not materialise.

Instead, Dorna Sports – MotoGP owners – issued its own statement saying Suzuki could not decide to quit the series on its own as it is bound to a contract through to the end of 2026 along with the rest of the manufacturers.

Dorna also noted that it had “high levels of interest” from independent teams and official factories about joining the grid if the opportunity arose.

Leopard – Moto3 title winners with Danny Kent in 2015, Joan Mir in 2017 and Lorenzo Dalla Porta in 2019 – has been keen to join the MotoGP grid in the past, and once again reiterated that desire to Autosport on Thursday during a private Moto3 and Moto2 test in Barcelona.

“We will see how the situation evolves, there is a contract involved and I don't think Suzuki can leave just like that because it has a signed contract until 2026,” Leopard boss Christian Lundberg said.

“We'll see, but if a seat is freed up and God willing, they [Dorna] give it to us, we'll be very happy.

"The whole paddock knows that we are absolutely interested and that we would try to take that step, but there's still a long way to go before it can happen.”

If Leopard does get the nod to step up to MotoGP, Lundberg says it will be in partnership with Aprilia.

“I think the only option would be to do it with Aprilia because, in my opinion, Dorna has to reward in one way or another the only constructor on the grid that only has two bikes, and today all the bikes are very competitive,” he added.

“So, it would be very good for us to work with Aprilia, plus we are a half-Italian team and it would be easier than working with the Japanese, I think it would be the best option.”

During the Spanish GP weekend, Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola told Autosport that it was open to fielding a satellite team if the right offer came along.

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Originally posted by mutedblade:
I’m surprised that they are keeping Mav. He’s still a headcase and hasn’t wrapped his head around the Ape. It’s a crapshoot when trying to get a new rider but there’s gotta be someone that’s less of a diva.

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As first reported by Motorsport.com, Aprilia has signed a two-year deal with an option for a further two seasons that will see RNF become its first satellite team in MotoGP.

This means the team helmed by Razlan Razali and born out of the now defunct Petronas Sepang Racing Team will part ways with Yamaha, having only had a one-year deal with the Japanese marque.

RNF and Yamaha met at Le Mans to settle the matter, but Yamaha asked Razali for more time until Mugello, where the Italian Grand Prix takes place this weekend.

However, the response the Malaysian executive got back in Italy seems to have left him unsatisfied.

It is still unclear whether Yamaha will compete next season with just two bikes, which on paper will be Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, or whether it will team up with another squad in view of the void left by Suzuki.

Aprilia has been considering the possibility of a satellite team for some time, although a lack of infrastructure on the one hand and a lack of offers on the other have delayed the consolidation of the project.

A few weeks ago, however, Massimo Rivola, Aprilia's racing CEO, acknowledged to Motorsport.com that this route was not yet dead: "If we receive interesting offers that can make the project grow, we will evaluate it".

Razali is reportedly unsatisfied with the treatment received from Yamaha, especially for the high price he has to pay for the rental of his two bikes - which is considerably higher than the amount asked by Aprilia or Ducati.

As part of the deal, Aprilia will invest in training for engineers, technicians and other team roles, as well as in riders.

"I am happy to announce the agreement with RNF Racing," Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola said.

"We have always reasoned in small steps and as we demonstrate the competitiveness of our RS-GP, a natural part of the journey is to see two more on track.

"The Noale racing department is a true heritage of knowledge, of technical culture applied to high performance motorbikes as well as sports management.

"With RNF Racing we find a partner to enhance and valorise this extraordinary heritage.

"We are thinking, of course, of the riders and the best competitiveness, but also of raising new generations of engineers, technicians and managers.

"To continue and improve the extraordinary, all-Italian tradition of Aprilia Racing."

WithU, RNF's main sponsor this season, is an Italian company, and would therefore welcome a switch from Yamaha to Aprilia.

One of the best placed riders to land there is Valentino Rossi protege Celestino Vietti, current leader of the Moto2 world championship.

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Originally posted by mutedblade:
Marc is having a fourth surgery on that right arm. Will miss the rest of the season. Fairly certain he’s done. Maybe a podium here or there, but he’ll never be as dominant as he was before his crash.

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Originally posted by Jupiter:

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Originally posted by mutedblade:
Marc is having a fourth surgery on that right arm. Will miss the rest of the season. Fairly certain he’s done. Maybe a podium here or there, but he’ll never be as dominant as he was before his crash.

I guess this means Quartararo will be moving to Honda.