2011 MotoGP
It was confirmed Sunday at the final round of the 2010 MotoGP Championship in Valencia that Randy de Puniet will join the Ducati Pramac Racing Team for 2011.
The decision was heavily rumored last month, but now that it’s confirmed the 2011 grid will feature two satellite Ducati Pramac Racing Team MotoGP riders: the Frenchman de Puniet and the Italian Loris Capirossi.
For the 2010 MotoGP season, De Puniet was the sole rider on the LCR Honda. His best finish of the year was fourth at Catalunya, and the 29-year old finished overall in ninth position with 116 points.
Next year, de Puniet will begin his 14th season in the World Championship on the Ducati. He began in 1998, riding in the 125cc MotoGP class at 17 years old at the French Grand Prix.
During his career, Randy has raced three seasons in the 125cc category, five in 250cc and five in the MotoGP class from which it may now be considered one of the veterans. Throughout all classes, he has five victories and 24 podiums. The rider, born in Maison Laffitte, has scored his best results in the 250cc class with five victories and 22 podiums.
Randy De Puniet says: “I am incredibly excited about this new adventure that will begin next year. I would like to thank the Pramac Racing Team Principal, Paolo Campinoti, for this great opportunity and the confidence that he has placed in me. I have worked with Italian Teams in the past and I’m happy to continue for the next year.”
“I would like to thank one by one the LCR Team and Lucio Cecchinello with whom I shared wonderful years and I believe that they were my family and now I join a new family thanks to Pramac. I am looking forward to meet my Ducati.”
Paolo Campinoti (Team Principal Pramac Racing Team) says: “We are very pleased to have closed a deal with one of the most experienced riders and one of most talented rider of the MotoGP World Championship. For Randy will be a debut riding a Ducati, but we are sure that he will be able to go fast since the tests carried out on the track Tuesday and Wednesday.”
“We all know Randy and we know the enormous value as a fighter rider, that have seen him fight with riders who were riding an official bike. He was often the first rider of the independent team and he have often finished the race before some official riders. We are confident that thanks to his quality, next year we’ll have fun on all the tracks taking some satisfactions.”
“With Randy and Loris we will celebrate the tenth anniversary of Pramac in the MotoGP and to have such a strong pair of riders and this will be real honor for us. I would like to thank our partners who have follow in an enthusiastically way our choice.”
