CURRENT British Superbike contender Alex Lowes could be switching to MotoGP for next season to replace Yonny Hernandez who has left the Paul Bird Motosport Team.
In mid-August it was said that Alex Lowes had been strongly linked to the Paul Bird Motorsport team in MotoGP for next season, but nothing else had materialised until yesterday when BBC’s Azi Farni tweeted: “Seems Alex Lowes has signed with PBM for a MotoGP ride in 2014.”
Before it was tweeted that Alex Lowes had signed with PBM for next season, it was announced that Yonny Hernandez would be leaving the PBM team after riding his last race with them at Misano, therefore meaning their two-rider team is down to one again.
The Columbian will be joining Pramac Ducati to replace injured Ben Spies which potentially could be until the end of the 2013 season.
The Ignite Pramac Racing Team announced yesterday: "Starting from the official IRTA test, which takes place tomorrow at the Misano World Circuit, the Ignite Pramac Racing Team's Ducati Desmosedici GP13 will be ridden by Yonny Hernandez, currently in force with the Paul Bird Motorsport team, due to the fact that Michele Pirro will be involved in a series of tests with the Ducati Test Team from tomorrow onwards.
"The collaboration between the Italian squad and the British team, which is willing to free Yonny until the return of Ben Spies, has made it possible to reach this agreement.
"The Pramac Racing Team and Ducati wish to thank Paul Bird Motorsport and the Colombian rider for their availability."
It is still unknown as to who will take Hernandez’s place at PBM for the remainder of this year, but Michael Laverty – who has been riding PBM’s Aprilia-powered racer with an in-house chassis – will be testing the ART chassis today at Misano which Hernandez has be using this season.
