Aprilia has confirmed it has secured the services of Andrea Iannone for 2019, after agreeing a two-year deal with the Italian rider following his exit from Suzuki.
Iannone, who made his MotoGP debut in 2013 with the Pramac Ducati squad before moving to the factory team in 2015, joined Suzuki in 2017 on a two-year deal, which comes to an end at the end of the season.
Iannone, who currently sits seventh in the MotoGP rider standings, will replace British rider Scott Redding who only joined the team at the beginning of the year, teaming up with Aleix Espargaro.
"With Iannone, we have another highly talented and fast rider who is also demonstrating his value this season," commented Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing Manager. "His arrival is a sign of the Piaggio Group and Aprilia's growing commitment to the MotoGP programme, where our bike has already demonstrated that it can rely on a valid technical base.
"Now we need to stay focused on the 2018 season, beginning from the next GP of Barcelona. We have a strong team that has never stopped working hard. We want to keep growing and take the RS-GP where it deserves to be this season, which is still long, with Aleix and Scott, speaking of whom, I wish to thank publicly for his great professionalism and for his consistently high level of commitment."
Team Manager Fausto Gresini added: "The combination of Iannone and Aprilia will be fantastic – one of the most interesting in MotoGP – and it has the potential to bring great results.
"Andrea is a strong, fast and concrete rider. I think that he will be able to provide great support for the team and contribute to the development of the bike. And then, there is no denying that it is always a pleasure to have an Italian rider on an Italian bike Welcome, Andrea. Let's have fun!"
With Joan Mir likely to replace Iannone at Suzuki, it means all factory rides for next year have been taken, leaving only the second seat at LCR Honda and Avintia Ducati, whilst both seats at the Nieto team remain up for grabs. The future of the Marc VDS team remains uncertain amid rumours of a Petronas-backed Sepang International Team buying out its place on the grid.
