Former Moto2 race winner Jordi Torres will make his MotoGP debut in next weekend's Aragon Grand Prix, taking over from Christophe Ponsson as Tito Rabat's Avintia replacement.
Rabat has been out since FP4 of the British Grand Prix after suffering a triple-fractured right leg in a horror accident in which he was struck by Franco Morbidelli's bike.
Lacking in replacement options, Avintia gave Rabat's GP17's to his teammate Xavier Simeon, while it brought in CEV Superstock 1000 racer Ponsson as its second rider.
Ponsson qualified and finished the race last, but the team came under fire from many riders due to it fielding someone with no prior MotoGP experience and a lacklustre career.
Despite this, it looked like Ponsson would remain, though the team has now confirmed it has called on current MV Agusta World Superbike rider Torres to take his place.
“First of all I want thank the team for this opportunity. Right now I am excited but also terrified, but it is always a challenge to be able to try a MotoGP bike for the first time,” he said.
“It will be a unique experience that one day I will be able to tell my grandchildren. Now seriously, I really want to try the bike and see how I evolve.
“I know that the championship has a very high level and in a race weekend it is very difficult to assimilate all the things you need to be fast, but I will try to learn as much as possible and take advantage of my experience.
“I think it’s something positive, I know the team very well and I will try to put everything, and we will see what comes out during the weekend.
“It’s more difficult than the people think, but I’m going with a positive attitude and looking forward to get the best out of this opportunity.
“I also want to thank my manager for his work and MV Agusta for giving me permission to be in Aragon.
“At the moment it is one race, but it could be two. Above all I want to wish Tito a speedy recovery because he does not deserve that bad accident, but I know he will come back quickly, because he is a fighter.”
Torres raced in Moto2 from 2010 to 2014, securing his one and only grand prix win in Germany in 2013, before switching to WSBK with Aprilia for 2015, taking a maiden victory at the season finale in Qatar.
The Spaniard currently lies 13th in the WSBK standings having amassed 80 points so far in his first campaign with MV. Just as in Misano, Simeon will continue to run Rabat's machinery.
During this week, Rabat confirmed he has begun exercising again and is eyeing a return to action for the Thailand race in early October.
Should he be unable to do so, the Buriram race falls in between the French and Argentine WSBK rounds, making Torres available if necessary.
