Ben Spies, Andrea Iannone Sign With Ducati
[caption id="attachment_15351" align="alignright"
width="300"] Although Ben Spies has hinted at retirement
recently, this new contract confirms that he will stick around for
at least one more year.[/caption]
Italian manufacturer Ducati announced two more signings for its
2013 team. The motorsports
giant will be adding American racer Ben Spies and
Italian Andrea Iannone to race for its Pramac Ducati team in next
year's MotoGP World Championship series.
Iannone will be stepping up to MotoGP from Moto2 racing, reports
The Guardian. The U.K. newspaper also highlights Spies rough 2012
season with the Yamaha factory team, where the rider has suffered
from several motorcycle malfunctions. Although Spies has hinted at
retirement recently, this new contract confirms that he will stick
around for at least one more year.
Last month Ducati announced that racers Andrea
Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden
will anchor the 2013 factory team. With Spies and Iannone added to
the mix, the manufacturer solidifies its commitment to developing a
strong team for MotoGP racing.
Ducati's partnership with Pramac Racing sets up the satellite team
that Spies and Iannone will compete under. While they will have all
of the latest technology and motorcycle gear from
the manufacturer, the riders will be the equivalent of Ducati's
junior team, with Dovizioso and Hayden remaining the two stars.
This agreement will enable further development of the Italian bike,
including the highly touted Desmosedici MotoGP project.