The Aspar team has renewed its contract with Ducati Corse to compete in the 2018 MotoGP World Championship with the Italian machines. The deal between the Spanish MotoGP team and Ducati includes an option for two GP17s, the bikes used this season by the factory team, or one Ducati GP17 and one Ducati GP16. This decision will be made later this season.
The 2018 season will be the fifth year of collaboration between the Aspar team and the Borgo Panigale factory. The team started with Ducati in 2010 and the initial association lasted two seasons. It resumed in 2016, bringing the Aspar team to its best result so far in MotoGP, with fourth place at the Argentine Grand Prix. So far this year, Alvaro Bautista finished fourth in Argentina, where Karel Abraham qualified second on the grid.
Jorge Martínez, general manager of the Aspar team: “ For the Aspar team it is excellent news that we will continue another season with Ducati, as much for the professional relationship we have with Luigi Dall'Igna and all his staff as for the material they provide us.
“We believe we can still improve, but first of all I hope I can give Ducati and our sponsors a lot to celebrate this season. We have two drivers who are very competitive. We are happy with the progress of Álvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham. I hope 2017 can be a great year and 2018 even better. »
Paolo ciabatti, sporting director of Ducati Corse: “ We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with the Aspar team and to announce the continuation of our association with the Spanish team for the 2018 MotoGP World Championship. The Aspar team has worked very well with Ducati in 2016 and also this year, with important results already for both riders. For this reason, we are very happy to continue collaborating with Jorge Martínez next season. »
