[kropotkin thinks...] - 2016 Silly Season Update - What We Know After Misano

[Ninjette Newsbot]

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With the flyaways fast approaching, MotoGP's silly season for 2016 is reaching its climax. All of the factory seats are taken – including the seat at Aprilia vacated by Marco Melandri – and the top satellite rides are filled as well, either officially or unofficially. A few pieces of the puzzle remain, but fitting those together is more or less complex, depending on the team and the rider involved. Here's a look at where we stand so far.

The five factory teams will remain unchanged for 2016. Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi will stay with Movistar Yamaha, Marc Márquez and Dani Pedrosa at Repsol Honda, Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales at Suzuki ECSTAR, and Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl will continue at Gresini Aprilia. Though Bradl is yet to be confirmed, off the record comments from the team make it clear that the German is to stay with Aprilia for 2016, and possibly beyond. Sam Lowes has signed a three-year deal with Aprilia for 2016 onwards, but Lowes will first take his seat in the Gresini squad's Moto2 team in 2016, seizing the chance on the Kalex Moto2 machine to take a shot at the championship.

The Monster Tech 3 Yamaha and LCR Honda teams have also been confirmed for 2016, with Pol Espargaro, Bradley Smith, and Cal Crutchlow all staying put. It looks extremely likely that LCR will be back to a one-man team in 2016, after the misadventure with CWM, whose owner is under investigation on a number of charges, virtually ruling out any chance of further sponsorship for next year. LCR will return to its extremely successful formula of race-by-race sponsorship, which has worked for Lucio Cecchinello since he first started using it in 2006.

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