Broc Parkes will keep Australia in the MotoGP field for 2014.

Australian FX-Superbike Champion Broc Parkes has clinched a shock 11th hour deal that will see him contest the 2014 MotoGP World Championship.

Parkes, 31, will make his grand prix debut next season as part of the British-based Paul Bird Motorsports team alongside Michael Laverty.

It’s a reunion of sorts for Parkes, the former World Supersport number two contesting the Superbike World Championship aboard a PBM Kawasaki in 2009.

“Firstly, I’d like to say a massive thanks to Paul Bird for the opportunity to work with his team once again,” Parkes commented.

“I’m really looking forward to it. This is the premier class and it’s every rider’s dream to race in MotoGP.

“I know this is going to be a tough season but I’m certainly up for the challenge, I can’t wait to get started.”

In 2013 Parkes raced across the world on a variety of Yamaha machinery, winning the AFX-SBK series in Australia, as well as contesting the FIM Endurance World Championship. He also rode the final round of the Asian Road Racing Championship.

Bird, who also confirmed Shayne Byrne and Stuart Easton will ride for his Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki British Superbike team, welcomed Parkes to the program.

“It’s taken a little while but I’ve got the four riders I wanted in the two championships I wanted to race in,” he said.

“We’ve done a lot of spade work in MotoGP over the past two seasons so the plan is to build on that and work with our partners and Michael and Broc are very capable of delivering.”

Both Parkes and Laverty will race PBM Aprilias next season, which commences in Qatar on 21-23 March.