British talent set for MotoGP switch with Aprilia in 2017.
Team Federal Oil Gresini will field Sam Lowes in the 2016 Moto2 World Championship, alongside the popular British talent’s MotoGP testing duties for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini.
The 25-year-old former World Supersport Champion will ride a new Kalex in a bid to win the Moto2 title, in what will be his third season of grand prix racing in the mid-tier.
“I am really looking forward to joining Team Federal Oil Gresini in Moto2 next season,” Lowes said. “I believe that I have the potential to win the championship and the team’s strong racing pedigree will hopefully provide the support I need to claim the title.
“2016 will be my last year in Moto2 before stepping up to MotoGP and I am determined to try to leave the series as world champion. I know my fans were keen to see me contest the championship on a Kalex and the move to Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 enables me to do that.
“I’ll be working hard with the new team over the winter to build strong relationships with the new team and ensure that I fully understand the bike. I feel that I have matured as a rider over the 2015 race season and hope to be able to use the learnings I’ve made to approach this fresh challenge and emerge victorious.”
Lowes will spend next year as a test rider within the factory Aprilia MotoGP project, developing the RS-GP, before stepping up to the premier class in a race seat for 2017.