After first announcing that Ben Spies would stay in WSBK for 2010, and move up to MotoGP for 2011, commotion surrounded both paddocks that the American Superbike rider could in fact be bumped to MotoGP as early as next season. Today, Yamaha has officially confirmed what many had speculated: Ben Spies will join MotoGP via the Monster Tech3 Yamaha MotoGP team for the 2010 season.
Commenting about the move, Spies sheds some light on what has occurred over the last month.
“I want to thank Yamaha globally for their faith in me. They have treated me like royalty! Yamaha just recently allowed me to rethink my contract for 2010-2011; I did sign for WSB for 2010 but after Indy I began thinking of the competition and my age versus waiting until 2011.”
Ben will join fellow Texan, Colin Edwards, on the Monster Tech3 Yamaha team. Edwards’ contract was confirmed this week at MotoGP’s stop at Estoril.
With Spies in, this announcement also confirms that James Toseland is out of MotoGP. Yamaha also announced today that Toseland has been tapped to take the now empty seat at the factory Yamaha team in World Superbike, as we had postulated yesterday.
Busy times in the Yamaha paddocks indeed.
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