Cycle News Staff | August 16, 2009
One more piece of the MotoGP puzzle fell into place with the signing of Spaniard Alvaro Bautista by the Suzuki Motor Corporation.The 250cc campaigner was signed to a two-year contract to race on the factory MotoGP team, though no further details were given. Who he’ll team with remains a mystery. Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen has been linked to the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team, while Loris Capirossi is said to be contemplating retirement.Bautista was Spanish 125cc champion in 2003 and crowned 125cc World Champion in 2006. He moved up to the 250cc class in 2007 and earned the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title for his impressive results. Bautista was runner-up in the 2008 title race and he is currently in contention for this season’s 250cc championship, sitting in second place with six races remaining. Since his Grand Prix debut in 2002, Bautista has scored 43 podiums including 16 victories (eight in each class). The 24-year-old hails from Talavera de la Reina in Spain, a town approximately 130kms west of Madrid.Bautista suffered a huge embarrassment when he looped his Mapfre Aprilia while wheelying following his third place finish in the 250cc race in Brno.
