MotoGP riders for 2017

Recently, the team and rider lineup situations for the 2017 MotoGP season were announced.  Let's take a look at who will be where, next year.

Alex Rins will race in MotoGP next year, joining Suzuki Ecstar.  Rins will fill the final factory seat.  Rins will race with Andrea Iannone.  Iannone was forced to move to a new team (in this case, Suzuki), since Andrea Dovizioso was announced to be the rider at Ducati who will team up next year, with Jorge Lorenzo, who moves over from Yamaha.  Andrea Dovizioso, meanwhile, will continue as a Ducati rider, for the next two seasons.

Ianonne was announced at Suzuki, as Maverick Vinales, was confirmed, to take the second bike, at Movistar Yamaha, alongside "The Doctor", Valentino Rossi.  Vinales, moves from Suzuki, to Yamaha, thus.  Rossi, confirmed that he will stay with Yamaha and he actually did so before the season opening MotoGP race in Qatar, way back in March.  So, he started the "silly season" right before the 2016 campaign for MotoGP, got underway.  Some people believe that the timing of Rossi's announcement, prompted Lorenzo to say, "OK, I am going to find a new ride", and then, put the pen to the paper, for Ducati.

Repsol Honda is the only factory backed MotoGP team that will keep the same riding squad for the next two seasons.  They are indeed retaining the services of both Marc Marquez, and Dani Pedrosa.  Pedrosa signed on after the French round at Le Mans, and Marquez announced his return, just before his home race in Barcelona.  Remember, too, there will be two new factory teams coming into MotoGP, next year.  KTM has a new motorcycle and team, ready to go for next year.  Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith will ride for the team.  The two Monster Tech3 Yamaha team mates, will remain together, but with a new team and a new bike.

Aprilia, is not a full factory team.  But, they have signed Moto2 ace, Sam Lowes, to race for them.  In addition, Lowes' fellow Moto2 competitor, Jonas Folger, is going to be an Aprilia mounted MotoGP rider in '17.  More announcements of where other riders will land, are set to come.  Of course, one thing we do now know is, Stefan Bradl, he will not return to MotoGP.  Instead, he is going to make the switch to World Superbike, and partner American Nicky Hayden, at the factory Ten Kate Honda team, next year.

Stay tuned, for more possible rider and team announcements for MotoGP season 2017, as we have quite a few races left to run for the 2016 championship as of yet.