Randy de Puniet clinches Ducati deal

Randy de Puniet will partner Loris Capirossi in the Pramac Ducati squad in 2011.

The move has been on the cards since the Phillip Island round in Australia last month when it emerged that Toni Elias would take de Puniet’s place in the LCR Honda squad.

Elias was initially pencilled in for a return to the Pramac Ducati squad but his deal with Lucio Cecchinello was confirmed during last weekend’s Grand Prix of Portugal at the Estoril track.

The new Moto2 world champion’s switch back to MotoGP though has ended de Puniet’s long relationship with Cecchinello.Having previously raced for the Italian in the 250GP class, he’d been on an LCR Honda since 2008. 

His move to join Italian veteran Capirossi was confirmed today in Valencia and the Frenchman, who has previously raced for Kawasaki’s factory team in MotoGP, said: “I am incredibly excited about this new adventure that will begin next year. This is a great opportunity and I am looking forward to meeting my Ducati.”

The 29-year-old was having the best spell of his MotoGP career earlier in 2010 when he suffered a double break in his left leg during the Sachsenring’s German Grand Prix in July.