MotoGP: 2017 entries for Moto2 and Moto3 revealed

The official list of entries for the 2017 Moto2 and Moto3 championships have been revealed, bringing no real surprises but going some way to confirm some of the rumours that have been circulating in the paddock for the last few weeks.

First of those for British fans is the confirmation of a new ‘Team GB’ entry in the Moto3 class using Honda equipment. The entry is part of a new team set up under the mentorship of Alberto Puig to run Czech Grand Prix winner John McPhee. Originally rumoured to have BT Sport backing, that is believed to have fallen through, with no title sponsor confirmed yet.

Elsewhere in the Moto3 class, the Mahindra Racing entry will be reduced to only six machines despite a highly successful season for the Indian brand, with new champion Brad Binder believed to have been key in the Platinum Bay Real Estate team his brother Darryn rides for switching to KTM machinery.

The news also confirms that the SIC58 Corse team, run by Marco Simoncelli’s father Paolo in the Spanish CEV series, will move up with two riders on Honda machinery.

In Moto2, the new grid brings a welcome spread of machinery, with two KTMs, four Suters, two Speed Ups and two Tech 3 machines helping break the virtual monopoly that Kalex has held on the series this year. Danny Kent’s Leopard Racing team will be joined by the Dynavolt Intact squad in switching to Suters.

However, one team that won’t be taking a gamble on another manufacturer is Valentino Rossi’s Team Sky VR46 team. Rumoured to be side-by-side testing both Kalex and the Italian-manufactured Speed Up machines, they’ve opted to go with Kalex for their two-rider effort.