Estoril MotoGP: Sylvain Guintoli signs for D’Antin Ducati

As was revealed by MCN on August 19 in Brno, the D’Antin Ducati team has finally confirmed the signing of French rider Sylvain Guintoli for the 2008 MotoGP world championship.

Guintoli has signed a two-year deal with the Spanish-based satellite Ducati squad in a deal confirmed tonight in Estoril, ahead of tomorrow’s 28-lap Portuguese GP.

The British-based rider was left without a ride after his current Tech 3 Yamaha squad signed World Superbike championship leader James Toseland during the August summer break.

Jorge Lorenzo’s arrival in Yamaha’s factory team to partner Valentino Rossi and the subsequent transfer of Colin Edwards to the Tech 3 squad left Guintoli out in the cold.

Toni Elias is a leading candidate for the second D’Antin seat, though team boss Luis D’Antin said there was a still a ‘small’ chance that he could sign British rider Chaz Davies.

He spoke to the British rider in Laguna Seca yesterday but Ducati bosses have confirmed to MCN that he is to be offered a Bridgestone tyre testing contract with Ducati for next year.