West replaces Cudlin in Moto2
A major shock on the eve of the world championship opener in Qatar, with one Aussie replacing the other in the QMMF Moriwaki teamAnthony West’s rollercoaster off-season has continued, with the Queenslander now quitting the British Superbike Championship to return to Moto2 with the QMMF Moriwaki team – replacing compatriot Damian Cudlin!
“It's great to be back in grand prix racing, with a team that operates on such a highly professional level and with the support of Moriwaki, one of the most experienced and highly regarded manufacturers”, the 30-year-old said. “We haven't had the chance to go through the pre-season preparations together, so we can't expect miracles at the team's home Grand Prix of Qatar next week. But I'm really excited about this opportunity and I'll push to the maximum to get the best possible result!”
West had originally signed for a return to MotoGP with Speed Master this year, but lost that ride due to a lack of budget. He has campaigned an MZ in Moto2 the last two seasons.
After the Speed Master deal went sour, he then signed to ride a BMW in BSB, contesting a Formula Xtreme round at Eastern Creek a few weeks ago to continue his familiarisation with the S 1000 RR.
“My goal is and always has been grand prix racing. I am sorry to turn my back on the BMW Supersonic Team, who gave me the chance to continue my career,” continued West. “At the same time, I am happy they understand my decision and I wish them all the best for this season.”
Cudlin, who competed in the Japanese and Australian MotoGP rounds in 2011 as a replacement for the injured Loris Capirossi, had struggled all-pre-season to find a comfortable set-up on the QMMF Moriwaki Moto2 machine, and was well off the pace in recent testing at Jerez.
West will make his QMMF debut during opening practice for the Qatar Moto2 night race, on Thursday, April 5.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
