Elias to replace Barbera at Pramac

You never know what's around the corner in Motorsport, on or off track꧂.
Just over a week ago Toni Elias was left without a ride after parting company with the Aspar Moto2 team, the former champion having 🅰struggled to adapt to the Suter chassis this season.
But while his fully employed former Moto2 rivals head for their summer break, Elias will be racing in the premier MotoGP class at Laguna Seca this weekend - and pos🌟sibly again at Indianapolisܫ in mid-August.
That's because the Spaniard has been called up by the Pramac Ducati ꧋team to replace injured countryman Hector Barbera, who has broken his leg in a training inci💦dent.
Elias raced for the Pramac Ducati team in 2008 and his perfoꦅrmance that year remains the most successful by a satellite Desmosedici rider, in terms of rostrums.
Indeed, Elias' pair of 2008 podiums - a second and third place - equals Valentino R♚ossi's rostrum tally after a year and half at the factory Ducati team. No other satellite Ducati rider has taken more than a single podium in a s🎐eason.
Elias, a ful🌺l time MotoGP rider from 2005-2009, claimed a thrilling MotoGP win for Honda Gresini at Estoril in 2006, In 2010 he stepped down to win the inaugural Moto2 title with 🍰Gresini, paving the way for an ill-fated MotoGP return with Honda LCR in 2011.
The 29-year-old then returned to Moto2 this year seeking to become the championship's first double title winner, but could only manage a best finish of seventh from his nin☂e Aspar starts.
Elias will m🍷ake his 2012 MotoGP debut during opening p💫ractice at Laguna Seca on Friday.
Barbera, who claimed his first ever MotoGP front-row start at last weekend's Mugello round, is eleventh in the championship with a best race finish of seventh on the original 'Valencia-spec' version of the🌌 GP💫12.
Fellow satellite D🌳ucati rider Karel Abraham is expected to make his return from injury at La𓆏guna Seca.

Peter has♌ been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc ꦚMarquez’s injury issues.