MotoGP Gossip: Roberts explains Aprilia rejection, Rossi back on four-wheels

- Joe Roberts has explained why he decided to turn down the offer of a move into the MotoGP class for 2021 with Aprilia Racing, saying among several reasons that he wouldn’t want to receive priority because of his desirable American nationality, telling Gazzetta dello Sport: “I don't want to race in MotoGP just because of my passport, but because I deserve it”. (Gazzetta dello Sport via MotoGP.com)

In a separate interview with Cycle World, Roberts expands on this, adding he wanted to respect the Italtrans Moto2 team by not leaving them in the lurch at this late stage in the year. The American scored three poles and one podium en route to seventh overall, an improvement significant enough to earn him new Moto2 champion Enea Bastianini’s seat at Italtrans for 2021. (Cycle World)

Aprilia, meanwhile, has confirmed the vacant seat alongside Aleix Espargaro will go to either Bradley Smith or Lorenzo Savadori after Roberts, together with fellow Moto2 racers Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio, turned it down. (more here)

Who Fell The Most In MotoGP 2020 & Who Held On?

- Having agreed to exit Avintia Racing and MotoGP at the end of the 2020 season to make way for Luca Marini, Tito Rabat is busily attempting to source a new deal for 2021, with a switch to WorldSBK seemingly on the cards. According to GPOne, Rabat is deep in negotiations with Barni Racing, though talks have supposedly stalled more recently, potentially allowing Loris Baz into the frame. 

Rabat was closely linked with a move to the Kawasaki Racing Team alongside Jonathan Rea last year, before agreeing to stay with Avintia in MotoGP. As for Baz, he could still ride with Ten Kate Racing but the Dutch team is having trouble putting the budget together to compete in the Superbike class. (GPOne)

- Brad Binder’s route to the 2020 MotoGP Rookie of the Year crown has been captured in a new documentary courtesy of Red Bull. In ‘Becoming 33’ we will see the South African rookie preparing for his maiden season - delayed for several months by the coronavirus - and making his debut in Spain, before shocking the paddock with a dominant victory maiden win for both himself and KTM in only his third start in the Czech MotoGP. (Red Bull)

- No rest for the wicked as Valentino Rossi dons his race suit once more, but instead of hopping on a Yamaha M1, he’s sliding into a Ferrari 488 for his annual spot of winter endurance competition. This week he was back at Misano getting in some mileage ahead of the Gulf 12 Hours race in January 2021. (Twitter - ValeYellow46)

Winter test in @circuitomisano with our 488 of @kessel_ch racing
Road to Bahrain 12 hours
@camilss pic.twitter.com/i5V49VMaNU

— Valentino Rossi (@ValeYellow46) December 2, 2020