Official: Loris Capirossi to Pramac Ducati

Pramac Racing has officially confirmed that Loris Capirossi has signed with the team for the 2011 MotoGP season.

Capirossi was a factory Ducati rider from 2003 to 2007, winning seven races and finishing third in the 2006 world championship.

The 37-year-old Italian returns to a Desmosedici after three often difficult seasons at Rizla Suzuki, during which he has taken just a single podium.

"This return to a Ducati bike makes me feel like a child. I do not feel my 37 years!" said Loris. "I have a great desire to start this new adventure, I'm enormously pleased about this new agreement that was reached with the Pramac Racing Team, this will allow me to ride and be part of an Italian Team.

"I would like to thank the Team Principal of the Pramac Racing Team, Paolo Campinoti, for giving me this great opportunity and for the confidence placed in me. I'll find again the Ducati, with which I had very good results over the past years and that I was able to develop in the 2007, this is an unique sensation for me.

"I thank Suzuki for the years we spent together and thanks also to the excellent relationship maintained with them, they had give me the possibility to ride with my new Team at the Valencia test next month."

"We are very pleased to have closed an agreement with one of the most experienced riders and one of the most titled of the current MotoGP World Championship," added Campinoti. "The deal between us was very simple because Pramac Racing Team, and him, always aim to try to fight for important results.

"We do not need to talk about Loris, we all know him, we know his value and we are sure that thanks to his quality, we'll have fun next year on all the tracks, taking also some satisfaction.

"With Loris we will celebrate our tenth anniversary in the World Championship and this is a real honour for us. We know that Loris has conquered 99 podiums (in all classes) in his career and we hope to achieve together the triple digits.

"I would like to thank our partners who have welcomed our choice and we hope that Loris's and Pramac Racing Team fans will follow us with passion during next season."

2011 will be Capirossi's 14th season in 500cc/MotoGP, during which time the former 125cc and 250cc world champion has taken a total of nine wins, 42 podiums and 13 poles.

Suzuki is not expected to replace Capirossi and instead run a single bike for Alvaro Bautista next season. Randy de Puniet could be Capirossi's 2011 team-mate, with present Pramac rider Aleix Espargaro tipped to step down to Moto2.

Espargaro's 2010 team-mate Mika Kallio has already left the team and is being replaced by Carlos Checa for the last two races of this year.

Capirossi will be one of two Italians racing a Ducati next season with MotoGP superstar Valentino Rossi replacing Stoner at Ducati Marlboro.