MV Agusta 'releases' Torres to focus on MotoGP

Jordi Torres is to part company with the MV Agusta WorldSBK team due to his ongoing substitute rides in MotoGP.

The Spaniard stepped in to replace the injured Tito Rabat last time at Aragon and will make his second premier-class appearance for Avintia Ducati this weekend in Thailand.

An MV Agusta statement said: 'Considering the fact that Jordi Torres will substitute for Tito Rabat on the Ducati of Team Avintia also in Thailand and maybe in Japan, the team and rider have decided together, taking into consideration the extreme time differences that the rider would have had to face during the coming weeks, to terminate in advance their collaboration, giving Jordi the chance to fully focus on his MotoGP races.

'The team thanks Jordi for his great professionalism and wishes him all the very best for his future.'

Torres - who joined MV this season - is 13th in the WorldSBK standings with two rounds remaining, in Argentina and Qatar.

Argentina takes place between the Thai and Japanese MotoGPs, while the Qatar WorldSBK finale would have been a direct clash with the Australian MotoGP, should Rabat still be unfit.

Torres finished 20th and last at Aragon, but was within one-second of team-mate Xavier Simeon, riding the newer GP17 Ducati.

Although Rabat is yet to be officially confirmed at Avintia for 2019, the Spaniard (like Takaaki Nakagami at LCR) is set to stay and there are therefore thought to be no remaining vacancies on the premier-class grid. Karel Abraham has already been announced as joining Avintia next season.

Former MotoGP rider Yonny Hernandez, who looks to have split from Pedercini Kawasaki, is among those tipped to replace Torres at MV for the remaining WorldSBK rounds.