Bernat Martínez confirmed as second Honda SAG rider

Spanish rider Bernat Martínez will fill the second seat of Thai Honda PTT SAG in 2010, joining Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot in the team set-up. The Barcelona-based structure announced today (Thursday) that they had agreed a one-year deal with Martínez, who is 30 years old and will now make his debut in the Moto2 World Championship on the Bimota chassis.

Martínez, runner-up in the European Superstock and also the Extreme category in last year’s CEV Buckler (Spanish National Championship), has taken the second seat which had been originally filled in principle by Héctor Faubel. Faubel’s involvement in the project was ended after he was unable to secure in time the required sponsorship agreements that had been outlined by the team.

Martínez had featured on the initial provisional list of Moto2 riders after signing a pre-contract to ride with the Blusens STX team, but that seat was finally taken by Colombian rider Yonny Hernández.

The Thai Honda PTT SAG team - directed by Edu Perales - will use their Bimota chassis for the first time at the official test at Jerez, scheduled for March 27-29. Martínez, who is being sponsored by the machinery construction firm Maquinza, will be there along with team-mate Wilairot as both ride their bikes for the first time ahead of the start of the Moto2 World Championship.