American Joe Roberts will move to the Italtrans Racing Team for the 2021 Moto2™ World Championship. The Californian announced he would be leaving the Tennor American Racing team on Friday afternoon before official confirmation came out later that day that we would be replacing Enea Bastianini in the Italtrans squad, with the Italian moving up to the premier class.
It's been a breakout year for the 23-year-old in 2020 as he announced himself as a regular front runner in the intermediate class. He stole headlines in Qatar at the start of the year with a debut pole position before doing it once more in Brno, as he clinched a career-first Grand Prix podium. Just last weekend in Le Mans, he became the first American since Nicky Hayden in 2005 to bag three pole positions in a season.
His exit from the American Racing team all-but confirms the much-rumoured arrival of five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier, who looks set to return to Grand Prix racing for the first time since 2009. Roberts will retain his ties with former MotoGP™ rider John Hopkins in 2021 despite his move to Italtrans Racing.
Joe Roberts: "I am super excited to be joining the Italtrans Racing Team for the 2021 Moto2 season! I look forward to working with legendary technician Giovanni Sandi and learning everything I can from him, and all of the other high-level technical staff in the team. We have one goal, to win and be a championship contender.
"I’d like to thank everyone at Italtrans for the opportunity to take this important next step in my career with them. For the five remaining rounds of 2020, I will be focused 100% with my guys at the American Racing Team. My job is not done there yet and we will continue to work toward podiums and our first win."