MotoGP – Kousuke Akiyoshi will replace Hopkins at the IRTA tests in Jerez

John Hopkins was seen by a specialist in London following the crash resulting in a fractured right hand and ankle at Losail, with the knowledge that he would have to miss the next IRTA tests in Jerez. We will almost certainly find "Hopper" again for the first race scheduled in Qatar, but in Andalusia from Friday on the track for the Rizla Suzuki team, in addition to Chris Vermeulen, we will find the Japanese Kousuke Akiyoshi. The Japanese rider is currently a tester for Suzuki and was, together with Nobuatsu Aoki, responsible for developing the GSV-R 800cc “Gamma 7”.

Akiyoshi, protagonist of the Japanese Superbike, took part in the MotoGP race at Motegi last year as a wild card, surprising everyone: best Suzuki on the grid, 13th in the race, just a few tenths behind John Hopkins who will replace Jerez…

Alessio Piana