Tito Rabat, Moto2 champion in 2014, has signed to race in the premier class of the MotoGP World Championship in 2016 with Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS.
The reigning champion will step up to the premier class after agreeing to terms with his Marc VDS team, and will jump aboard the Honda RC213V left vacant by Scott Redding who has signed with Octo Pramac Racing.
Rabat won the 2014 Moto2 title in record-breaking fashion, taking seven wins and 11 podiums. He tested the Honda at MotorLand Aragon after the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón and was suitably impressed by the bike.
"The objective of my life was to, first of all, arrive to MotoGP and then to make results in the premier class," said the 26-year-old Spanish rider. "This is the first step and for that I would like to thank Marc van der Straten, the team and Estrella Galicia for this chance and their confidence in me."
This year, in what is his final year in the Moto2 category, Rabat has earned two wins and nine podium results, with four of those top-three finishes coming in the four most recent rounds at Brno, Silverstone, San Marino and Aragon.
"I am happy to see Tito step up to race our MotoGP bike next season," said team boss can der Straten." His approach to racing, his work ethic and his determination to succeed are the same attributes on which our team was built."
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