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Espargaro eyeing World Superbike options for 2017

Aleix Espargaro has confirmed he is eyeing two seats in World Superbikes next year should his brace of MotoGP options not pan out.

As reported in last week’s Bikesport News, the elder Espargaro is in line to join Jonathan Rea at Kawasaki but is also in talks with Ducati alongside Chaz Davies when he is turfed out of the Ecstar Suzuki team by either Alex Rins or Johann Zarco and can’t agree terms with Aprilia.

“Aprilia is one of the options we have. We still need to decide. Everything happened really quick. We start to talk in Mugello with different teams. We have different options. Also we have two very, very good options in Superbike.The most important thing is that I will go somewhere where they show me that they really want me and I'm important to them,” Espargaro said at Montmelo.

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“The last race weekend was difficult, where I realised I was not as important in Suzuki as I thought. So in Mugello we started to work to maybe move to another place. I will try to go somewhere where they really love me, they really want me. For me this is the most important thing.”

Espargaro has become increasingly vocal in his disappointment at a perceived departure from Suzuki at the end of this year but says he would rather remain with Davide Brivio’s team than go anywhere else.

“Everybody knows my priority is to stay in Suzuki. So it doesn't depend on me. It's something that Suzuki need to decide. Suzuki is a big brand. For sure they need to look for the best thing for them and I will be always grateful because it was a fantastic two years and for sure I will try to fight for the podium, enjoy the rest of the season and in the future we will see. I'm disappointed and upset, but not angry.”

“It's like this because after six races we are sixth in the championship, not so far from Pedrosa in fourth, despite bad winter testing and they don't really show good interest. This is what I don't really like. I'm really upset in this sense. So we are working on other possibilities.

“I'm really grateful to Suzuki for the chance to be a factory rider for the first time, but I feel upset more than angry because two years ago the bike was not working, very slow. So they worked very hard, but also I think I worked very hard. We developed the bike, last year we did one pole position and now we are sixth in the championship. I think sixth is not that bad.”

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