Toni Elias splits with Aspar Moto2 team

Elias won the inaugural Moto2 title in 2010 with Gresini after losing his MotoGP seat with the team at the end of the previous year. The Spaniard returned to MotoGP with LCR last season but was back in Moto2 for 2012 after a tough campaign in the premier class.

Despite Elias's record and Aspar's success in MotoGP's feeder categories, the combination struggled this season, with Elias finishing no higher than seventh and sitting only 15th in the standings after nine rounds.

After he crashed out of the Mugello event, the team announced that it was splitting with Elias.

Team boss Jorge Martinez Aspar said: "This year we had put great faith in Toni's ability to bring us the title, but in the end things didn't turn out as we had expected. We have both decided to part ways; we feel that this decision is best for both Toni and for the Mapfre Aspar team."

Elias said he had no hard feelings towards Aspar and had just been unable to get to grips with its Suter chassis.

"The team have given their all in pre-season and in the season itself," he said.

"We have always looked for solutions together to try and go fast with the Suter, but in the end we weren't able to find a way.

"The atmosphere in the garage and the relationship between the team and I has always been excellent, the mechanics have given their all to try and find solutions and Jorge has believed completely in me, but things haven't turned out as we had hoped."