Pramac signs de Puniet for 2011

The 29-year-old Frenchman's move to Pramac had been anticipated since he lost his LCR seat to Moto2 champion Toni Elias, and it was confirmed by the team following today's Valencia Grand Prix.

"I am incredibly excited about this new adventure that will begin next year," said de Puniet. "I would like to thank the Pramac Racing team principal, Paolo Campinoti, for this great opportunity and the confidence that he has placed in me.

"I have worked with Italian teams in the past and I'm happy to continue for the next year.

"I would like to thank one by one the LCR team and Lucio Cecchinello with whom I shared wonderful years. I believe that they were my family and now I join a new family thanks to Pramac. I am looking forward to meet my Ducati."

De Puniet was with LCR for the past three years, taking a career-best of ninth in this season's championship despite breaking his leg in a crash at the Sachsenring. He had previously been a factory rider with Kawasaki.

Campinoti said he was thrilled to add de Puniet to the Pramac line-up, having already signed veteran Loris Capirossi from Suzuki.

"We all know Randy and we know his enormous value as a fighting rider, that has seen him fight with riders who were riding an official [works] bike," said Campinoti.

"He was often the first rider of the independent teams and he often finished the race before some official riders. We are confident that thanks to his quality, next year we'll have fun on all the tracks and take some satisfaction.

"With Randy and Loris we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Pramac in MotoGP and to have such a strong pair of riders will be a real honour for us."

De Puniet and Capriossi will make their debuts with Pramac in next week's tests at Valencia.

The team's main 2010 riders Aleix Espargaro and Mika Kallio will not be in MotoGP next season. Espargaro has already secured a Moto2 seat and Kallio is expected to do likewise.