Honda tester Aoyama gets Moto2 team manager role

The 36-year-old former 250cc champion will oversee the Idemitsu-backed squad that was formed in 2013 as part of a push to promote Asian talent in grand prix racing.

MotoGP-bound Takaaki Nakagami scored two wins for the team over the past two years, and will be replaced by fellow Japanese rider Tetsuta Nagashima for the 2018 campaign.

Former Moto3 race winner Khairul Idham Pawi will stay on board for a second year after a tough rookie season in the intermediate class that yielded a best finish of eighth.

“I’m grateful to Honda Team Asia for giving me the opportunity to contribute as team nanager," said Aoyama, who deputised for the injured Jack Miller in this year's Motegi MotoGP race.

"I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences, the good and the bad, over 10 years as a rider, with Nagashima and Pawi, two riders who will be leaders in the next generation.

"I will give them all of my support so they can succeed in Moto2, and like Nakagami, move to the MotoGP class.”

Takahashi replaces Luthi for test

Elsewhere in the Honda stable, it's been announced that All-Japan Superbike champion Takumi Takahashi will deputised for the injured Thomas Luthi at Marc VDS in this week's post-season Valencia test.

With Tech 3 Yamaha not fielding a replacement for the unwell Jonas Folger, it means a total of 24 riders will take part in the test, including Ducati's Michele Pirro on a third works GP17.