Bradl terminates Forward contract

German MotoGP star Stefan Bradl is now a free agent, after terminating his contract with Forward Racing.

It has been a troubled month for both rider and team; at the Dutch TT at Assen a crash left Bradl with a fractured scaphoid, an injury he is still recovering from after undergoing surgery in Augsburg.

But that’s nothing compared to the team’s problems, with boss Giovanni Cuzari being arrested earlier this month, leading to the team pulling out of the Indy round.

With the team’s future shrouded by uncertainty, Bradl has reportedly made the call to terminate his Forward Racing contract. However, he’s not planning on sitting out the remainder of the season, and is hoping to have a new ride locked in as soon as Indy.

“I want to sit back on a MotoGP bike as soon as possible,” he was reported as saying by Speedweek.

“By [Indy] I will be 95 to 100 per cent fit. I can do pushups now, even though it’s not perfect yet. But I’ll be fit again before the practice session at Indy next Friday.”

One option could be Aprilia Racing, which has a spare seat after parting ways with Marco Melandri before the German Grand Prix. Bradl had been linked to the ride even before splitting with Forward, before the team’s test rider Michael Laverty stepped in for the Sachsenring race.

Pramac Racing has also shown interest in Bradl, boss Francesco Guidotti having already admitted that “Stefan Bradl is an option for us for 2016”.

Should Forward make it back to the MotoGP grid this season, it is unknown who would partner Loris Baz. One option could be Claudio Corti, who subbed in for Bradl in Germany.