Paris, France- Former World Superbike champion Sylvain Guintoli will make a MotoGP comeback at his home French Grand Prix on 21 May as replacement for injured Suzuki rider Alex Rins.
Suzuki said on Wednesday the experienced 34-year-old would stand in until Spanish rookie Rins could return. Rins broke his right ankle while training on a motocross bike in March and was then ruled out of April's Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas after crashing heavily in final practice and fracturing his left wrist.
The team said Guintoli, whose last full season in MotoGP was with Ducati in 2008, although he made a one-off return in Germany in 2011, was a natural choice.
"Not only was he World Superbike champion in 2014," it said, "but he also already has experience in MotoGP, and he is already a Suzuki rider."