25 year-old Toni Elias of the Alice Ducati team — second at the 2008 Cardion AB Grand Prix Ceske Republiky and third at the following GP Cinzano Di San Marino E Della Riviera Di Rimini — will leave the Ducati customer team at the end of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship Series in order to return to the upstart Gresini Honda team.

Currently 12th in the 2008 World Championship chase, Elias has ridden resplendently well for the privateer Alice Ducati team this season, often the top Ducati rider on the track, Casey Stoner not withstanding.

Having won his first MotoGP Grand Prix with Gresini Honda at Estoril, Portugal in 2006, the native of Manresa, Spain will compete aboard a full-on factory-spec Honda RC212V in 2009. Elias, who will replace Gresini rider Shinya Nakano, will be paired with Alex de Angelis in 2008.

“A new adventure that is going to be very challenging and has great promise,” proclaimed Fausto Gresini, team owner, of the forthcoming 2009 MotoGP season. “The possibility to line up a factory spec Honda represents for us a sign of esteem from HRC and it will offer to us all the potential to make a great season."

Eric Johnson