Honda test rider Hiroshi Aoyama will stand in for the injured Jack Miller at the forthcoming MotoGP round at Motegi.
Miller broke his leg in a training accident in Andorra last Friday and has been forced to sit out next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Aoyama, 35, has now been announced as Miller’s replacement at the Marc VDS satellite Honda outfit for Motegi.
The 2009 250cc champion made his MotoGP debut in 2010 and enjoyed his best season in the series a year later, when he placed 10th with Gresini Honda.
After a spell in Honda’s World Superbike team, he then returned to MotoGP with the Avintia and Aspar squads in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
He has since been Honda’s test rider, and has taken part in six races during that time.
“Firstly I want to wish Jack a speedy recovery and I hope he will be fit to race in his home Grand Prix at Phillip Island,” said Aoyama.
“It’s never nice to replace an injured rider but I hope that I can do a good job for both Jack and the team in Motegi.
“I also want to thank Michael Bartholemy [team boss] and Marc VDS for giving me the opportunity to race once again in front of the Japanese fans.
“I have not raced yet this season, so it will take some time to get back the feeling.
“The fact that I already know a lot of the crew, having worked with them in the past, will help a lot, as will having a rider with Tito’s experience on the other side of the box.”