Aprilia’s 2021 MotoGP challenge was unveiled today in Doha, Qatar, ahead of Friday’s opening official test of the season, but there was one notable omission - Bradley Smith.

While the Noale squad presented its RS-GP alongside Aleix Espargaro and Lorenzo Savadori, the 30-year-old Brit was seen, via Instagram, playing on Yamaha R3’s as he busied himself with his new ‘109 project’ in Italy.

Negotiations remain ongoing between the two sides regarding Smith’s 2021 future with Aprilia, however it is expected that the Italian team will start the season as they finished the last, with Savadori in the hotseat, while they continue to analyse his performance over the coming week’s two MotoGP tests and through the inaugural race weekends - all held at the Losail International Circuit.