The Interwetten Honda MotoGP squad are still searching for a longer term replacement for the injured Hiroshi Aoyama, and are confident they will have someone in place for the Eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland on July 18th.

Kousuke Akiyoshi who raced at Assen, will again race the satellite RC212V at Catalunya this weekend for round seven while the squad have a shortlist of three possibilities from Sachsenring onwards, they are Alex de Angelis, Anthony West, plus an unnamed third substitute.

“For Barcelona we will again ride with Kousuke Akiyoshi, the Honda test rider,” explains Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team Owner Daniel M. Epp. “Assen was a new track for him but he knows Barcelona, so we will see. The Yamaha test rider (Wataru Yoshikawa) will step in for Valentino Rossi at Barcelona and I am looking forward to the battle between Akiyoshi and him.”

“We are looking for a solution post Barcelona and the replacement rider for Sachsenring onwards is not decided yet. We are still negotiating with some riders and we want someone who already has MotoGP experience. We need a stable substitute for Hiro until he comes back, and we hope he’ll be back soon.”

One of the three possibile candidates, Moto2 competitor De Angelis, stated, “The transfer to the Interwetten team is not easy because I have a contract with RSM Team Scot, and this is the first hurdle. In Barcelona my lawyer will deal with the teams and try to reach an agreement.”

“I have already ridden in MotoGP and to go back would be a dream, but it’s not so easy because after five or six races my future would again have to be decided upon. The most important thing is to find a solution that would allow me to ride somewhere (in MotoGP) after these races as a substitute. It remains to be seen and this is the hardest thing, as well as having the consent of the team.”

De Angelis had two years in the premier class in 2008 and 2009 with the San Carlo Honda Gresini Team, claiming a best finish of second at Indianapolis last season.