Motorcycling: Swiss veteran Luethi secures 2018 MotoGP ride

[August 24, 2017]    (Reuters) - Veteran Swiss rider Thomas Luethi will graduate to MotoGP next season with Marc VDS Honda, the Belgian team announced on Thursday.

 Suter Moto2 rider Thomas Luethi of Switzerland celebrates taking second position after the qualifying session at the Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril May 5, 2012. REUTERS/Marcos Borga

Luethi, 30, is in his eighth season in the Moto2 category and finished runner-up in 2016 behind French rider Johann Zarco, who is now in MotoGP with Tech3 Yamaha.

The 2005 world champion in the 125cc class will be partnered at the team by current Moto2 championship leader Franco Morbidelli of Italy.

Luethi was also previously a test rider for KTM before their MotoGP debut this season.

"His consistency over seven seasons in Moto2 has been incredible, with a sixth place in 2013 the only time he's finished outside the top five in the championship," Marc VDS team boss Marc van der Straten said in a statement.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in Spa-Francorchamps; Editing by John O'Brien)

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