By alley - Jun 2, 2016, 8:01 AM ET

MOTOGP: Espargaro to leave Tech3 Yamaha squad

Yamaha has confirmed that Pol Espargaro will leave its satellite Tech3 outfit at the end of the MotoGP season.

The Spaniard graduated to the premier class with the outfit in 2014 as Moto2 champion, and is believed to be set to announce he will join KTM next year as its second factory rider when it enters MotoGP. His current Tech3 team-mate Bradley Smith was named as KTM's first recruit in March, during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

Espargaro has finished sixth and ninth in his first two full seasons, and is seventh in the 2016 standings, the top satellite rider.

A Yamaha statement said Espargaro "will start new racing challenges".

He also won last year's Suzuka 8 Hours for Yamaha with Smith and Katsuyuki Nakasuga, and will defend that title with the manufacturer this year, with Yamaha World Superbike rider Alex Lowes replacing Smith in the line-up.

Tech3 announced Moto2 rider Jonas Folger as one of its 2017 MotoGP riders

last month.

Originally on Autosport.com