Ivan Silva loses Avintia MotoGP seat

Ivan Silva has been demoted from race to test rider by the Avintia Blusens team for the remainder of the 2012 MotoGP season.

Silva, who briefly swapped the FTR frame for a carbon fibre Inmotec design earlier in the season, has scored points on four occasions with the Kawasaki powered machine, including a best finish of twelfth (twice).

Taking Silva's place will be fellow Spaniard David Salom, a former World Supersport podium finisher who has been racing for the Pedercini Kawasaki team in World Superbike this season.

Salom, just 21st in the WSBK standings, will make his MotoGP debut at the forthcoming Misano round, from September 14-16. There is no clash between the remaining WSBK and MotoGP rounds, meaning that Salom could see out the WSBK season.

"Avintia Blusens wishes to thank Ivan for his work during the season, as the team benefited from his experience in the work carried out on the development of the new CRT machine," said a team statement.

"Iv?n complied perfectly with the objectives both the team and he set early in the season and, thanks to the good work done by him in the development of the bikes, the team has been able to call up David Salom, convinced that the Mallorcan's experience in World SBK will allow him to be very competitive in the near future in the CRT class."

Salom will ride alongside Yonny Hernandez, who has scored points on seven occasions in 2012, including a ninth place at Indianapolis. Hernandez has used the aluminium FTR frame throughout the year.

2012 was to be 30-year-old Silva's first full season in grand prix, after occasional appearances stretching back to 1998.