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Ten Kate had prepared everything right down to the last detail, kicking the season off with the perfect presentation. Red Bull as a sponsor, a new bike, livery and even a new-entry in the shape of Stefan Bradl, joining Nicky Hayden in the garage. It therefore looked very likely that Honda would be able to play a starring role at the start of the season, but instead those hopes effectively went up in smoke just a few races in.
2017 turned into a horror film for the German rider, who would never have imagined a similar experience on board the Fireblade SP2. Arriving from MotoGP, Stefan dreamed of seeking his fortune in the production-derived series with one of the most ambitious project, but the real turned out to be very different, immediately putting him to the test.
With ineffective frames and obsolete electronics, the Japanese bike proved to be a wild horse, difficult to tame and even struck dumb on occasion. Fifteenth place in the opening race in Australia was the first alarm bell, with the issues continuing as the Circus arrived in Europe. The tracks would change, but the SP2 continued to be slow with respect to its competition, running almost thirty seconds behind the fastest. Not even the new 17.1 engine, brought to Misano, was able to turn the performance around.
The resignation on the German's face was clear to see, the rider left with no obvious way out. As if this wasn't enough, health problems such as an ear inflammation further complicated matters, forcing him to miss the Suzuka 8 Hours. The worst was still to come, in that the second half of the season turned out to be even tougher than the first. At the Lausitzring the Honda rider was forced to miss Race 1 after a crash on the Friday. At the subsequent Portimao round, a torn ligament in his right wrist brought a premature end to his 2017 season, with an operation thrown in for good measure.
Thus Bradl's adventure with Honda came to an end, with Jake Gagne set to take up the baton. The American, already called in to replace Hayden at Laguna Seca, was back on the SP2 at Magny-Cours and Losail, before signing a contract with Ten Kate for the 2018 season, the team also strengthened by Red Bull's support. The American will share the box with Leon Camier.
Bradl is therefore left at home, with no available ride in the reigning class ahead of next season. There are not even any openings in MotoGP, meaning that the German's future remains unclear. Among the possibilities for 2018 is a position in HRC as test rider alongside Aoyama and Takahashi. This may well be a last resort for the German, though it's a real pity to see a rider of Stefan's caliber left on the sidelines.
