Another hallowed name is to make a return to the Grand Prix paddock. At Silverstone, Dakota Mamola, son of famed former 500 GP winner Randy Mamola, is to replace Nico Terol. Terol is absent due to illness, the Spaniard suffering a mystery metabolic disorder which is causing extreme muscle fatigue. While Terol undergoes treatment, Mamola will take his place, with Terol hoping to make a return at Misano, two weeks after Silverstone.

Mamola has been racing in the Spanish CEV Moto2 championship with the GRT racing team. The 19-year-old is currently in 11th place, having scored 18 points at two races at the Motorland Aragon circuit. In 2013, Mamola raced in the European 600 Superstock championship, ending in 19th place with 28 points. The youngster has been receiving technical support from Aspar in the CEV, so he is a natural choice to replace Terol.

The interesting question is under what nationality Dakota Mamola will be entered. The youngster is racing in the CEV under a Belgian license, as his mother is Belgian, and organizing the paperwork to compete in the CEV is easier with a European license. When Mamola raced in the European Superstock license, he raced with a Spanish license, having done most of his racing in Spain. Given Randy Mamola's fame throughout the world as an American racer, doubtless Dorna would like to have Randy's son Dakota racing on his American passport. Whether this can be arranged in time for Silverstone remains to be seen.

Below is the press release from the Aspar team announcing Mamola's ride:

Dakota Mamola to replace Nico Terol at Silverstone

After making his CEV debut earlier this season, the American-Belgian youngster is now preparing for his Grand Prix debut in place of Nico Terol

Earlier this season, on the 22nd May to be precise, the Aspar Team announced that they would provide the technical support for Dakota Mamola to make his debut in the Spanish Championship with the GRT Racing Team. Now, after just three rounds competing at national level, the American-Belgian rider is set to make his World Championship debut with the MAPFRE Aspar Team in place of Nico Terol, who is recovering from muscle fatigue issues that have dogged him all season.

Mamola, son of four-time 500cc World Championship runner-up Randy, will contest his maiden Grand Prix in MAPFRE Aspar Team colours in this weekend's Moto2 race at Silverstone, with Terol hoping to be fit to return to action for the following round at Misano. It is a huge opportunity and challenge for Dakota, who will be making the step up to World Championship level just months after taking his bow on the national stage.

Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’: “We are delighted to offer another opportunity to Dakota Mamola. At the end of May we decided to support him in the CEV and he has shown the potential that he possesses as a rider. He is progressing quickly and we are sure he will continue to do so. He can go out and enjoy Silverstone because he is not under any pressure. The idea is that he continues to build his confidence on the Moto2 bike in preparation for the final few rounds of the Spanish Championship. Whilst we are delighted to have Dakota with us in Silverstone, we want to make it clear that the MAPFRE Aspar Team's official rider is Nico Terol, who is currently in a process of recovery, and we hope that process is swift so that he can return to racing as soon as possible.”

Dakota Mamola: “First of all I would like to wish Nico a swift recovery. Thanks to him and the MAPFRE Aspar Team I have this incredible opportunity and I would also like to thank the GRT team for their support in the CEV. To compete in the World Championship is a dream come true, we didn't expect it to happen this year but this is the way it's worked out. It is going to be a completely new experience for me and it will be a good opportunity for me to learn about Moto2. It will also be a chance to build my confidence ahead of the next round of the Spanish Championship at Navarra. I am really happy, it's a great honour that the MAPFRE Aspar Team have turned to me as Nico's replacement for this race. I know that they will help me a lot, I am not under any pressure and the objective is to enjoy the experience.”