Kawasaki Quits MotoGP

swamp

swamp

New Member
I have not read the articles yet but wow. I cant believe this. ... however it would be cool to see Hopkins in WSB !

I think I read somewhere that Hayden is going to be on the Ducati next season. any of you read the same?

ooo ok I just read the SPEED article:
It also states that Honda almost dropped out but decided to stay in for the 2009 season.
 
snikwad

snikwad

New Member
a lot of talk as if these things are confirmed
the bayliss rossi match up isnt likely to happen and kawasaki hasnt confirmed their retirement yet, im sure dorna iss going to do everything to convince them to stay...

lets not jump the gun guys
 
snikwad

snikwad

New Member
Aspar is trying to maintain Kawasaki presence in MotoGP...

Kawasaki could still be involved in MotoGP this season after Aspar manager Jorge Martinez revealed he is in talks with series organisers Dorna to revive his stillborn project.

Aspar were close to graduating to the premier class in 2009 with a third Kawasaki entry, but the deal fell through after disagreeing on the manufacturer's choice of Shinya Nakano, rather than the Spanish rider Martinez's sponsors desired.

Nonetheless, Martinez claims to have been contacted by Dorna, who are desperate to retain a fifth manufacturer presence on the 2009 grid as it looks increasingly likely the series will start the season with a somewhat paltry 17 bike line-up.
Speaking to Italian newspaper Gazetta dello Sport, Martinez admits he is interested in reviving the project and keep Kawasaki racing as a privateer entry.

"Negotiations to take over the two Kawasaki (bikes) have started,” he said. “I don't know with certainty when or if this opportunity will become reality. I'm willing to negotiate. We'll see."

Although Aspar could face the same issues as last time if their sponsors demand a Spanish rider again, both John Hopkins and Marco Melandri would be tempting propositions for the team nonetheless.

Hopkins alone comes with extensive backing from energy drinks company Monster, while Melandri comes with experience that would prove tempting for a burgeoning team.

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snikwad

snikwad

New Member
say it aint so....

The saga of whether Kawasaki will remain in MotoGP continues on this week with the rumour mill shifting to the future of riders John Hopkins and Marco Melandri.

The Japanese manufacturer was strongly rumoured to have announced their withdrawal from the series earlier this week, but with the ‘deadline' passing and no word emerging from the ‘Team Green' camp, some hopes have been raised that a rescue deal may be sought.

Although it is still expected that Kawasaki are planning to end their manufacturer involvement in MotoGP, the delay in confirming it is rumoured to stem from a possible deal involving Jorge Martinez's Aspar concern.

As revealed earlier this week, Martinez claims to have been contacted by series organisers Dorna, who are determined to maintain Kawasaki's presence in the series, even if it is not in a works capacity.

The options could see Martinez take up the running of the two bikes Kawasaki has already spent time and money developing for 2009 (albeit not fully), although the identity of the riders will undoubtedly come down to who gets the most sponsorship space.

Between Hopkins and Melandri, Hopkins comes with heavy backing from American energy drink company Monster, making him a tempting candidate for the teams currently fighting the global economic crisis. Linked with Tech 3 Yamaha in place of Colin Edwards, Superbike Planet are reporting that Hopkins could still ride a Kawasaki in 2009, albeit in the AMA Superbike Championship - provided the team commits to an entry.

Melandri, meanwhile, is thought to be more of a concern for Dorna, who are keen to keep him in the series, despite his disastrous season with Ducati. With less money to bring to the table than Hopkins, Corriere dello Sport report that it is up to Dorna to arrange something for him to stay in the series.

Both Hopkins and Melandri's options seem very limited, with MotoGP having already posted a provisional entry list and no team seemingly wanting to commit to a second or third bike in a time of economic hardship.

The World Superbike Championship has been mooted, particularly for Melandri as it would be likely that FG Sport would aid his attempts at securing a top ride, but with all of the top seats filled (barring a financially-aided expansion), both riders could be facing a season on the sidelines.
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snikwad

snikwad

New Member
official confirmation...

Kawasaki has seemingly broken its silence over the rumours they are withdrawing from MotoGP by claiming that no decision has been formally made yet.

A week since news first broke that they were on the verge of quitting the series, owing to the global economic crisis, an anonymous source has apparently revealed for the first time that it is ‘under consideration'.

According to Agent France Presse, Kawasaki are still in the process of evaluating whether it would be worth pulling out having already sunk a considerable amount of money in securing riders John Hopkins and Marco Melandri, as well as developing the 2009-specification bike.

"The issue is under consideration," the source said. "We have made no decision. We are in contact with parties concerned so that we can decide our future course of action.”

Those ‘parties concerned' could be Jorge Martinez, who is touted to be taking on the team under the semi-works Aspar banner.

Indeed, with Dorna determined to keep up the numbers on the grid to a respectable level, the retention of Kawasaki as a fifth manufacturer is crucial in their plans, particularly as the economic downturn is expected to grip the sport further into 2009.

The withdrawal of Kawasaki Heavy Industries would see them join Japanese counterparts Honda, Suzuki and Subaru in scaling back their motorsport plans this year in a bid to ride out the storm.
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snikwad

snikwad

New Member
before it was just a rumor, now kawi is saying its true they are thinking about withdrawing. thats all.
 
TripleThreat

TripleThreat

Member
That article says the information comes from an anonymous source. That doesn't seem to equate to anything "official" to me. I think we need to wait until a named Kawasaki official issues an official statement to know what is going on...

TripleThreat
 
R

Ruhe52

Member
The press release from Kawasaki that was due on the fifth never came; in fact little more than a stony silence ever came from Kawasaki in the new year.

It's rumored that some correspondence from Spain to Japan did happen, where it is further rumored that Dorna notified Kawasaki that in accordance with the contract that they signed (with Dorna when they joined MotoGP) that Kawasaki would be on the hook for something like 20 million Euros for each of the 2009-2011 seasons if they decided to drop out of MotoGP.

Also, an MSMA (Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers' Association) meeting happened, but details from that are not known.

Reportedly, Dorna informed several of the parties involved today that Kawasaki is no longer dropping out of MotoGP and they will field a two-rider team in 2009. The management of the team seems to be up in the air, but indications are that there will be two green MotoGP bikes on the grid this season.
 
rk97

rk97

Member
snikwad;31844 wrote: That's awesome.
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sort of... I'm glad kawasaki is probably in, but i would like it to be their decision.

my concern is that hopkins and melandri are going to get a half-assed effort supporting them, and have no real chance of competing. :haha: (insert your own joke about kawasaki competing)
 
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