Dorna seeking Kawasaki replacement
Added on Monday, January 12th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments
Ezpeleta confirms that talks are ongoing to save Kawasaki presence.
Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has confirmed that talks are ongoing to find a buyer for the now defunct Kawasaki Racing Team in time for the 2009 MotoGP season.
Kawasaki ended weeks of speculation on Friday about their future by confirming that they would be ending their involvement in MotoGP with immediate effect, leaving just 17 riders and four manufacturers on the grid for 2009.
Talks had been underway with Aspar team boss Jorge Martinez and the Kawasaki team even before the announcement from the Japanese factory about a rescue package for the ZX-RR and Ezpeleta told the official MotoGP website that the search is on to keep Kawasaki bikes in the championship.
“We had a meeting in Osaka on Thursday where Kawasaki explained their problems and the difficulties they had with continuing as a factory team,” Ezpeleta told MotoGP.com.
“Under these circumstances we agreed to co-operate collectively, in order to find a possible solution to their problems which may allow them to continue as a privateer team.”
Reports have also suggested that Kawasaki racing team boss Michael Bartholemy could also be involved in a rescue bid.
The result of these talks are likely to dictate as to whether current Kawasaki riders John Hopkins and Marco Melandri have an immediate future in MotoGP, with all rides now taken for 2009.
Melandri’s manager Alberto Vergani said that there had been no progress with his rider’s 2009 plans since news of Kawasaki’s exit first leaked out.
“We are still at the point of the end of 2008 communication,” Vergani told Gazzetta dello Sport. “We don’t know what the future holds.”
Loading ...
No Comments