Hayate doubtful over Kawasaki support in 2010
Added on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Hayate's future could be limited without Kawasaki input.
Hayate Racing manager Andrea Dosioli has raised doubt over the future of Kawasaki in MotoGP next season with the company reportedly making further cutbacks in light of the economic downturn.
Dosoli claimed that the team was getting “no feedback” from the company over the team’s future and that with the company’s current cost cutting plans, the team’s future was in serious doubt.
Kawasaki made the surprise announcement that they would be withdrawing from MotoGP in January this year, with the economic downturn cited by the company as the primary reason behind the decision.
Last-ditch negotiations and contractual wrangling between the company and MotoGP promoter Dorna ensured that Kawasaki’s presence remained in the championship, albeit with the Japanese manufacturer having an arm’s length approach to the new semi-private, single rider Hayate team.
The move meant that Marco Melandri retained a ride in MotoGP with Kawasaki providing the Hayate team with two Kawasaki ZX-10RR machines but with minimal factory support for 2009.
But thoughts have already turned to 2010 and with Melandri putting in a number of strong performances despite riding in with a skeleton team behind him; hopes were that Kawasaki would continue their involvement in some role.
But Dosoli, who leads a team of just 12 staff, was downbeat over the team’s future for 2010.
“We are hoping and pushing Kawasaki next year but I cannot say if I am optimistic or not because we are getting absolutely no feedback from Japan,” he told GPWeek.
That once again puts Melandri’s future in doubt, with reports linking the former Ducati rider with a move to San Carlo Gresini Honda, paring him up with Marco Simoncelli in 2010.
