Kallio ends Pramac career
Added on Monday, October 18th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor
Kallio ends Pramac career
Mika Kallio has ended his Pramac Ducati career two rounds early after confirming that he is to miss the Portuguese and Valencia Grand Prix and leave the satellite team.
The Finnish rider, who moved up to the MotoGP class with Pramac last season, has opted to sit out of the final two rounds of the season because of a shoulder injury, meaning that he has ridden his final race for Pramac.
Kallio was out of contract at the end of the season after a poor second year, which has seen him stand 16th in the championship so far and will almost certainly see him end the season as the championship’s lowest-ranked regular rider, has not been offered a ride with Pramac for 2011.
Kallio sustained a shoulder injury in Le Mans earlier this season and has decided to return home to Finland, where he will continue his recovery and look to secure a ride for next season.
“We were already thinking about what we could do with this problem with the shoulder when we were in Japan, and these three races in a row have not been so good for the pain,” explained Kallio. “Throughout the race and especially in the last part there is a pain, and in Japan we decided we would do these two races in Malaysia and Australia and then see what the situation was. Now, after this race, we’ve decided it’s better to stop and try to be ready for next season and let it repair physically.”
“I need to say thanks to the team. Even if the season was not very good for us we have had a lot of good times and thanks to Paolo (Campinoti, Team Principal) because he gave me this opportunity to stop after this race and recover for next season. Of course it’s sad to stop like this but I think this was the best way for everyone at the moment.”
Pramac are expected to call up World Superbike rider Carlos Checa to sit in for Kallio after he finished third in the championship on board the satellite Althea Ducati.
Campinoti added: “I never like to find myself in these situations, but when a rider asks you to not run because he cannot give 100% for the team you must accept his sincere gesture and go through with that. On behalf of the Pramac Racing team and our partners I would like thank Mika and wish him a wonderful future full of success and happiness. Mika has always demonstrated great honesty and given the best he can in these two years, and we’ll always consider him one of our family because of this.”
“At the moment we are thinking about a substitute for the final two races of the season in Portugal and Spain, and in the following days once we sign an agreement we will make an official announcement.”
