Melandri close to Kawasaki deal
Added on Friday, September 12th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor
Melandri close to Kawasaki deal
Kawasaki Racing manager Michael Bartholemy claims that the team are just “two signatures away” from the signing of Marco Melandri and the entry of a third bike for the 2009 season.
Melandri has looked certain to become a Kawasaki rider for 2009 after being told that he has no future at Ducati earlier this season, although the deal has not yet been formally finalised.
However, Bartholemy today confirmed that the Italian rider was close to signing a deal with the Japanese factory team and that only formalities prevented the team from announcing the agreement officially.
“We are very close to confirming Marco for the future,” said the Kawasaki manager. “Tomorrow morning I hope that we will have the signature of our president, so that we can announce the deal as soon as possible.
`He´s a rider that I was looking for since last year, and I hope that this deal can happen. He will be very welcome here.”
Melandri, should the deal go through as expected, will team up with John Hopkins for the new season although the pair are unlikely to be the only Kawasaki’s on the grid next year, with the manufacturer expected to announce a third bike for 2009, with Jorge Martinez Aspar likely to lead the project that could provide Anthony West with a surprise MotoGP ride.
“For the third bike, the idea of all the parties involved is very clear,” added Bartholemy. `The money is there, the president has given the green light; many things are moving along positively. We don´t yet have the financial signature from Kawasaki, because people from other sections are also involved and they had small concerns about whether we could supply on a high level.
“There will be some internal meetings, and we will have a final answer from the middle to the end of next week.”
