Ducati confirm Melandri exit

Added on Sunday, July 13th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments

Ducati have confirmed that Marco Melandri will leave the team at the end of the season.

The Italian has struggled to make an impact with the Ducati team following his switch from Gresini Honda at the start of the season and the widely anticipated split was confirmed ahead of Sunday’s German Grand Prix by the rider’s agent Alberto Vergani.

Vergani said: “The contract that bound us to Ducati also for 2009 has been annulled by mutual agreement and therefore without any penalties.”

Melandri has managed to score just 32 points in the riders championship and, aside from a fifth place finish at Shanghai, has failed to finish inside the top ten this year – in stark contrast to the form showed by teammate Casey Stoner, who has dominated the championship in recent weeks.

The 25-year-old appears likely to see out the rest of the season with Ducati is now thought to be in talks with Kawasaki over a contract for 2009, with the Japanese factory believed to have lost patience with Anthony West, although Vergani also revealed that Gresini are also believed to be keen on resigning their former rider.

“At the moment we are talking with Gresini to go back to Fausto´s team and to Kawasaki, because they were already offering Hopkins´ bike to Marco for these two races. So these are the two real options,” he added.

Ducati are thought to be considering test rider Sete Gibernau as a replacement for Melandri, although frustrated Honda rider Nicky Hayden has reportedly expressed an interest in riding the powerful Desmosedici.

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