Kawasaki MotoGP Out?

[tha_jackal]

Kawasaki have retired from MOTOGP - stolen from GPONE

Melandri in shock: Kawasaki retires!

Marco Melandri and John Hopkins are on foot, Kawasaki retires. To write it first, today was Marco Tuttosport of Bo and it is not a bo ... iata is true.

The Ravenna had received half a avvisaglia yesterday morning but should be came the official confirmation signed by megacapo Kawamura.
"Dear Mark, we hope to work together again in the future ...".

The reasons for this decision, dramatic and sudden, are the usual: the economic downturn and the need to cut as soon as the dead wood. The team has already been informed and when they are all so shocked by not knowing what to do or what to do.

By Michael Bartholemy top of mechanics, the blow was amazing, because at the end of the year there is little we can do. Someone speaks of Superbike, but as a lifeboat on which to jump while the ship sinks. The problem is that not even know if the boat there.

It 'a disaster, although the Kawasaki at the bottom is the most replaceable of the Houses in the MotoGP. Always last, or almost. Never a win, even when, dall''80 runs to 1982 with Kork Ballington in the 500 with a futuristic monocoque. Even then the top three were third place. Un po 'little for the brand of Akashi who arrived as it was went away.

The result now is that the MotoGP is found just 17 with a sudden motion at the start: under the contract provided for a minimum contract of FIM. And then, as Bernie Ecclestone has said about the withdrawal of the Honda F1 is a bad example. Some might be tempted to follow him. The Suzuki, for example, given the lack of results. We will keep you informed.

Sorry for the poor translation..Piss take? Worrying none the less...

[jim mcglinchey]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72588

This seems less like a joke

In the words of SuperHans " Jeezus, who's next??!!"

[patnicholls]

In the words of SuperHans " Jeezus, who's next??!!"


:D

Super Hans definitely needs to pass more comment on things rumoured to be going on within the field of motor racing.

(this may be over the head of nearly everyone on the forum :p )

[ChrisS]

At first I thought it was a fake story coming from spain as their version of "April's fool day" is around this time of the year, but it seems to be a true story

I wonder where Melandri and Hopper will end up.

[Wim_Impreza]

I wonder where Melandri and Hopper will end up.

I wonder where MotoGP will end up. It is absolutely a joke with only 17 riders next year. I will follow again WSBK which is much closer, where is much more overtaking and which is much better for the fans too.

[Mach24]

Can I hear a bell tolling in the distance?

Flamini's decision to not have direct factory input to their Championship now appears a genius stroke.

[Rod Richardson]

Re Kawasaki exit from MotoGP........Sad to see and a shocker for Melandri and Hopkins....I wonder what will eventuate as far as their contracts are concerned or whether we will see the emergence of a factory supported team.

Looks like Ant West came out of 08 best of all.

[NinjaMaster]

Well, I'll be disappointed but hardly surprised if it proves true. http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=551185&postcount=7. Just a year or two before the inevitable anyway I reckon. No point throwing away good money after bad. Hopefully they don't pull out but if they do then I hope the put extra focus on superbike so they're at least competitive at something.

[neninja]

A real shame but not too surprising. With Kawasaki under performing in almost every year they've been in MotoGP, they were bound to pull out eventually. The current world financial situation gives the perfect excuse without losing face.

Terrible for Hopper and Marco. I can't imagine a credible GP grid without the 2 of them lining up.

I really fear for the survival of MotoGP over the next 12 months, in the face of a WSBK championship that it much more competitive and entertaining. For the manufacturers which type of racing sells bikes? Bikes based on production models or prototypes? Hopefully Kawasaki will now put more effort into Superbike and Supersport where they have also massively under achieved for years.

[The Phantom]

I guess the choice facing Dorna is to either subsidise the cost of another team/factory adding a bike to the grid (to make up the numbers), or assist Kawasaki in running their team for another year? But as a few here have said, it's akin to throwing good money after bad, considering their (relative) lack of performance...

[chunder27]

As many will remember this all happened in 1990 Kenny stepped in with Yamaha to save the day!

Dorna did bugger all!! So dont expect too much!

[leopard]

I feel sorry for Ninja (zx-rr) if this is true ... :(

[jonny hurlock]

feels sorry for hopper and melandri, Kawasaki have a couple of poor seasons imo, but i heard that aspar are interested fielding the bikes next season.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72601

[ms0362]

Sad news. Getting down to few a number of riders. Could be bad for the series.

[tha_jackal]

Aspar in Kawasaki talks

"Eurosport - Fri, 02 Jan 14:52:00 2009

Motorcycling team Aspar are in talks over a possible takeover of MotoGP factory squad Kawasaki.

The Japanese manufacturer will soon announce its exit from the elite class of the World Championship, with 125cc and 250cc outfit Aspar keen to run the ex-works bikes in 2009.

MotoGP rights holders Dorna are keen to keep Kawasaki, one of five factory teams last season, in the sport.

"For the last two days I've been on the phone with Dorna," Aspar boss Jorge Martinez told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "They called me first.

"We are in contact - and talks to buy out the two Kawasakis have started.

"I'm very interested in MotoGP. It's a project that was already in my plans. Now there is this opportunity; I don't yet know with certainty what will happen.

"For my part there is the will to talk."

Aspar had previously held discussions with Kawasaki about forming a satellite squad. However they fell through over Kawasaki's insistence on a spot for Japanese rider Shinya Nakano.

Martinez indicated that John Hopkins, who along with Marco Melandri had signed a deal to ride with Kawasaki in 2009, would be welcome at the team should it come to fruition.

"I certainly wouldn't have any problem with Melandri. In fact, he's a rider I've always liked very much," he said.

"[However] the matter regarding riders isn't a priority at the moment."

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport"

Still life in the old dog yet?

[tha_jackal]

well, it's all over for team green.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/Kawasaki+to+suspend+MotoGP+racing+activities

[ChrisS]

The wording of the press release saying "factory MotoGP racing activities" leaves a small chance that the team/bikes will remain but as privateers without any support/development from Kawasaki.

If that happens the Grid will remain as is but I expect the bikes to be just grid fillers, backmarkers from the season start and miles behind the rest by seasons end.

[ChrisS]

MotoGP.com says that Kawasaki is testing ins 2009 Ninja ZX-RR that will be available for use by a private team

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/Kawasaki+undertake+private+test+at+Eastern+Creek

[neninja]

Dorna have said that Kawasaki are contracted to race until 2011. If they race this year they will release them from the contract for 2010 and 2011.

If they don't race they will sue them for £15m

[AndyRAC]

Dorna have said that Kawasaki are contracted to race until 2011. If they race this year they will release them from the contract for 2010 and 2011.

If they don't race they will sue them for £15m

Marvellous logic - they pull out because of the 'credit crunch' so Dorna wish to sue them!!

Similar thing happened in WRC with Hyundai - pulled out early in 2003 with budget issues - so FIA fined them.

Honestly, governing bodies make me laugh...... :dozey:

[Rod Richardson]

I sympathize with Kawasaki for having to pull out of Moto GP due to the current economic climate and reckon it's a poor show on the part of Dorna to be rattling the sabre in public at this stage and further embarrassing Kawasaki.

It certainly won't win them any points in the public relations stakes.

:down: Not impressed Dorna :down:

[NinjaMaster]

On the flipside, in fairness to Dorna (and I hate Dorna), Kawasaki have put them in an awkward position of being below the minimum grid size required by the FIM. I'm aware that their rule fiddling and lack of cost reduction over recent seasons hasn't helped but still, they would have been planning around Kawasaki's commitment to the future given that they had relatively recently signed a contract to participate until 2011. I would say that KHI would be naive to think that they could just break contract and pull out without any kind of ramifications.
Anyway, it sounds hopeful that the green team may be there after all under Aspar's direction and he know's how to run a successful team.

[Corny]

They have tested their 2009 bike with Oliviér Jacque this week on Eastern Creek.. There's still hope

[Mach24]

They have tested their 2009 bike with Oliviér Jacque this week on Eastern Creek.. There's still hope

Hope that green bikes finish 18th and 19th?

[Corny]

Hope that green bikes finish 18th and 19th?
I don't care where they finish, it's better to have 19 riders than 17.. Next to that, their livery last year was cool :p

[Mach24]

I don't care where they finish, it's better to have 19 riders than 17.. Next to that, their livery last year was cool :p

Quality versus Quantity?

Whilst more can sometimes better, Kawasaki have made it clear they will not be competing, even if they do end up on the start grid to avoid massive fines.

[leopard]

Having heard of advertising this morning that Ninja is offered in extremely affordable price. Not sure whether they produce the different generic bike or their decision to pull out of gp already contributed to their efficiency producing cheaper bike without having to reduce the quality...

[The Phantom]

Haven't seen that here in Australia Leopard, but that would be nice - I'm a Honda guy but have a soft spot for Kawasaki, my first roadbike was a ZZR250 and it was a fantastic bike, and I recently rode a ZX-12R which scared the pants off me :)

Perhaps Kawasaki are 'ahead of the curve' and are showing the way forward for the rest of the field, dollar-wise? The costs have got to come down one way or another... Kropotkin's recent articles on this subject made for interesting reading.

[Corny]

Ilmor seems to be in the running to take over the 2 bikes.. We'll see