Kawasaki out of Moto GP

[Steph]

I'm afraid you will be waking up to bad news today. It looks like Kawi has decided to pull out of Moto GP according to all the U.S. websites! Apparently, the economy is to blame.

[SoundGuy]

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22701

[gearbox]

no **BALLS** is all! what a crap company

[dilligaf]

from

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport ... bombshell/

John Hopkins confirms Kawasaki quit bombshell

By Matthew Birt

MotoGP

31 December 2008 10:36

American John Hopkins has confirmed Kawasaki has notified him of its intention not to compete in the 2009 MotoGP world championship.

The bombshell news was communicated to the 25-year-old on December 29 while he is continuing his bid to regain full fitness after recent surgery to remove metal plates from his left leg.

The rest of Kawasaki’s stunned team personnel, including new recruit Marco Melandri, were all informed of the quit plan on the same day.

The decision to pull out leaves Hopkins frozen out of MotoGP after just one injury-hit disastrous campaign and he confirmed he been notified by team manager Michael Bartholemy in a telephone call to his California home on Monday.

“I heard it’s up in the air, but I haven’t heard anything confirmed yet,” said Hopkins. "I got some calls from the team manager and he said that everything could be up in the air as to whether they run it or not, but nothing has been confirmed.”

Asked what the implications of Kawasaki’s withdrawal would have on his future, Hopkins said he was in the dark, but had immediately consulted with his management team.

“I don’t know what it would do to me", added Hopkins, who finished 16th in the 2008 MotoGP series. “I’m really not sure. I’ve been talking to my managers and seeing what the plan is and they’ve been on the phone to Japan trying to figure it out as well. Right now I’m still contracted to them so I’m not sure what the plan is.”

[aardvark]

So, did someone forget to tell Kawasaki that they were supposed to put out a press release on the 5th??

[mfzx6r]

Melandri’s future in MotoGP promoter Dorna’s hands.
Marco Melandri’s manager Alberto Vergani says he is relying on MotoGP promoter Dorna to find the Italian a 2009 ride after Kawasaki’s decision to withdraw.

Kawasaki is set to officially confirm its pull-out tomorrow, leaving riders Melandri and John Hopkins in limbo.

There are no other vacant seats on the 2009 grid, but Dorna is in discussions with the Aspar team with a view to the leading 125cc and 250cc squad taking on the former factory Kawasakis.

Vergani said Melandri’s future was now in Dorna’s hands, and suggested it was the championship organiser’s duty to ensure that the race-winning Italian remained in the series.

“We can’t do anything but wait,” Vergani told Corriere dello Sport. “Either someone calls us and tells us that there’s a bike for us, or we can’t race.

“But if you think that (Dani) Pedrosa has won six Grands Prix in his career and Marco five, then it’s obvious that MotoGP can’t do without someone like Melandri.

“However, if Dorna is not interested in having strong riders taking part in the races, then it’s another matter. Now it’s up to Dorna to make a move.”

Melandri finished second to Valentino Rossi in the 2005 championship and was a regular front-runner with Gresini Honda, but had a disastrous 2008 season with Ducati and was hoping to rebuild his career at Kawasaki.

His potential 2009 teammate John Hopkins is also waiting for his manager to resolve his future.

“Everything is up in the air and people want answers,” Hopkins wrote on his personal website. “Everything from here is now in my manager’s hands. There will be an official press release very soon, where we can confirm or deny all rumours.”

Source | Autosport

[mick_dundee]

Waiting waiting waiting...

[lifeofcrimeguy]

Whispers have it that one of the 250 teams (Asper??) is in negotiation with the big K to take over the team and would keep both Hopper and Melandri...

[Slow and wobbly]

Those Kwak bikes will be taken up. No doubt there is alot of behind the scenes dealing happening as we speculate - Note to KW "speculation" not a wildfire rumour.
With only 17 bikes on the grid Dorna would be desperate to get anybody on any bike to allow the circus to leave town.

[Lone Wolf]

The Aspar team talk has been around for a while, interesting though as the reason they gave for not running Kwaka's with West on them was they needed a Spanish rider for their Spanish sponsers

[slojo]

apparently it's now official

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/motogp/ ... table.html

[Disco]

The team was reported as spending nearly £30m a year to do battle with the likes of Honda, Yamaha, Ducati and Suzuki, but has felt the pinch as world-wide sales of its road bikes suffered in the current financial climate.

Above is a quote from the article.As it says to do battle with yamaha yada yada,But this is how it is on the road people wan't a reputable and competative brand not some no name like hyosung who can't afford to race a gp bike.Don't you have to spend money to make money?If one of the "big four" is having drama's how long untill it's the big three ....I think it will do more harm than good in the long run unless they make a huge improvement in SBK but after reading the latest issue of AMCN that looks unlikely aswell...here's hoping....

[Lone Wolf]

"With only Randy de Puniet's second place in Japan in 2007 to show for its efforts in its five-year stay in MotoGP"

They must have forgotten about Nakano

[Phil]

"With only Randy de Puniet's second place in Japan in 2007 to show for its efforts in its five-year stay in MotoGP"

They must have forgotten about Nakano

And the Jacque attack in China.

Nakkers was on the podium at least twice, Japan (04 I think) and Assen 06, fair enough Colin crashed and Nakkers got 2nd but he would have still been third and on the podium.