Kawasaki 'convinced' of 2009 title attack.
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 3:55 pm
Courtesy of http://www.crash.net" target="_blank
Kawasaki competition manager Michael Bartholemy is 'completely convinced' that Team Green can challenge for the 2009 MotoGP World Championship.
"[At the end of 2008] I will be saying that after a successful season we are now ready to go for the world championship in 2009. I am convinced we can do this. Completely convinced," Bartholemy told the Kawasaki MotoGP website, when asked to predict the future.
"We have some very, very good people with us at Kawasaki and I think we have the best team in MotoGP. We have gone through many ups and downs but together we have created an incredible motorcycle and built a factory team: I feel extremely proud of all of them."
Following Kawasaki's split from Harald Eckl at the end of 2006, Bartholemy led a major restructuring of the factory team - and faced a serious challenge to assemble the new 'in-house' outfit in time for the start of the 2007 world championship
Despite the upheaval, and a mid-season rider swap, Kawasaki and its new 800cc ZX-RR exceeded expectations, allowing Bartholemy to achieve his goal of tempting John Hopkins from Suzuki for 2008. In turn, Hopkins convinced Bartholemy's colleagues with four MotoGP podiums and fourth in the final world championship standings.
"I actually took the decision to go with Hopper last April and at that stage it wasn't so easy to convince people around me we could make that step: his results hadn't been the best," said Bartholemy. "But, at the end of the [final] race in Valencia, I went to the trailer and looked at the final points tables. First, Casey Stoner, who stayed with Ducati; then Pedrosa, who stayed with Honda; then Rossi, who's contracted to Yamaha. In other words, the first rider on that table, the top scoring rider who was able to change teams, was Hopkins, who we'd chosen in April, and he wanted to come to Kawasaki. That says something."
"And it's not as if he's the only one who was interested," he continued. "I think perhaps it was the first time some racers thought of Kawasaki as a real option for them. For sure, the 2007 season has changed our lives. And has changed us in the eyes of other people in MotoGPbecause they now perceive us as a proper factory team."
After a year of 'construction', Bartholemy believes that the new Kawasaki Racing Team is now close to being 100 per cent complete.
"I can say that we are missing, say, 15 per cent of the 100 per cent that was missing on 6th November 2006 [when Bartholemy was told to form the team]," he said. "January is really the target for me, for it all to be absolutely spot on, but even if it takes until the first IRTA test in February, I will be happy."
As previously reported, Kawasaki has opted to develop its 2007 machine, rather than roll-out a brand new model for 2008, a tactic Bartholemy is sure will pay dividends.
"We'll not be introducing a new bike and this, I think, is a very positive move," declared Michael. "Keeping the same machine but making changes to it as needed is something which I believe will make us stronger. Our bike has been working increasingly well so why bring in something completely different?"
Bartholemy added that Kawasaki is committed to MotoGP until at least 2011, but also confirmed that a title sponsor would be welcome. Monster Energy, partnered with Kawasaki in AMA racing and a personal sponsor of Hopkins, is the name most frequently linked to such a role.
"Kawasaki is realistic about the expense involved in this project and, furthermore, we have a commitment from the company that it will remain in MotoGP until at least 2011," explained Bartholemy.
"But yes, we've been working hard this year to attract a big sponsor from outside the motorcycle world. It's not just about the money, it's about getting our name in to other markets, and it works well in terms of brand recognition and so on.
"It will mean we aren't just featured in motorcycling magazines and other traditional areas where we are already known. We have to open up different markets and not just concentrate on the two-wheeled world where we are already familiar," Bartholemy concluded.
Kawasaki took one podium finish during 2007, a second place by Randy de Puniet at Motegi, and will be looking to join rivals Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, and Suzuki by winning its first four-stroke MotoGP race in 2008.
Kawasaki competition manager Michael Bartholemy is 'completely convinced' that Team Green can challenge for the 2009 MotoGP World Championship.
"[At the end of 2008] I will be saying that after a successful season we are now ready to go for the world championship in 2009. I am convinced we can do this. Completely convinced," Bartholemy told the Kawasaki MotoGP website, when asked to predict the future.
"We have some very, very good people with us at Kawasaki and I think we have the best team in MotoGP. We have gone through many ups and downs but together we have created an incredible motorcycle and built a factory team: I feel extremely proud of all of them."
Following Kawasaki's split from Harald Eckl at the end of 2006, Bartholemy led a major restructuring of the factory team - and faced a serious challenge to assemble the new 'in-house' outfit in time for the start of the 2007 world championship
Despite the upheaval, and a mid-season rider swap, Kawasaki and its new 800cc ZX-RR exceeded expectations, allowing Bartholemy to achieve his goal of tempting John Hopkins from Suzuki for 2008. In turn, Hopkins convinced Bartholemy's colleagues with four MotoGP podiums and fourth in the final world championship standings.
"I actually took the decision to go with Hopper last April and at that stage it wasn't so easy to convince people around me we could make that step: his results hadn't been the best," said Bartholemy. "But, at the end of the [final] race in Valencia, I went to the trailer and looked at the final points tables. First, Casey Stoner, who stayed with Ducati; then Pedrosa, who stayed with Honda; then Rossi, who's contracted to Yamaha. In other words, the first rider on that table, the top scoring rider who was able to change teams, was Hopkins, who we'd chosen in April, and he wanted to come to Kawasaki. That says something."
"And it's not as if he's the only one who was interested," he continued. "I think perhaps it was the first time some racers thought of Kawasaki as a real option for them. For sure, the 2007 season has changed our lives. And has changed us in the eyes of other people in MotoGPbecause they now perceive us as a proper factory team."
After a year of 'construction', Bartholemy believes that the new Kawasaki Racing Team is now close to being 100 per cent complete.
"I can say that we are missing, say, 15 per cent of the 100 per cent that was missing on 6th November 2006 [when Bartholemy was told to form the team]," he said. "January is really the target for me, for it all to be absolutely spot on, but even if it takes until the first IRTA test in February, I will be happy."
As previously reported, Kawasaki has opted to develop its 2007 machine, rather than roll-out a brand new model for 2008, a tactic Bartholemy is sure will pay dividends.
"We'll not be introducing a new bike and this, I think, is a very positive move," declared Michael. "Keeping the same machine but making changes to it as needed is something which I believe will make us stronger. Our bike has been working increasingly well so why bring in something completely different?"
Bartholemy added that Kawasaki is committed to MotoGP until at least 2011, but also confirmed that a title sponsor would be welcome. Monster Energy, partnered with Kawasaki in AMA racing and a personal sponsor of Hopkins, is the name most frequently linked to such a role.
"Kawasaki is realistic about the expense involved in this project and, furthermore, we have a commitment from the company that it will remain in MotoGP until at least 2011," explained Bartholemy.
"But yes, we've been working hard this year to attract a big sponsor from outside the motorcycle world. It's not just about the money, it's about getting our name in to other markets, and it works well in terms of brand recognition and so on.
"It will mean we aren't just featured in motorcycling magazines and other traditional areas where we are already known. We have to open up different markets and not just concentrate on the two-wheeled world where we are already familiar," Bartholemy concluded.
Kawasaki took one podium finish during 2007, a second place by Randy de Puniet at Motegi, and will be looking to join rivals Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, and Suzuki by winning its first four-stroke MotoGP race in 2008.
she looks quite fine Hoffy 
absolutely!