Suppo: Next two races crucial for Melandri

Ducati team boss Livio Suppo says the next two races will be critical for the struggling Marco Melandri, as he believes the Italian's past strong form at the Sachsenring and Laguna Seca should allow him to race more competitively.

But Suppo also added that Sylvain Guintoli's progress on the satellite Alice Ducati at Assen this weekend proved that riders other than Casey Stoner could be competitive on the Desmosedici GP8, and that the emphasis was on both Melandri and Guintoli's teammate Toni Elias to similarly raise their games.

Guintoli qualified and finished 10th in the Netherlands, only losing out to ninth-placed James Toseland after a quick trip off the road, while Elias and Melandri crossed the line 12th and 13th respectively, and were the final finishers.

"I'm very happy for Guintoli. I think he's done a very good weekend and without the mistake he probably would have been able to fight with Toseland for ninth position," Suppo told reporters at Assen.

"I think that's reasonably good for a rider with the experience Guintoli has.

"Toni and Marco are in a strange situation. When Valentino (Rossi) caught him, Toni was able to do a 1:37.8 at the end of the race. I don't understand why he didn't do it before.

"Marco is struggling a lot as we know. We've said the same thing since March.

"We now have two races in which last year, in a very difficult season for him, he was able to fight for the podium. At the Sachsenring he was very fast and in Laguna he was on the podium. So let's see at these two circuits, where he used to be very fast, if he can step up a little bit."

Rumours in the Assen paddock suggested that Ducati could drop Melandri after Laguna if he fails to improve at those two races, with speculation linking Sete Gibernau with his seat for the rest of the year.

But there have also been suggestions that Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden is being lined up as Melandri's longer-term replacement.

The former champion said yesterday that his 2009 plans were currently unclear, but that he expected to move closer to a deal during July.

"Right now I really don't have a lot to say," Hayden told reporters. "I could give you the runaround, but I don't know. I'm not certain.

"I'm talking to people, but as far as having anything firmed up, who knows if I'll stay, go or what's going to happen. It will start becoming clear in the next few weeks."

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