Kawasaki exit a shock for riders

Marco Melandri and John Hopkins have both been taken aback by news that Kawasaki is set to confirm its withdrawal from MotoGP within days.

As autosport.com reported on Tuesday, Kawasaki is expected to announce early next week that it is to withdraw from MotoGP because of the worldwide economic downturn.

The shock news will leave both Hopkins and Melandri without rides in 2009 - with neither rider knowing what their plans now are for the year ahead.

Melandri's manager Alberto Vergani said that the Kawasaki decision had probably been made just before Christmas - and revealed that his Italian rider had already been offered to Gresini.

"Nobody expected it: the racing department had been strengthened following Marco's suggestions. There were engine evolutions, and (Olivier) Jacque had run with the new bike," Vergani told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Marco was feeling treated like a king.

"It looks like the decision was taken on December the 24th in Japan...However, I've offered Marco for free to Gresini, if he wants him..."

The chances of a Gresini switch for Melandri appear slim, however, with team boss Fausto Gresini playing the idea down.

"Marco and his manager made their decision in Brno when they refused my offer,” Gresini told Gazzetta dello Sport. “I'm not a salesman.”

Hopkins has also been linked with Gresini, but said that it was too early for him to know what was really going on.

Speaking to American website cyclenews.com, Hopkins said: “I heard it’s up in the air, but I haven’t heard anything confirmed yet.

“I got some calls from the team manager [Michael Bartholemy] and he said that everything could be up in the air as to whether they run it or not, but nothing has been confirmed. I don’t know what it would do to me. 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.”

There is speculation that Jorge Martinez could be involved in a potential private bid to run the Kawasaki bikes and operation - perhaps with some financial help from MotoGP organisers Dorna.

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Kawasaki poised to quit MotoGP

Kawasaki is poised to withdraw from the MotoGP World Championship with immediate effect, autosport.com has learned.

According to sources, the Japanese manufacturer is set to make an announcement regarding its plans for 2009 on Monday, January 5, when it is expected to confirm details of its withdrawal from the premier motorcycle racing class.

It remains unclear why Kawasaki is quitting, though both the global economic crisis and a lack of results are likely to have been factors in the decision.

The news is a blow to MotoGP's organisers, who will have the number of factory teams reduced to four at a time when the rival World Superbike Championship has gained another two in Aprilia and BMW.

Kawasaki's imminent withdrawal will leave Marco Melandri and John Hopkins without a ride for next season. Melandri had hoped to revive his career with the team after a catastrophic season with the factory Ducati squad in 2008.

"I have to wait and hear some words, as at the moment I hear nothing," Melandri told autosport.com.

"If it is true, then I can only hope that when I wake up on January 1st it is all a nightmare."

Kawasaki returned to the premier MotoGP class in 2003 with bold plans to become regular contenders, but has so far failed to record a victory in the premier class.

The closest the team came were three second places in three years with Randy de Puniet (Motegi 2007), Shinya Nakano (Assen 2006) and Olivier Jacque (Shanghai 2005).

Kawasaki secured big-money signing John Hopkins from Suzuki at the beginning of 2008 and it was hoped that this would trigger an upturn in results. But the American was hampered by injuries and both he and teammate Anthony West struggled with the inconsistent handling of the ZX-RR.

In the end, fifth places for Hopkins (at Estoril) and West (at Brno) were the best the team could manage.

Nevertheless, Kawasaki was set to enter 2009 with optimism, having landed former GP-winner Melandri, alongside the fired-up Hopkins to lead the development of the ZZ-XR in the new one-make tyre era.

Kawasaki's withdrawal will be the fourth time a Japanese manufacturer has pulled out of a major motorsport category in recent weeks. Honda announced in early December that it was quitting Formula One, while Subaru and Suzuki confirmed later in the month that they were stopping their programmes in the World Rally Championship.

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250cc: Simoncelli planning SBK outing

Marco Simoncelli is planning to take part in the first two rounds of the World Superbike Championship next season with Aprilia.

The 250cc world champion, who had already raced in Superbikes in 2002, races a Gilera-badged Aprilia in the world championship.

"Aprilia have asked me to run in the first two races of the Superbike championship in 2009, because they care a lot for it," Simoncelli told Motosprint magazine.

"I've long thought about it and I think I'm going. Yes, I really think I'll race there because I like the idea of experiencing that."

The Italian already tested the Aprilia RSV4 at Valencia earlier this year.

"I really liked the bike," he said. "It's fun, it's quick, and it's easier than a 250cc because its power output is smoother. At Valencia I did just a few laps, without practically touching the set-up and in fact engine braking was disabled, yet I was quick immediately.

"So, the potential is there. The idea of racing it, at this point, is making me eager to do it."

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125cc: FIM changes age limit from 2010

Motorcycling's governing body, FIM, has announced a change to the age limit to compete in the world championship from 2010.

Currently, riders can start competing in the 125cc category at 15, but FIM has announced the age limit will increase to 16 in two years' time.

The limit for 250 and MotoGP will remain unchanged at 16 and 18 years of age respectively.

"Sixteen years is the right age," MotoGP rider Loris Capirossi, the youngest ever world champion at 17, told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"When I won the title I had already done two years on real bikes in the Italian and European championships. I was young, but I was experienced.

"You can't push these youngsters like that: they win their parish church championship and then come straight to the world championship. Unfortunately I visit the Clinica Mobile and I see these kids there, maybe with some broken bones.

"We started talking about this last year in the Safety Commission with Valentino Rossi. Other riders, like Hayden and Pedrosa, agreed too.

"I don't think anyone can be against something like this, because if they start too young they risk getting burnt. And after all, at 16 years of age, they have a lot of time ahead of them."

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Gresini urges MotoGP to cut costs

Leading team boss Fausto Gresini has urged the MotoGP authorities to emulate the drastic cost-cutting measures being taken in Formula One.

Although MotoGP has not yet suffered any of the team losses that have rocked F1 and the World Rally Championship amid the global economic downturn - and indeed is set to see its regular field rise from 18 to 19 bikes in 2009 - Gresini believes the series should take action now to avoid problems in the future.

"Surely we can't carry on the way it's been up to now," he said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

"If F1 felt the need to find some limitations, then we must do that too. We can't wait until the crisis becomes too bad before thinking of some measures, also because little can be done for 2009. We must talk and try to think which way to go."

The satellite Honda team boss said he already had ideas for how costs could be brought down.

"The objective should be reducing costs by 30 per cent," said Gresini.

"With the measures I have in mind we could already spend 20 per cent less. First of all we should get rid of one of the four bikes we have in the garage: there would be just one spare bike for the two riders to be used after a failure or a crash. This means less weight to transport around the world and a couple less technicians.

"Then we should eliminate carbon brakes and move to steel ones, which are also used in road bike production. This would save 250,000 euros."

He also wants to see MotoGP adopt similar measures to F1's engine freeze and multi-race engine rules.

"We must do something similar too, by freezing the construction of new bikes for four or five years, while only allowing development of the current bikes," said Gresini. "Most of all, we must lengthen engine life: less revs, more kilometres. Let's say 17,000 revs."

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250cc: Simoncelli to start 2009 as favourite

Reigning 250cc world champion Marco Simoncelli will start the new season as favourite to retain the title after the FIM released the entry list for 2009 today.

Despite speculation at the end of the 2008 season that the category could be hit by the poor financial climate, the Italian - who stays with the factory Gilera squad - heads a strong field of 22 riders.

The list also confirms 2008 title contender Alvaro Bautista at Aspar alongside the reigning 125cc world champion Mike di Meglio.

The Frenchman is not the only notable graduate from 125 category either, with Axel Pons moving up into his father Sito's (two-times 250cc world champion and former MotoGP team owner) new squad. He will be joined by 2008 race winner Hector Barbera.

Other graduates include Kenny Roberts' protege Stevie Bonsey who joins Aprilia Madrid and the 2007 125cc world champion Gabor Talmacsi who will race for a new team sponsored by the Hungarian Grand Prix venue Balaton.

There are no factory KTMs on the list following the manufacturer's withdrawal from the sport at the end of the season, but the team's former star Hiroshi Aoyama remains in the category with Scot Racing.

No Rider Team Bike 4 Hiroshi Aoyama Scot Racing Honda 7 Axel Pons Pepe World Pons Aprilia 8 Bastien Chesaux Racing Team Germany Honda 9 Toni Wirsing Racing Team Germany Honda 10 Imre Toth Team Toth Aprilia Aprilia 12 Thomas Luthi Emmi - Caffe Latte Aprilia 14 Ratthapark Wilairot Thai Honda Ptt Sag Honda 15 Roberto Locatelli Metis Gilera Gilera 16 Jules Cluzel Matteoni Racing Aprilia 17 Karel Abraham Cardion Ab Motoracing Aprilia 19 Alvaro Bautista Mapfre Aspar Aprilia 21 Hector Barbera Pepe World Pons Aprilia 25 Alex Baldolini Wtr San Marino Team Aprilia 28 Gabor Talmacsi Balaton Racing Aprilia 35 Raffaele de Rosa Scot Racing Honda 41 Aleix Espargaro Campetella Racing Aprilia 48 Shoya Tomizawa Team Cip Honda 51 Stevie Bonsey Aprilia Madrid Aprilia 52 Lukas Pesek Auto Kelly - Cp Aprilia 58 Marco Simoncelli Metis Gilera Gilera 63 Mike di Meglio Mapfre Aspar Aprilia 75 Mattia Pasini Team Toth Aprilia

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125cc: Smith's Aspar switch key '09 change

Bradley Smith's switch to the crack Aspar squad for 2009 is the key change in the 125cc field following the FIM's announcement of the 29-bike official entry list for next year.

The Briton - under pressure to deliver in 2009 with a team that won the championship in 2007 with Gabor Talmacsi and 2006 with Alvaro Bautista - is still to post his first win in the category.

But with Talmacsi and reigning champion Mike di Meglio moving up to 250s, Smith's switch from Polaris World is the most high profile of the off-season.

In a largely unchanged, but highly competitive field, Simone Corsi starts the season as one of the favourites on the Pons Aprilia but will face stiff opposition from several competitors, including his teammate Nicolas Terol.

The entry list confirms that Sergio Gadea will remain with Aspar, while Donington-winner Scott Redding stays with Blusens Aprilia.

Another race-winner from 2008, Stefan Bradl, will return for a crack at the title with Kiefer Racing.

The British-based Maxtra team, a joint venture between John Surtees and former Suzuki boss John Taylor in collaboration with Chinese bike manufacturer Haojue, has also been granted entries for Matthew Hoyle and Michael Ranseder.

No Rider Team Bike 5 Alexis Masbou Loncin Racing Loncin 7 Dominique Aegerter Ajo Interwetten Derbi 8 Lorenzo Zanetti Wwc Aprilia 11 Sandro Cortese Ajo Interwetten Derbi 12 Esteve Rabat Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 16 Cameron Beaubier Red Bull Ktm 125 Ktm 17 Stefan Bradl Kiefer Racing Aprilia 18 Nicolas Terol Jack & Jones Pons Aprilia 24 Simone Corsi Jack & Jones Pons Aprilia 27 Stefano Bianco Cbc Corse Aprilia 29 Andrea Iannone Wwc Aprilia 30 Pere Tutusaus Matteoni Racing Aprilia 32 Lorenzo Savadori Fontana Racing Aprilia 33 Sergio Gadea Bancaja Aspar Aprilia 34 Randy Krummenacher Degraaf Grand Prix Aprilia 38 Bradley Smith Bancaja Aspar Aprilia 44 Pol Espargaro Derbi Racing Derbi 45 Scott Redding Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 60 Julian Simon Bancaja Aspar Aprilia 66 Matthew Hoyle Maxtra Team Maxtra 71 Tomoyoshi Koyama Loncin Racing Loncin 72 Marco Ravaioli Cbc Corse Aprilia 73 Takaaki Nakagami Wwc Aprilia 81 Jasper Iwema Kiefer Racing Aprilia 88 Michael Ranseder Maxtra Team Maxtra 93 Marc Marquez Red Bull Ktm 125 Ktm 94 Jonas Folger Wwc Aprilia 99 Danny Webb Degraaf Grand Prix Aprilia Tbc Tbc Derbi Racing Derbi

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