MotoGP – Kawasaki formalizes its withdrawal from MotoGP 2009 –

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Kawasaki formalizes its withdrawal from MotoGP 2009

MotoGP - Kawasaki formalizes its withdrawal from MotoGP 2009 -

Unofficially announced at the end of December, the departure of the fourth factory structure from the MotoGP field is today confirmed by the Kawasaki group. A shock decision, against the backdrop of the global crisis, which forces us to reconsider the future of motorsports…

The rumor had been going well since December 29: while the team and the budgets were locked for the 2009 season, Kawasaki expressed to the organizers and its partners the possibility of reviewing immediately its involvement in the premier class of the motorcycle Grand Prix (read ).

The "crisis" also hits in 2009…

A cruel call to order for the entire paddock. Because if the mediocre results of the drivers this season (16th and 18th in the standings) necessarily impacted the decision, the Japanese manufacturer naturally attributes this sudden withdrawal to the current economic situation: "the effect of the ongoing financial crisis on the global economy is significant and we believe it will take some time before recovery", explains Kawasaki Heavy Industries this morning."We therefore considered it useful to review the distribution of our financial resources and we decided to give up participating in MotoGP from 2009.", specifies the brand before adding that this decision would not affect sports programs with production motorcycles (World and National Superbike and Supersport, Endurance, etc.).

Kawasaki in the premier class: a journey full of pitfalls

Appearing for the first time in 500 cc in 1970, the Greens won only two races (1971 and 1975) before taking a break for two seasons. Returned to the official stable in 1980 with the South African rider Kork Ballington, Kawasaki once again interrupted its sporting program from 1983 to 2001 and made its "big" comeback in 2002, once the 4-stroke was imposed on the premier class. However, the Japanese inline four-cylinder is immediately violent and difficult to control. And despite numerous driver changes over the seasons, Kawasaki will never climb higher than on the second step of the podium with Olivier Jacque in China (read) and Shinya Nakano in Assen (read). The 2008 season will go down as one of the worst for the brand, with the poor 16th place final of its star driver John Hopkins and the 18th and last place of the Australian Anthony West.

After Honda in AMA Superbike and Formula 1, then Suzuki in World Endurance (read), but also in Rally WRC, Kawasaki is in turn forced to lower the flag, despite a written commitment to the Dorna which runs to at the end of 2011. A contract which would logically oblige the Greens to pay heavy compensation to the organizers if no ZX RR lined up on the grid…

Not to mention those to be paid to the pilots – including the French tester Olivier Jacque – and to all the members of the official team, who find themselves on the floor less than three months before the start of the season, and without forgetting the expenses related to the investments made in 2008 – in particular the new "hospitality" of the team – and at the cost generated by the development and the first tests of the ZX RR 2009 (read).

Herve Poncharal: "this decision comes too early or too late"

Clearly, this decision by Kawasaki is surprising. According to Herve Poncharal, interviewed by Site on the eve of the official announcement, it intervenes too early or too late: "the withdrawal of Kawasaki is inevitably a blow for the MotoGP, which loses one of its five manufacturers", regrets the team manager of the Tech 3 team, also president of IRTA (Association of teams in Grand Prix).

"However, this decision surprises me because the manufacturers are contractually bound to the Dorna until the end of 2011. In addition, nothing in the attitude of the team suggested this withdrawal: if this decision had taken place in August 2008 or at the end of the 2009 season, it would have been more understandable, because today the bulk of the expenses are already done", wonders Herve Poncharal who admits having been contacted by the manager of Marco Melandri, going from disillusionment to disillusionment after his disappointing season at Ducati…

"Intermediate solutions may be considered, such as the registration of official Kawasaki managed by private structures in order to reduce costs. (read, Editor’s note) ", continues Herve Poncharal. A hypothesis confirmed this morning by the boss of Kawasaki Racing Team, Michael Bartholemy:"the official Kawasaki team no longer exists, but our prototypes will not stay in the garage. We will work on the idea of ​​putting them in a private structure".

Is the future of the premier class compromised ?

With two riders who found themselves without handlebars in 2009 (Hopkins could be forced to return to American Superbike, while Melandri would have tried in vain to relocate to the Honda satellite teams), the MotoGP grid would drop from 19 to 17 registered. Added to the recent withdrawal of major sponsors (Wudy and Kerself for Yamaha, Alice for Ducati-Pramac), MotoGP, like all motor sports, is suffering and must therefore find solutions to ensure its sustainability..

If its promoters assure that the situation is not as serious as it seems, the fact remains that the withdrawal of a factory as important as Kawasaki does not bode well for the future. Thus, a "crisis" meeting took place in Japan with all the manufacturers, in order to quickly find measures to reduce costs in the premier class. Hopefully now it’s not too late…

Alexandre BARDIN – Photos DR

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