Melandri to Kawasaki

[ÜberDoober]

It was announced today that Marco Melandri will be riding for Kawasaki next year. http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/Melandri+confirms+Kawasaki+move+for+2009

I think this is a good option for Marco. It doesn't look like Ant West's 5th place at Brno was enough to save his job on the green bike.

[Gary]

The rumor mills are cranking out the chaff today! Along with Melandri we get:

Hayden to Ducati to be announced soon
Spies to Gresini Honda (with American Honda money behind him)
3rd Kawasaki likely
Vermeulen to be re-signed
Elias to remain at PRAMAC and also to Yamaha for SBK (busy man!)
Spec tire likely
reduced electronics possibly looming

Only Yamaha is boring in the off-season, but they have a great line-up so credit to them.

[ÜberDoober]

Well, SPEED is jumping on the Hayden to Ducati deal. Hope they are right. Their article is chock full of other information about Simoncelli, Kallio and Canepa and the Pramac squad. Veddy interesting.

MOTOGP: Hayden to Ducati Announcement Expected Soon
Written by: Colin Young
08/19/2008 - 05:31 PM

American rider Nicky Hayden has agreed terms to ride for Ducati as teammate to world champion Casey Stoner in 2009. The formal announcement of Hayden’s deal is expected at next week’s San Marino Grand Prix at Misano, which is close to Ducati’s Bologna headquarters.

Link to source article (http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motog-hayden-to-ducati-announcement-expected-soon/)

I'm going to have to go look it up but one of my very first posts on this board said that Nicky should be on the Ducati. Let's just hope he can ride the damn thing. When you watch Stoner on the bike, it looks like Nicky used to look on the 990's.

[Gary]

If he can't ride it he won't be worse off than he is now - at least Ducati seem to give a damn about their second rider.

I think it's a smart move. Either be competitive or find a new path, but Honda wasn't going to do anything for him.

[ÜberDoober]

There's more about the Melandri deal and Anthony West's possible future featured in an article at motogp.com (http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/Kawasaki+close+in+on+Melandri+deal+and+third+bike+ for+2009). Also mentioned is a 3rd bike/team for next year

I wonder what Hopkins thinks about this? He's looking a bit haggard.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/JohnHopkins.jpg

Edited to add: Autosport.com has messed up. They have a story on their Formula 1 RSS newsfeed that should be on their MotoGP news. It has more details on the 3rd bike:


Italian newspaper Motosprint is reporting that Spanish telecommunications company 1188 will be the main sponsor and that the rider is also likely to come from that country.

Out of contract Toni Elias, who finished second at Brno, and 250cc race-winner Alvaro Bautista have both been linked to the ride. Kawasaki's competition manager Michael Bartholemy told MotoGP's official website that Anthony West could be offered as part of the deal however.

Link to source article (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69906)