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MOTOGP: Kawasaki Reconsidering MotoGP Withdrawal
Written by: Dennis Noyes   
01/07/2009
Borrego Springs, CA
 
(Photo: Kawasaki Racing) ยป More Photos

First reports leaked from the MSMA meeting held January 7, in Japan, indicate that Kawasaki are reconsidering their decision to withdraw from the MotoGP series in 2009.

Italian sources report that the only concrete proposal for lowering costs in the 2009 season was some vague plan to extend engine life and to eliminate Monday post-race testing.

For 2010 the idea is to ban carbon discs, as in 125, 250, World Superbike, and World Supersport, but other cost-cutting measures discussed ranged from an RPM limit to some kind of wage cap on riders' fees.

No official press release has emerged as of yet from the MSMA meeting, but SPEEDtv.com has learned that Kawasaki had originally
asked European technicians from the Kawasaki MotoGP team to return their computers to Japan. This order has now been put on hold.

Kawasaki was contracted to Dorna to compete in MotoGP until 2011 and, in the event of pulling out early, there would have been penalty costs. Additionally, Kawasaki has already spent some four million Euro on the new bikes developed for 2009. The Italian website GPone.com is reporting today that the total cost to Kawasaki if they pull out of MotoGP could, including money already spent and penalties, be as high as twenty million Euro. The same source reports that Kawasaki team director Michael Bartholemy has been called to Japan for consultations with Kawasaki.


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