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Kawasaki Racing
Kawasaki Racing
Kawasaki's Olivier Jacque and Randy de Puniet (Photo: Kawasaki Racing)
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After three years as the Team Coordinator under the old regime, this season Michael Bartholemy steps up to fulfil the role of Competition Manager within Kawasaki's new MotoGP racing organisation.
No easy task under normal circumstances, but Bartholemy has been the catalyst that has allowed the new organisation to move from a paper plan to a paddock reality in just three months.
The 38-year-old Belgian has brought together the personnel, the resources and the equipment to ensure that Kawasaki go into the 2007 season with the strongest team fielded since the Japanese manufacturer made its full time return to Grand Prix racing in 2003.
Q: Kawasaki has announced a new, in-house racing team that will contest the MotoGP world championship in 2007. Can you explain the structure that has been put in place?
A: This is a fresh start for Kawasaki in MotoGP with the factory race team now part of a new operation to be known as Kawasaki Motors Racing. Commencing officially on April 1 this year, Kawasaki Motors Racing will be the structure that operates the MotoGP team, although in the future KMR will have the ability to enter other motorcycle racing activities. In line with other manufacturers, the MotoGP team is now a full factory, in-house operation.
Q: Can you explain the reason behind this new strategy as Kawasaki enters its fifth season year in MotoGP?
A: The strategy has been set by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. and this will enable KHI to have control over the team in all areas, including budgets, staff, resources and management. It is completely normal that if KHI are providing the backing for the Kawasaki MotoGP project, that they also have control of the business.
Q: Does Kawasaki have a long-term plan for MotoGP?
A: Yes, and there is support within the company for a very long-term view of participation in MotoGP, which is the number one motorcycle championship in the world. There is already a five year plan in place through to 2011 for Kawasaki Motor Racing, which will show that MotoGP has become an important marketing tool for the company.
Q: Where will the new team be based?
A: Our European base will be in The Netherlands, at Herleen just south of Amsterdam, where we will have an office, warehouse and workshop facility. This will be the operational and logistical base for the MotoGP team although all the engineering, design and manufacturing of the race bikes will done by Kawasaki in Japan.
