Musical chairs

[denill]

The 2008 and 2009 Marlboro Ducati MotoGP team is set.

Minutes after Casey Stoner won the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the team announced that Marco Melandri would be joining the team for the next two years. The news didn’t come as a total surprise, but the timing was interesting.

Part of it was down to Loris Capirossi. Sensitive to criticism that they might be discarding the rider who guided the team for its entire five year existence, Ducati has offered Capirossi a third bike for next year. The meeting is expected to take place in Bologna this coming Thursday.

It’s likely Capirossi will decline. He’s expected to move to the Rizla Suzuki team, where he’ll join Chris Vermeulen. After finishing second in the USGP, Vermeulen announced he’d signed with the team for next year.

[Masterchop]

Melandri should do well on the Ducati, he is a very good rider and deserves the factory ride.

[denill]

Team Suzuki Press Office - July 23, 2007.

Suzuki and Chris Vermeulen are pleased to announce that they have agreed terms to continue with their partnership into the 2008 MotoGP season and beyond.

Vermeulen joined Suzuki at the end of 2005 and has been heavily involved in the development of the Suzuki GSV-R during the past two seasons. The 25-year-old scored a podium for the team in his rookie season and has followed that up this year with Suzuki's first-ever four-stroke MotoGP victory.

The ever-improving Australian has decided that he wants to stay with Suzuki despite attempts from other manufactures to tempt him away. Team Manager Paul Denning has been in negotiations with Vermeulen for some time and the number 71 racer put pen to paper shortly after today's American Grand Prix, which saw Vermeulen take a stunning second position.

Chris Vermeulen:

"I am very excited to be staying with Suzuki. I really enjoy working with the whole team, especially my Chief Mechanic Tom O'Kane. The involvement of the Factory staff has also been a big factor in my decision, in particular Sahara-san and our Racing Group Leader Oonishi-san. The way the development has gone since I first rode the GSV-R in 2005 is incredible! I am sure if we can continue in that direction we will be pushing up to the front every weekend. That has got to be the goal; I want to be World Champion and if I can do it with Suzuki I will be so happy!"

Fumihiro Oonishi - Suzuki Racing Department Group Leader:

"Suzuki is very please to have signed Chris to race in MotoGP for the future. We had strong competition from other teams but Chris had a desire to stay with Suzuki and we have done all we can to make sure he did so.

"Chris is a very professional rider and his help in improving the GSV-R has been invaluable to the team and we know he will continue to do that in the future."

Paul Denning - Team Manager:

"Suzuki introduced Chris to MotoGP as a full-time factory rider and is pleased to retain his partnership. He is a no-nonsense, straight forward character and fits in with Suzuki's and the team's attitude at all levels. I don't think we have yet seen Chris' true potential, he's a winner and next year we are expecting great success together."

ENDS

[denill]

Yamaha has signed 250cc World Champion Jorge Lorenzo to a two-year deal, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of Colin Edwards’ tenure with Fiat Yamaha.

The announcement said that the “20-year-old Spaniard will make his MotoGP debut in 2008 aboard a YZR-M1, with direct factory support.” Lorenzo wouldn’t comment on his future at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix where he was working as a television analyst for Spanish television.

"Yamaha has been watching Jorge's career with interest for some time and we are delighted that he will be joining our MotoGP line-up from next season” - commented Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing. “We are sure that he will be a valuable asset for the future and we look forward to the commencement of his MotoGP career with Yamaha.”

But the release goes on to state that the “exact structure of Yamaha’s team and rider organization is still under consideration at the present time,” and that more details will be released later.

Though he’s publicly said he has no problem with Lorenzo, Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi wants to keep Edwards as his teammate. And many believe that Rossi would rather not have Lorenzo on his team, which is why the Spaniard may run in a separate team with separate sponsorship. Speculation centers on him retaining the backing of Fortuna cigarettes, his current sponsor. That deal is thought to be part of a settlement of the lawsuit Altadis, Fortuna's parent company, brought at the end of the 2005 season when Yamaha dropped Gauloises for Camel. Yamaha has a two-year deal with Fiat to back the main factory team.

Edwards had a 6:00 p.m. meeting with Yamaha following Sunday’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, but nothing was decided. If he isn’t kept on the factory team, the most likely destination would be the Tech 3 Yamaha team. That team is funded by Dunlop tires this year, but it’s likely they’ll move to Bridgestone next year with series rightsholders Dorna stepping in with additional backing.

[denill]

Edwards Considers His Options:

[denill]

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies says he’ll be racing in a world championship in 2009.

“One way or another I’ll be over there,” the protégé of Kevin Schwantz said at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, and his preference is to be in the MotoGP World Championship.

Spies has a contract with American Suzuki in 2008, “but worse case scenario I know I’ll be doing a few wild cards and in ’09 probably going over there. ’09 is 100% and next year is kind of 50-50 right now.” And it would only be with the factory team, he said.

Spies recently hired a manager to investigate his international options and some believe he could be moving overseas in 2008, but only with Suzuki's blessing. Rizla Suzuki's Chris Vermeulen announced at the U.S.GP that he'd been retained for 2008. With the departure of John Hopkins to Kawasaki, the team needs a second rider. It's believed Loris Capirossi is close to a deal, though he was to be offered a third bike at Marlboro Ducati in a meeting in Bologna, Italy today.

Should he stay in the U.S. in 2008, Spies said he would do have two to four wild card rides.

“My scenario would be, I’d like, I’d probably like to do one wild card this year and I’d love to do both American rounds next year and Valencia," he said. "But it’s so far off, that’s what I’d like. It rarely ever happens for the riders. We’ll see. But it’s a good bike, and the tires are working really good and it’s a good team. I’m kind of itching to get on it.” He doesn’t want to race World Superbike, but would if it gave him leverage for 2009.

“Any test that I can get over there and get on it, I’m sure their arms will be open to come ride it. They seem really open and really interested. They want to kind of work me into it. Like I said, I think, basically any test that they test and I’m not riding, I could probably go ride the thing. So it’s kind of a good deal.”

Spies has a known aversion to flying, which he believes he can conquer.

“I mean, there’s no getting around it. I don’t really like it, but I think when I spend about 400 hours in a plane in a year I’m going to get over that pretty damn quick. Yeah, I don’t really like it, but if I want to go try to be the rest or race with those guys I’ve got to do it. And I don’t want to be 35-years-old kicking myself in the teeth because I didn’t go do it. If I get the chance, I got to go.”

[Cajun]

Ben Spies in gp would be awsome, he is running away with the ama champship from madlin this year,

[denill]

Toseland, currently leading World Superbike points, is teamed with reigning BSB champ Ryuichi Kiyonari for HRC at Suzuka. Both will ride Honda's traditional lead bike, the #11 CBR1000RR. In the past, HRC has reserved that number for the biggest of big guns -- the likes of Valentino Rossi, Colin Edwards, Daijiro Kato, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Doug Polen, and Tad Okada.

The Suzuka 8 Hours still holds a lot of importance to the Japanese manufacturers and Toseland is still lobbying for a MotoGP ride next year. He's publicly stated he wants to make the transition to Grand Prix on a competitive bike.

The problem is the seats on bikes considered capable of winning races are filling rapidly. Ducati has locked up their factory team with the announcement Marco Melandri will join them next year. Honda has Nick Hayden already in the fold and Dani Pedrosa will likely re-up for another tour. Suzuki has re-signed Chris Vermeulen and is rumored to be close to a deal with Loris Capirossi. Yamaha has Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo signed up and it's likely Colin Edwards will be back. Kawasaki may run three bikes next year and may be an option. But they have inked John Hopkins, plus riders Randy De Puniet, Ant West, and even Roger Hayden have impressed on the ZX-RR.

With Melandri gone to Ducati, Gresini Honda may be an option for Toseland. Dorna are keen to get a competitive English rider in the series, but how many viable options are left?

[k14]

Ben Spies in gp would be awsome, he is running away with the ama champship from madlin this year,

Sorry but that is impossible to say. The AMA is such a crock with only 2 guys capable of winning (cause the suzuki's are so much faster than everyone else its crazy) that its impossible to actually get a feel for how good they actually are. Yeah he's better than Maladin but he's never raced in any world championships either.

[denill]

Suzuki has re-signed Chris Vermeulen and is rumored to be close to a deal with Loris Capirossi.

Dunno why Suzuki would go with Cappo ??
Maybe they reckon he can help with developement??

[BarryG]

It's shaping up to there being a few more bikes on the grid for '08, which can only be a good thing. Maybe one extra Yamaha, Kawasaki and Ducati (altho this would only be for Capirossi by the sound of it, if he doesn't take it, I doubt they'd be all that keen on an extra bike). Hopefully Dunlop will be back, even tho' they've made little progress this year. A few new riders to liven up the back end of the field. Gresini would look like an obvious place for Toseland, for which Dorna would likely provide some funding to have a Pom in GP.
It is hard to say how someone like Spies would go, but Roger Hayden's showing at Laguna has to have a few people looking over here. I would hope someone sees Jamie Stauffer, too, and what he's done this year.
One is never sure of the politics that go on, but he likely has more chance of a WSB ride than GP, altho' good WSB rides are as hard to come by as GP, in reality. The private WSB teams have little chance when they don't have factory blessing, even tho' the control tyre was supposed to even it all out. I'd say it hasn't from that aspect, (not that the racing hasn't been excellent and results less in doubt on the day than GP) the occasional flash of brilliance from Xaus and Fabrizio notwithstanding.
Cheers
Barry

[Cajun]

'This just in from Yamaha:

Tech 3 Yamaha would like to announce that it has secured the services of James Toseland for the 2008 season. The British rider will begin his MotoGP career with the Yamaha factory supported organisation next year.

Toseland - who is currently leading the Superbike World Championship by 43 points - has already proved his racing credentials. He was the youngest ever World Superbike Champion in 2004 and is aiming to secure the title once again this season.

"I am delighted to have secured a rider of James' calibre and am looking forward to working with him," says Team Principal Herve Poncharal. "Procuring James is a major coup for Tech 3 Yamaha and for the MotoGP championship in extending our reach into Northern Europe. It is an exciting time for us all and I am certain that he will be an integral part of the team's future."

Further details, including James' team structure will be announced in due course. '

[denill]

Well, well, that's going to be interesting. That'll teach to crash a Honda!
Here's a bit more info on that:

HANNSPREE Ten Kate Honda's James Toseland will leave the World Superbike Championship to race for the Tech 3 Yamaha MotoGP team in 2008, the team announced today.

Soon after the Tech 3 announcement, Toseland issued his own statement, which said, “I would like to thank the team for all of their help and support. I have enjoyed two of the best years of my racing career with Ten Kate and Honda, and HANNspree has been a fantastic sponsor this year. I could not have achieved as much as I have without the team’s assistance and expertise and I remain 100 per cent committed to securing the title for them this year. I would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.”

Toseland will likely be the only Briton in the premiere class next year.

The 2004 WSB champion, who is currently leading this year's World Superbike Championship by 43 points, was widely expected to eventually move to a Honda MotoGP team, but goes to Yamaha instead, though with at least a few unknowns.

First among them is his teammate. It's believed that Fiat Yamaha's Colin Edwards may be asked to move to the Tech 3 team, though Edwards has said he won't have an answer on his future until the end of August. Toseland's arrival means the end for either or both of the two current riders, Makoto Tamada or Sylvain Guintoli.

Second among the unknowns is tires. Dunlop has funded the team until now, but there have been strong hints that the French team will move to Bridgestone in 2008, giving Yamaha a chance to test the Japanese rubber which has dominated this year's championship. Both Dunlop and Tech 3 have been mum on the subject.

If Tech 3 does leave Dunlop it would have to find sponsorship. Dorna, the series rightsholders, has pledged extra financial help for the private teams in the future and would welcome the addition of a premiere class rider from Great Britain.

Toseland's most recent appearance was in the Suzuka 8-Hours, where he crashed one of the factory Hondas.

[BarryG]

It also leaves a bit of an unknown in WSB, like who do Ten Kate want to ride for them next year.
I just wonder if Neil Hodgson isn't suddenly in the frame. He had a great run at Laguna last week, after being out of a racing seat since Ducati pulled out of AMA last year and sort of screwed him. He's making noises about something in the works with (a) Honda - I wonder now if a WSB Honda wouldn't be an answer? I know he's enjoyed his time in the US, but I doubt he'd rather race here than Europe if he had a decent ride over there.
I can't see Edwards back in WSB, he just doesn't sound keen at all, says he'd rather just go fishing if he can't get a ride he wants on his own terms.
Ah, the silly season - I love it
Cheers
Barry

[denill]

It also leaves a bit of an unknown in WSB, like who do Ten Kate want to ride for them next year.

Yeah. Wouldn't it be interesting to see the Texan breeze back in WSB and it could jiust be back on a Honda, again?
And he could get another wind as did Troy B and remember the match ups they had.