Kawasaki Motors Racing

Kawasaki Motors Racing
2008 name Kawasaki Racing Team
Base Netherlands Amsterdam, Netherlands
Principal Managing Director: Yoshio Kawamura
Racing Director: Ichiro Yoda
Competition Manager: Michael Bartholemy
Rider(s) 33 Marco Melandri
21 John Hopkins
Motorcycle Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR
Tyres Bridgestone
Riders' Championships -

Kawasaki Motors Racing was the European subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and was located in Netherlands. It was responsible for managing the racing activities of the MotoGP team.

The subsidiary was set up in 2007 as a result of the Japanese manufacturer's necessary split from Harald Eckl's organisation, who managed the Kawasaki MotoGP team since 2002. The reason for the split was Eckl’s involvement with a competitor's MotoGP activities, which forced Kawasaki to terminate the relationship immediately.[1] For the first time since Kawasaki returned to the premier class of motorcycle racing, the team became a complete ‘in house’ factory team.

On January 9, 2009, Kawasaki announced it had decided to "... suspend its MotoGP racing activities from 2009 season onward and reallocate management resources more efficiently". The company stated that it will continue racing activities using mass-produced motorcycles as well as supporting general race oriented consumers.

2007 MotoGP season

The team used the new 800cc Ninja ZX-RR and Bridgestone tyres in 2007. Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque were chosen as team riders.

Olivier Jacque crashed in practice during the Chinese Grand Prix, gashing his arm severely enough to be unable to race for 2 Grands Prix. He returned to racing only to crash again during practice at the Catalan Grand Prix, missing this race too. Following the series of injuries, Jacque announced his retirement from competition, but planned to continue as a team test rider.[2] He was replaced by Australian rider Anthony West.[3]

The team's best result for the season was a 2nd place finish by Randy de Puniet at a wet Japanese Grand Prix.

2008 MotoGP season

For 2008 John Hopkins joined the team alongside Anthony West. Results were poor though, being regular midfield runners throughout the season.

In August 2008, Kawasaki signed Marco Melandri to join John Hopkins for the 2009 season.[4] However, the global financial crisis of 2008 caused Kawasaki to reconsider its MotoGP program, and the Italian sports daily Tuttosport reported on December 30 that Kawasaki would be pulling out of MotoGP for 2009.[5]

2009 MotoGP season

After negotiations with DORNA, Kawasaki provided a scaled down team named Hayate Racing Team for the 2009 season. The team was renamed due to limited factory involvement, with Kawasaki providing only one bike with Marco Melandri as the sole rider.[6]

The team achieved better than expected results with 6th and 5th placings early in the season. Melandri finished in 2nd place at the French Grand Prix. This result is equal to Kawasaki's best ever result in MotoGP and is their first podium finish since 2007.

MotoGP results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Bike Tyres Riders 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Points Pos.
2002 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR D JPN SAF ESP FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR RIO PAC MAL AUS VAL 4 13th
Japan Akira Yanagawa Ret
Australia Andrew Pitt 19 17 12
2003 D JPN SAF ESP FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR RIO PAC MAL AUS VAL 15 12th
Australia Garry McCoy 16 17 18 9 15 17 18 16 16 18 Ret Ret Ret 19 13 19
Australia Andrew Pitt 17 16 15 Ret 16 Ret 14 17 19 16 21 18 16 16 15 18
Japan Akira Yanagawa 18 Ret
Germany Alex Hofmann 16 14 10 17 19
2004 B SAF ESP FRA ITA CAT NED RIO GER GBR CZE POR JPN QAT MAL AUS VAL 134 7th
Japan Shinya Nakano 12 9 Ret Ret 7 Ret 9 7 15 12 11 3 Ret 8 12 7
Germany Alex Hofmann Ret 13 Ret 14 11 13 11 10 19 13 13 10 9 Ret 13 11
2005 B ESP POR CHN FRA ITA CAT NED USA GBR GER CZE JPN MAL QAT AUS TUR VAL 150 6th
Japan Shinya Nakano 5 8 Ret 8 10 9 8 9 Ret 6 12 Ret Ret 7 7 10 11
Germany Alex Hofmann 11 12 17 Ret 12 8 Ret 15 Ret 14
France Olivier Jacque 2 11 Ret Ret DNS 16 13
2006 B ESP QAT TUR CHN FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER USA CZE MAL AUS JPN POR VAL 129 7th
Japan Shinya Nakano 7 11 8 8 12 11 DSQ 2 Ret 6 Ret 6 Ret 8 Ret Ret 7
France Randy de Puniet Ret Ret 12 12 Ret 13 Ret 14 12 Ret 12 14 13 11 Ret 10 Ret
Japan Naoki Matsudo Ret
2007 B QAT ESP TUR CHN FRA ITA CAT GBR NED GER USA CZE SMR POR JPN AUS MAL VAL 176 7th
France Randy de Puniet Ret 13 8 8 Ret Ret 5 6 Ret Ret 6 8 Ret Ret 2 6 4 9
France Olivier Jacque 12 18 Ret DNS 16 DNS
Spain Fonsi Nieto 11
Australia Anthony West 11 9 8 7 12 8 12 7 12 15 16
United States Roger Lee Hayden 10
Japan Akira Yanagawa 17
2008 B QAT ESP POR CHN FRA ITA CAT GBR NED GER USA CZE SMR IND JPN AUS MAL VAL 112 9th
Australia Anthony West 16 13 16 17 14 15 12 10 Ret 10 17 5 13 11 15 12 12 17
United States John Hopkins 12 7 5 14 Ret Ret 10 Ret DNS 11 14 14 10 13 11 14
United States Jamie Hacking 11

References

  1. "Kawasaki: A new beginning in 2007". kawasaki-motogp.com. 2006-11-29. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  2. "West to Replace Jacque at Kawasaki". gpupdate.net. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  3. "Anthony West gets a Kawasaki MotoGP Ride for the remainder of the season". Daily Motos. June 21, 2007. Archived from the original on May 24, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  4. "Marco Melandri confirms Kawasaki switch". motorcyclenews.com. 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  5. "Kawasaki: addio MotoGp. Melandri a piedi". Tuttosport. 2008-12-30. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  6. Kawasaki to race as Hayate MotoGP in 2009 motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved on 2009-05-09
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