MARCO MELANDRI will start the 2009 MotoGP season competing in a one-rider team, Kawasaki has announced.
After constructive talks between Kawasaki, Dorna and other parties involved, a new one-rider Team will participate in the 2009 MotoGP Championship season.
This decision was made after negotiations that followed Kawasaki’s January 2009 announcement to suspend its factory supported MotoGP activities due to the worldwide economic crisis. The rider for the new MotoGP team will be the Italian, Marco Melandri.
The team will be equipped with Kawasaki motorcycles and supporting materials. That Kawasaki has come to this new team approach is the result, on the one hand, of the need for a strong reduction of MotoGP racing investments, and on the other, the necessity to come to a constructive solution for all the related parties.
The new team will disclose more details about its 2009 season plans shortly.
