Matt Roberts' MotoGP column
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Thursday, August 27, 2009
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MotoGP
New HRC president Tetsuo Suzuki was unveiled to the media at Brno last Friday, where he took the opportunity to confirm Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso as factory Honda riders for the next two years.
However, the reality is that neither contract has been signed and both Dani and Andrea, like the rest of the paddock, are holding out until Jorge Lorenzo makes his move.
With Mr Suzuki having specified that HRC definitely would not be signing Lorenzo, most of us initially assumed that he would finally put pen to paper on the contract offer from Yamaha, which has been on the table for several weeks.
Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis certainly thought so and he made a special trip to the Czech Republic, where he expected to finalise the deal with Lorenzo's management, only to find that they had stayed at home.
It seems Lorenzo is now in serious talks with Ducati, who are keen to secure the services of a top-level rider to compete alongside or even replace Casey Stoner should their increasingly fragile relationship with the absent Australian finally snap.
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While Lorenzo's deal is still holding up sections of the rider market and affecting James Toseland's future, some of the more peripheral seats were settled over the weekend.
Hector Barberá sealed the single Ducati in the new Aspar MotoGP team, fellow 250cc star Alvaro Bautista being snapped up by Suzuki. Marco Melandri's return to Honda Gresini was also confirmed.
With Marco Simoncelli already signed, Melandri completes the Italian team's MotoGP line-up but they plan to run a Moto2 squad, with current World Supersport series leader Cal Crutchlow at Brno to discuss a move.
The 23-year-old from Coventry is dominating the 600cc production championship, chased only by Irishman Eugene Laverty, and would thrive in the new format, which features 600cc engines inside a prototype chassis.
Crutchlow spent most of the weekend either inside the Gresini garage or riding one of their team scooters around the circuit infield, so if a deal hasn't already happened by time you read this, expect news sooner rather than later.
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Britain's top current star Toseland was called into a meeting with Hervé Poncharal last Thursday, when he was told that, contrary to reports in the press, the team had not signed anybody to replace him and that his ride was still potentially up for grabs.
Toseland must wait to see where he will ride next season
Specialised press have claimed that Chris Vermeulen and Randy de Puniet have offered their services for free to Poncharal's Tech3 squad, although the French outfit and Yamaha in particular would like to keep Toseland if he can improve his results.
A lot will depend on whether Lorenzo stays with the factory team, where possible replacements include Pedrosa, Dovizioso, Colin Edwards or even Nicky Hayden, while Ben Spies' decision on whether to step up to MotoGP or stay in World Superbikes will also have an impact.
Spies cannot replace Lorenzo directly due to a new rule banning rookie riders from signing for factory teams, with the exception of Suzuki who have no satellite outfit.
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The gulf in class between the two series and the size of the challenge to Spies was highlighted by the performance of Michel Fabrizio in Brno.
He is challenging the American for the WSBK title but couldn't make it to within 15 laps of the finish line on Sunday.
The increased physical demands of wrestling a 140kg machine that kicks out up to 240bhp compared to the 200bhp-168kg power-weight ratio of his Superbike left Fabrizio needing constant attention for cramps in his right shoulder and left leg during practice.
Having qualified second to last, half a second slower than Niccolo Canepa, he withdrew from the race after just six laps with arm-pump.
Fabrizio now heads back to the production series with his tail between his legs, with Mattia Pasini next in line to take over stand-in duties
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