- Joined
- Feb 26, 2007
- Messages
- 10,518
- Location
- Tennessee
GPOne.com is reporting that Jorge Martinez of Aspar may look elsewhere for MotoGP bikes for 2009. Aspar has made no secret of his intention to enter MotoGP next season, and his name has long been linked with Suzuki.
Now, however, Martinez is saying that Suzuki are asking for too much money for the privilege of running a third bike, and he may be forced to look elsewhere. Quite where Aspar could find other machinery is a bit of a mystery, as the other manufacturers have made it clear that they are pretty much at maximum effort supporting the current crop of bikes on the grid. Kawasaki is thought to be the only real alternative, as they are under pressure from Dorna to supply at least one more machine to help fill the grid.
An entirely speculative option is that Honda could possibly provide one more machine, as they managed to provide the extra sets of engines for Team KR during the 2006 and 2007 series. As the engine is by far the most expensive and time-consuming part of a motorcycle, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Honda would be capable of supporting a 7th satellite RC212V.
Martinez also made it abundantly clear that he wanted to retain Alvaro Bautista, the young Spanish rider widely tipped to win the 250 world championship this year. If they cannot retain Bautista, however, Gino Borsoi, spokesman for the team, hinted that their preference would be for another Spanish rider. This statement is the clearest sign of problems for Ben Spies, who will be attempting to get a ride in MotoGP for 2009, and who had previously been linked with the Aspar team. Unless Spies can raise the money to fund the Suzuki factory bike for Aspar, his prospects of getting a ride look to have become more distant.
Now, however, Martinez is saying that Suzuki are asking for too much money for the privilege of running a third bike, and he may be forced to look elsewhere. Quite where Aspar could find other machinery is a bit of a mystery, as the other manufacturers have made it clear that they are pretty much at maximum effort supporting the current crop of bikes on the grid. Kawasaki is thought to be the only real alternative, as they are under pressure from Dorna to supply at least one more machine to help fill the grid.
An entirely speculative option is that Honda could possibly provide one more machine, as they managed to provide the extra sets of engines for Team KR during the 2006 and 2007 series. As the engine is by far the most expensive and time-consuming part of a motorcycle, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Honda would be capable of supporting a 7th satellite RC212V.
Martinez also made it abundantly clear that he wanted to retain Alvaro Bautista, the young Spanish rider widely tipped to win the 250 world championship this year. If they cannot retain Bautista, however, Gino Borsoi, spokesman for the team, hinted that their preference would be for another Spanish rider. This statement is the clearest sign of problems for Ben Spies, who will be attempting to get a ride in MotoGP for 2009, and who had previously been linked with the Aspar team. Unless Spies can raise the money to fund the Suzuki factory bike for Aspar, his prospects of getting a ride look to have become more distant.
