Ezpeleta said on the official MotoGP.com website after his return from Japan, “We had a meeting in Osaka Thursday (January 8) where Kawasaki explained their problems and the difficulties they had with continuing as a factory team. We agreed to cooperate collectively in order to find a possible solution which may allow them to continue as a privateer team.”
As has been widely reported, there are two candidates to put together a structure and fund a privateer effort with the orphaned ZX-RR 800s: Spain’s Jorge Martinez ('Aspar') and Belgian Michael Bartholemy. “Aspar” has been unsuccessfully trying to crash the MotoGP party for several years now and has both the track record, as a team owner in 125 and 250 Grand Prix, and the proven capacity to find sponsors in Spain (and especially from the Valencia region). The other possible team
owner, Bartholemy, was director of the now discontinued Kawasaki factory team.
Does Kawasaki really want their bikes raced outside factory control or did they merely make polite conversation with the Dorna CEO about collective cooperation? If Kawasaki do want a private team to take over running their bikes, why was there not even a hint of this in their press release? (Perhaps because it was redacted before Ezpeleta’s visit, or, more likely, Kawasaki does not want to create false expectations that may have to be disappointed. Already Kawasaki’s withdrawal from MotoGP has brought what must be regarded as unfavorable publicity to the brand.
It is not surprising, however, that Kawasaki would be the first to withdraw in time of crisis. They have achieved very little for an extended -- largely futile and very expensive -- effort in MotoGP.
