WESTY has to improve..

[Ausinanas]

this from GP website:

Whilst the riders on form and at the head of the MotoGP World Championship classification will be making the most of the summer break to relax and recuperate, those who have struggled over the opening eleven races of the season will not have such a luxury.

Such is the case of Anthony West, the Kawasaki rider whose first full season with `Team Green´ has not reached the heights of his sterling 2007 debut. The Australian has yet to crack the standings top ten in 2008, and the team´s Competition Manager Michael Bartholemy has made it clear that a lot of convincing is needed if West is to stay in the series he struggled to join for so many years.

`I know Anthony is disappointed with his performance this weekend, but it´s difficult to identify exactly where his problem is at the moment,´ said Bartholemy after seeing his charge finish one lap down at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.

`He needs to work hard now to justify his place in MotoGP. The Kawasaki Racing Team is here to secure results, and he needs to convince us he can be a part of that. We will speak to him during the summer break to see if we can find some way of improving his form ahead of the next race.´

Previous measures taken to bring West up to speed with the Ninja ZX-RR have included an uprooting to Belgium from Austria to be closer to Bartholemy and the team, and an intensive test in Japan after the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya in order to find a solution to a rear grip problem.

Kawasaki´s other regular rider, John Hopkins, is expected to return to action at Brno next month.

[Ausinanas]

least he should see the season out where as Marco melandri migh not even get back on a duke after the summer break....

The subject of unrelenting speculation as to his future with the Ducati Marlboro team, and with the spectre of Sete Gibernau lurking in the shadows, Marco Melandri is ready for any eventuality over the summer break.

Paddock rumour and gossip suggests a swap for Ducati from one former World Championship runner-up to another but, according to Melandri himself, nothing is a done deal yet.

`I´m just waiting to find out what I have to do,´ said the Italian after the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, nearly a year to the day after his having been announced as a Ducati rider for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The latter annum of the arrangement was cancelled by mutual consent before this year´s visit stateside, and now Melandri is left attempting to convince potential suitors to collaborate with him for next season. Whether he does this on-track or solely through negotiation from the sidelines remains to be seen.

Signs of improvement had been evident at Laguna Seca and Sachsenring, but on both occasions incidents after a positive start left Melandri with little to show for his efforts. His best result for his current team thus far has been fifth in China.

The chance that Ducati may field a line-up containing no Italian continues to be discussed, however, and the 25 year-old faces a nervous summer break awaiting either a cut from the team or a stay of execution.

`I´m just waiting to see what I have to do. I have a contract with Ducati until the end of the year, I´m a Ducati rider. If they want to stop with me then I have to do what they want, so I just have to wait.´

[Fastgirl]

Even John Hopkins hasnt really set the track on fire though.....I do hope Westy does get his head together though...would be a shame to see him dropped.

[Ausinanas]

Originally Posted by Fastgirl

Even John Hopkins hasnt really set the track on fire though.....I do hope Westy does get his head together though...would be a shame to see hom dropped.

^^ true its not the most competative bike to start with by the looks of it..

[Fastgirl]

IMO...Marco wont have to wait long....I dont reckon we'll see him in the next GP race...or if we do...I dont reckon he will see the season out.

[Hostilemonk]

Predictions

Melandri out and Gibernau in at the next GP - (hopefully as a Rossi spoiler )

Kawasaki will consider pulling out of MotoGP and focus on WSB at the end of this year. IMO they just don't have the design and research resources to be competitive in MotoGP, though Kwaka industries is friggin huge. Their performance may be costing them in the market place. Don't think it is the riders but the bikes that are the problem. Though there again WSB looks like being ultra competitive next year as the new teams start to come into play.

[CitizenD]

It's a shame Kwaka can't make a bike half as good as Westy thinks he is. If they could he'd be unbeatable.

[browser05]

its a shame that westy just cant get the bike to work for him, it obvious that kawasaki cant build a good bike because it cant do good anywhere in the world, They had better get there arse into gear and get it sorted, or they will have to pull out of moto gp because no one will want to ride it!
Shame really as it is a sweet looking bike.

[Marty MOOSE]

Originally Posted by CitizenD

It's a shame Kwaka can't make a bike half as good as Westy thinks he is. If they could he'd be unbeatable.

Bingo hit the nail on the head

[flashthebiker]

was noted by a few that Hacking, an invited rider from AMA, was 1 second a lap faster than Westy around Laguna. and that was before Westy had his excursion into the sand.

I have read that Melandri may be out next round as Colleen says and he may not be able to ride again this year, even if there were a team that wanted him.

[thro]

Originally Posted by Fastgirl

Even John Hopkins hasnt really set the track on fire though.....I do hope Westy does get his head together though...would be a shame to see him dropped.

Took the words out of my mouth.

2c, but I don't think Kawasaki have a rider at the moment who can develop a bike.

West, whether he can ride or not, I don't think is good at bike set up (recall reading some interview with him where he was talking about his time in the lower classes when he was on a satellite team without an engineer who knew their shit, and how much difference having a decent engineer makes).

Both Hopkins *and* west are decent riders, the time West has spent filling in for others on their bikes on a part time basis is testament to this.

I just think they're having problems developing the bike.

[perdition]

as an aside to riders on poorly performing bikes - hows verm and the suzuki's doing ????

[bertie]

chris has done ok in the last 2 races. 3rd at leguna and 3rd or 4th in germany
its a real shame both ant and chris dont have that magic team mate to develop the bikes.
Hopper left suzi coz they werent geting the improvements they should of and its now been dropped in his lap and cant deny the fact he cant develop a bike for shit. Mind you cappa aint doin wonders in the development department even with him many years of experience.

I'd be real sad if we lost chris and ant from the GP scene. Having had a good long chat with both last year i couldnt think of a worthier pair for a gp ride.