Archive - Aug 27, 2008

Ben Spies progress into MotoGP, a path that looked so easy at the beginning of the year, has stalled, or so it seems. After Suzuki first failed to provide a third bike, and then decided to concentrate firstly on retaining their current rider line up, Spies had turned his attention elsewhere.

Reports started to surface about a possible link up with Honda, and especially a seat at Gresini. But the problem was Spies' salary demands, his expectations inflated from riding in the extremely well-funded AMA Superbike championship. With the AMA series in disarray after the takeover by the DMG, and the manufacturers looking likely to either pull out of racing in the US or set up a rival series, the US distributors suddenly seemed to have a surplus in their marketing budgets, and the press put two and two together, figuring that American Honda could well be interested in picking up the tab for Spies' salary. Nicky Hayden's impending departure from the Repsol team to Ducati was thought to have forced the issue, with American Honda wanting an American on a Honda in MotoGP.

According to Superbikeplanet.com's Dean Adams, however, when the press in Europe put two and two together, they came up with 37. Adams is reporting that American Honda has categorically denied being willing to pay Spies' salary if he rides for the Gresini Honda MotoGP team. If American Honda does have any excess budget for 2009, then they are unwilling to spend it at Gresini.

With Silly Season become more and more ridiculous by the day, there is an obvious need for a clear guide to exactly what is going on. With many of the deals being rumored either educated guesses, clouded in uncertainty, or transparent bargaining ploys, that's not easy, but that won't prevent us from trying.

So to try and make sense of it all, we now have a page up, listing all of the deals and rumored deals so far. We shall endeavor to keep this as up to date as possible, so you have a single source for all of the movements in the MotoGP market, but right now, that's a pretty tall order. You can find the page at the following URL:

http://www.motogpmatters.com/page/2008/08/26/who_s_going_where_in_motogp...

Leave comments, tips and suggestions there, for anything we may have missed.

Another couple of pieces in the MotoGP rider merry-go-round may be finalized this weekend. According to reports over at Motorcycle News, Suzuki is likely to extend Loris Capirossi's deal this weekend, and is close to renegotiating a deal with Chris Vermeulen. Capirossi is likely to be the first deal to be officially announced, as Paul Denning, Rizla Suzuki's team manager, told MCN "to all intents and purposes Suzuki and Loris want to move forward," which could mean an announcement could be made this weekend in Italy.

Vermeulen's case is a little more complex. Both the Rizla Suzuki team and Vermeulen himself are keen to continue the relationship, but after Vermeulen fell short of a performance requirement which would have guaranteed a new deal, Suzuki in Hamamatsu, Japan and Vermeulen have been haggling over financial terms. Reports say that Suzuki has offered Vermeulen less than half his current salary, something which Vermeulen is understandably unhappy with. But Vermeulen is known to be very keen on staying in MotoGP, despite having several options in World Superbikes next year, reportedly including an offer of the factory Ducati. As a result, Vermeulen may be looking at accepting the pay cut, but seeking an improved package of performance-related bonuses.