Should Ducati replace Marco now, and if so, with who? [merged]

[maxu05]

Maybe a Hayden/Melandri mid season swap?

That will never happen. Hayden will not leave Honda half way through the season, he is just starting to get the bike working. Pity the bike ran out of fuel though.

[MrJan]

Pity the bike ran out of fuel though.

You've gotta admit, that was quite funny I've been waiting to see when that'd happen, from what the Beeb commentators say it's fairly tight at the end of most races. Feel sorry for the bloke but he was gifted a win by Colin in '06 (??) so it's kinda like karma

[NinjaMaster]

Whilst gutted for Nicky, I found it amusing after hearing that the bikes management systems will lean off fuel supply to guarantee they get to the finish. In fairness, Nicky did get to the finish.

[Roby44]

MCN

[Mach24]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68795

Ducati team boss Livio Suppo says it's 99 percent certain that Marco Melandri will stay at the team at least until the US Grand Prix.

The Italian's future in the team is in doubt after a dismal season, in which he has been completely overshadowed by teammate Casey Stoner.

Melandri's position has led to speculation about his immediate future, with former GP winner Sete Gibernau linked to the ride already for this season.

Gibernau tested for Ducati last month and is testing again this week, in what it is rumoured to be his preparation to return to MotoGP racing action following his retirement in 2006.

Suppo said, however, that no announcement will be made at the end of the test and that Melandri is likely to ride at Sachsenring and Laguna Seca, the two races before the Czech Grand Prix at Brno.

"It's 99% certain that Melandri will race at Sachsenring and in the USA," Suppo told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Do not expect announcements at the end of testing."

Melandri has been linked with a switch to the Kawasaki team, who could be looking for a replacement for the injured John Hopkins, likely to miss at least two races following his heavy crash at Assen.

The Japanese squad, who had failed to make an impression so far this year, have been rumoured to be considering fielding a third bike for Melandri if the Italian leaves Ducati.

[maxu05]

I think Marco will just have another 2 miserable races on the Ducati. His mind is already made up IMO, he is out of there. I think this could be a great gain for Kawasaki, and it would be great for them and the championship to field 3 bikes for the rest of the year.

[ChrisS]

That will never happen. Hayden will not leave Honda half way through the season, he is just starting to get the bike working. Pity the bike ran out of fuel though.

Plus the 2 US rounds are coming up and Nicky did a lot of PR work for the Indy GP. Honda wont waste all this positive PR by giving away the star American rider

[gco0307]

Have read elsewhere a translated Italian article which alludes to the fact that the hod-up to the release is MM's wages demands.

Apparently he (through management) wants the remainder of 2008 salary and a percentage of 2009 as a minimum of he is to leave the team.

There are no facts to this demand, just a translation to an article posted into a forum (translation done by poster).

But, I have also heard somewhere that the financial issue is definitely the hold-up to MM's leaving as his rumoured salary has him on twice that of CS.






Garry

[patnicholls]

All I can add is that a change can't happen soon enough for Marco. It's sad to see such a talented rider struggle so badly with a machine - he was absolutely dreadful at Donington (which is almost his 'home' race - he lives in Derby about half an hour away). If the race had been two laps longer Casey would've lapped him, and Alex de Angelis who had an early off-track moment caught up about twenty seconds on him, passed and pulled away before shredding his tyres.

Afraid it is time for Sete to finish out the season before Ducati decide what they're going to do next re Nicky or anyone else. I don't think Sete is a long-term solution - his time has been and gone realistically - but it should at least spare any further embarrassment.

GCO0307 POST
"But, I have also heard somewhere that the financial issue is definitely the hold-up to MM's leaving as his rumoured salary has him on twice that of CS."

Crikey..........If that is correct then Ducati is really getting its money's worth out of Casey Stoner.