Rumour Mill 2007

Hey all, I thought I'd give another update on the state of play in the 125 and 250 classes for season 2008. It's all coming together nicely (and sooner than usual). Repsol Puig have finally confirmed that they are switching from Honda to KTM and Aprilia have now handed out all of their factory bikes for '08.

250 CLASS
(Aprilia RSA's marked them with a *)

Master Aspar Aprilia - Alvaro Bautista* & Hector Faubel*
Fortuna Aprilia - Alex Debon*, Manuel Poggiali & Aleix Espargaro
Caffe Latte Aprilia - Thomas Luthi* & Lukas Pesek
Polaris World Aprilia - Mattia Pasini*
Team Toth Aprilia - Hector Barbera*
Red Bull KTM - Hiroshi Aoyama & Mika Kallio
Repsol Puig - Julian Simon & TBA
Stop & Go Honda? - Ratthapark Wilairot
Scot Honda? - Yuki Takahasi (not confirmed)
Team Silica - Federico Sandi
Blusens Aprilia - Russell Gomez
Team Gilera - Marco Simoncelli (not confirmed)

125 CLASS.
(Aprilia RSA's marked with a *), Derbi also running RSA Aprilia's

Bancaja Aspar Aprilia - Gabor Talmacsi*, Sergio Gadea* & Pere Tutusaus
Skilled Racing Aprilia - Simone Corsi* & Nicolas Terol
Polaris World Aprilia - Bradley Smith*
Kiefer Racing Aprilia - Stefan Bradl* (I thought Stefan was going to 250's but the latest list I have he's in the 125 class with an RSA) :confused:
Valsir Derbi - Pol Espargaro* & Joan Olive*
Red Bull KTM - Tomoyoshi Koyama, Randy Krummenacher & Lorenzo Zanetti
Repsol KTM - Esteve Rabat & Marc Marquez
Blusens Aprilia - Scott Redding, Efren Vazquez & TBA
Caffe Latte Aprilia - Sandro Cortese
Multimedia Aprilia - Michael Ranseder & Andrea Iannone
Ajo Derbi - Mike di Meglio & Dominque Aergerter
Scot Honda? - Raffaele de Rosa & Dino Lombardi (listed as a Honda team but I've heard that they may swtich to KTM)
Molenaar Honda - Danny Webb

That's all for now. :wave:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mx311

Fortuna Aprilia[/b] - Alex Debon*, Manuel Poggiali & Aleix Espargaro


That's all for now. :wave:

---

pogiali back in 250!! great four years back, what I see his a wasted talent

Again, Cortese is on an RSA for 125's.. :D

Still, thanks for the list Matt, gonna be a great year in the lower classes..

Add Robin Lässer (on a RS125 aprilia) to the Grizzly Gas Kiefer Team as team mate to Stefan Bradl in the 125GP class.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by racer69

One would assume staying with the BikeAnimal Honda team.

---

Leon Camier is riding for GSE on the Airwaves Ducati along side Shakey Byrne.

Stobart Honda are jumping up to WSBK. However, no riders listed for them yet (can you say Barros??)

said it a page back about GSE, Rumours flowing about Stobart Honda is 2005 BSB Champion GREGORIO LAVILLA could be one of their riders, they sould be havin HRC surport aswell

Interesting that Bird has got HRC support for WSBK and Tuxworth is staying put in BSB.

Another great injection for the championship, will be interesting to see who will be number 2 to the marketable Spaniard.

I shall put together an outline list for BSB soon, although with the season not starting til April there's only really the top few confirmed for now!

Official today by Repsol that they will have KTM bikes in both there 125GP and 250GP team and that Julian Simon is the rider in the 250GP team.

Good news :up: Julito will be a real threat next year aboard the KTM im sure..

Vesa Kallio, older brother to Mika Kallio, to Benjam Motoren Racing in WSS next year on ex Stiggy 2007 bikes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tha_jackal

Again, Cortese is on an RSA for 125's.. :D

---

Damn it, I knew that but forgot to put the little star next to his name. :laugh:

Also, interesting note on Manuel Poggiali. He was down on my list on the Fortuna Aprilia team but that's not right, it seems he's going to ride for the Campetella team instead alongside Ricard Cardus. Still, good to have him back, now let's hope he's regained some of his old form. :)

I read that the Pog was gonna be riding alongside Lai, who would be with Campetella again.. Is Cardus going to be in the 125s maybe?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mx311

Also, interesting note on Manuel Poggiali. He was down on my list on the Fortuna Aprilia team but that's not right, it seems he's going to ride for the Campetella team instead alongside Ricard Cardus. Still, good to have him back, now let's hope he's regained some of his old form.

---

There's some kind of franchise-sharing deal going on with Campetella and Fortuna, I think.

Pol Espargaro was entered under the Campetella banner this year but the cameras cut to Dani Amatrian & co. when they were watching him this year, and Alex Debon was often quoted as saying he was 'rider coach' for Jorge and Pol.

new BSB team for next year

North West 200 Ducati team with Michael Rutter riding a 1098

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/bsb/..._launched.html

Yeah that team for Rutter is an arm of Buildbase Ducati, who've been doing very nicely in British Superstock in recent years.

Also we have Adam Jenkinson - another former Superstock runner - stepping up to BSB next year as team-mate to Aaron Zanotti with SMT who have gone from one Yamaha at the start of last year to two Hondas.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sp.../?&R=EPI-97257

Soon I'll put together an outline BSB list...

PSG-1 Kawasaki has signed Makoto Tamada alongside Regis Laconi. Along with Badovini and Iannuzzo, I think this is a pretty good and balanced lineup.

The PSG SBK line-up is on the 'mature' end of the scale, that's for sure.. They could have mixed it up, one oldie one youngie in both WSBK/WSS..

Badovini and Iannuzzo are in WSB, for the Pedercini team on Kawasakis. Hopefully they can be in the mix rather than at the back.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by patnicholls

Badovini and Iannuzzo are in WSB, for the Pedercini team on Kawasakis. Hopefully they can be in the mix rather than at the back.

---

Of course! Doh! :D PSG WSS will be made up of Stalker and Fujiwara yes?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tha_jackal

The PSG SBK line-up is on the 'mature' end of the scale, that's for sure.. They could have mixed it up, one oldie one youngie in both WSBK/WSS..

---

I'm disappointed in you Jake. You only had to read my post properly! :D Though it would have been nice if Kwak had a young bloke in their official WSS team. Perhaps Lightspeed will have good factory backing and run a young'un.

Well it seems that MotoGP has lost Kenny Roberts. Ducati have told Team KR that they will not supply them with engines for 2008 so it seems that the team is done. Honda had already told them that they wouldn't be supplying engines to the team and the rumoured Ilmor deal was never on leaving the team engineless. Sad really, especially after the competitive year they had in 2006. :(

This article, if true, says that Sebastien Charpentier has retired from racing:

http://www.motorcyclists-online.com/...ier-stops.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by patnicholls

This article, if true, says that Sebastien Charpentier has retired from racing:

http://www.motorcyclists-online.com/...ier-stops.html

---

That was announced far before, I think it was MAgny Cours where he said he would retire

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mx311

Well it seems that MotoGP has lost Kenny Roberts. Ducati have told Team KR that they will not supply them with engines for 2008 so it seems that the team is done. Honda had already told them that they wouldn't be supplying engines to the team and the rumoured Ilmor deal was never on leaving the team engineless. Sad really, especially after the competitive year they had in 2006. :(

---

That is a shame :(

I thought they showed the true spirt of racing by being out there every race and giving it their best shot. I'll miss them..

I don't expect their result being out of the track was seen as racing spirit :D :)

It's a shame that Seb has retired after such a disappointing season. In reality though, it always looked on the cards as he really did appear to have lost that extra will to push to the very edge to be competitive. And who could blame him after the injuries he has sustained in the last couple of years.

On the Roberts situation, just like Agostini, even a legends time in their sport comes to an end. After success as a rider and then team manager for Yamaha, he took a big risk by going out on his own which really didn't pay out as he would have hoped. Sadly, by the end the KR team had really become cannon fodder for the rest of the field that was incapable of even fighting for points. Hopefully he can regroup and return to manage a compeitive team in either MotoGP or WSB.

Also, I read that Rossi announced he now plans to keep racing bikes for at least another 5 years.
http://www.crash.net/motorsport/moto...ore_years.html
You don't reckon that was music to Dorna's ear!

I have just read that Kawasaki are planning to make a major play for Rossi come seasons end. Obviously lots of factors would have to come into play but they apparently have a lot of money to throw at Vale (72 mil euros has been bandied about but that amount sounds far-fetched to me). If they show the same improvement this year that they showed last year and became a regular podium contender, and if Yamaha don't produce an improved M1, who knows what might happen. West has only been signed for 1 year remember. ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NinjaMaster

I have just read that Kawasaki are planning to make a major play for Rossi come seasons end. Obviously lots of factors would have to come into play but they apparently have a lot of money to throw at Vale (72 mil euros has been bandied about but that amount sounds far-fetched to me). If they show the same improvement this year that they showed last year and became a regular podium contender, and if Yamaha don't produce an improved M1, who knows what might happen. West has only been signed for 1 year remember. ;)

---

C'mon Ninja....... surely you saw this coming the moment Kwaka signed West for a 1 yr term only....?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by osg

C'mon Ninja....... surely you saw this coming the moment Kwaka signed West for a 1 yr term only....?

---

I did actually. Be interesting to see what would happen if West beat Hopkins though. It is reliant on Yamaha sucking this year though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NinjaMaster

I did actually. Be interesting to see what would happen if West beat Hopkins though. It is reliant on Yamaha sucking this year though.

---

How would it change things if Hopkins and West beat Rossi, and also Edwards and Toseland beat Rossi with satelite team bikes ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by maxu05

How would it change things if Hopkins and West beat Rossi, and also Edwards and Toseland beat Rossi with satelite team bikes ?

---

Crikey, everyone is beating Rossi!! :p :

It could happen, some of the riders are looking good so far. It would be great to see different winners every race.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by maxu05

How would it change things if Hopkins and West beat Rossi, and also Edwards and Toseland beat Rossi with satelite team bikes ?

---

And what if Rossi finished last in every race and scored no points for the season? Edwards and Toseland will not beat Rossi over a season (barring injury), Col couldn't do it on the factory bike, he won't do it on a satellite one and Toseland is only learning in his first season of MotoGP.
Like I said, Yamaha will have to do something wrong to make Rossi want to leave and Kawasaki would be plenty keen to secure his services as a proven champion and sponsorship drawcard.

If Rossi takes Ant's ride at seasons end, well there's a free Bridgestone shod M1 for Westy to try and get aboard.. Might suit his style more for all you know!? :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NinjaMaster

And what if Rossi finished last in every race and scored no points for the season? Edwards and Toseland will not beat Rossi over a season (barring injury), Col couldn't do it on the factory bike, he won't do it on a satellite one and Toseland is only learning in his first season of MotoGP.
Like I said, Yamaha will have to do something wrong to make Rossi want to leave and Kawasaki would be plenty keen to secure his services as a proven champion and sponsorship drawcard.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tha_jackal

If Rossi takes Ant's ride at seasons end, well there's a free Bridgestone shod M1 for Westy to try and get aboard.. Might suit his style more for all you know!? :)

---

true on both counts there....... i can't wait, it's gonna rock this year.

Any news of Pons returning to MotoGp ? It seems so long ago that anyone has mentioned the now defunked team. Perhaps if he raises the money they might return in 2009/2010 ? I would love to know if there is any goss about it.

I think Ilmor have more chance of returning ;) :p :

Pons is running a team at the Spanish 125 championship. I dont think we will see him in MotoGP any time soon