Kawasaki Motors Racing

(Redirected from Kawasaki Racing Team)

Kawasaki Motors Racing was the European subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine, located in the Netherlands. It was responsible for managing the racing activities of the MotoGP team.[citation needed]

Kawasaki Motors Racing
2008 nameKawasaki Racing Team
BaseAmsterdam, Netherlands
PrincipalManaging Director: Yoshio Kawamura
Racing Director: Ichiro Yoda
Competition Manager: Michael Bartholemy
Rider(s)13 Anthony West
21 John Hopkins
MotorcycleKawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
TyresBridgestone
Riders' Championships-
Kawasaki Racing Team (World Superbike)
Founded2012
Headquarters
Granollers, Spain
Key people
General Manager: Guim Roda
Crew Chiefs:
Pere Riba, Marcel Duinker
Riders for 2023:
Jonathan Rea, Alex Lowes (World Superbikes)
ParentKawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine
WebsiteKawasaki Racing Team by Provec Racing

The subsidiary was established in 2007 as a result of the Japanese manufacturer's necessary split from Harald Eckl's organisation, who managed the Kawasaki MotoGP team since 2002. The reason for the split was Eckl's involvement with a competitor's MotoGP activities, which forced Kawasaki to terminate the relationship immediately.[1] For the first time since Kawasaki returned to the premier class of motorcycle racing, the team became a complete ‘in house’ factory team.

On January 9, 2009, Kawasaki announced it had decided to "suspend its MotoGP racing activities from 2009 season onward and reallocate management resources more efficiently". The company stated that it will continue racing activities using mass-produced motorcycles as well as supporting general race oriented consumers. The emphasis was subsequently placed on World Superbike Championship racing using the Kawasaki ZX-10R road bike as a basis, with Paul Bird Motorsport (2009–2011) and Provec Racing, based in Granollers, Barcelona Province, Spain from 2012,[2][3] together with World Supersport 300 from 2019 to 2021.[4]

Racing background

edit

2007 MotoGP season

edit

The team used the new 800cc Ninja ZX-RR and Bridgestone tyres in 2007. Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque were chosen as team riders.

Olivier Jacque crashed in practice during the Chinese Grand Prix, gashing his arm severely enough to be unable to race for 2 Grands Prix. He returned to racing only to crash again during practice at the Catalan Grand Prix, missing this race too. Following the series of injuries, Jacque announced his retirement from competition, but planned to continue as a team test rider.[5] He was replaced by Australian rider Anthony West.[6]

The team's best result for the season was a 2nd-place finish by Randy de Puniet at a wet Japanese Grand Prix.

2008 MotoGP season

edit

For 2008 John Hopkins joined the team alongside Anthony West. Results were poor though, being regular midfield runners throughout the season.

In August 2008, Kawasaki signed Marco Melandri to join John Hopkins for the 2009 season.[7] However, the Great Recession led Kawasaki to reconsider its MotoGP program, and Kawasaki pulled out of MotoGP for 2009.[8]

2009 MotoGP season

edit

After negotiations with DORNA, Kawasaki provided a scaled down team named Hayate Racing Team for the 2009 season. The team was renamed due to limited factory involvement, with Kawasaki providing only one bike with Marco Melandri as the sole rider.[9]

The team achieved better than expected results with 6th and 5th placings early in the season. Melandri finished in 2nd place at the French Grand Prix. This result is equal to Kawasaki's best ever result in MotoGP and is their first podium finish since 2007.

MotoGP results

edit

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Bike Tyres Riders 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Points Pos.
2002 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR D JPN SAF ESP FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR RIO PAC MAL AUS VAL 4 13th
  Akira Yanagawa Ret
  Andrew Pitt 19 17 12
2003 D JPN SAF ESP FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR RIO PAC MAL AUS VAL 15 12th
  Garry McCoy 16 17 18 9 15 17 18 16 16 18 Ret Ret Ret 19 13 19
  Andrew Pitt 17 16 15 Ret 16 Ret 14 17 19 16 21 18 16 16 15 18
  Akira Yanagawa 18 Ret
  Alex Hofmann 16 14 10 17 19
2004 B SAF ESP FRA ITA CAT NED RIO GER GBR CZE POR JPN QAT MAL AUS VAL 134 7th
  Shinya Nakano 12 9 Ret Ret 7 Ret 9 7 15 12 11 3 Ret 8 12 7
  Alex Hofmann Ret 13 Ret 14 11 13 11 10 19 13 13 10 9 Ret 13 11
2005 B ESP POR CHN FRA ITA CAT NED USA GBR GER CZE JPN MAL QAT AUS TUR VAL 150 6th
  Shinya Nakano 5 8 Ret 8 10 9 8 9 Ret 6 12 Ret Ret 7 7 10 11
  Alex Hofmann 11 12 17 Ret 12 8 Ret 15 Ret 14
  Olivier Jacque 2 11 Ret Ret DNS 16 13
2006 B ESP QAT TUR CHN FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER USA CZE MAL AUS JPN POR VAL 129 7th
  Shinya Nakano 7 11 8 8 12 11 DSQ 2 Ret 6 Ret 6 Ret 8 Ret Ret 7
  Randy de Puniet Ret Ret 12 12 Ret 13 Ret 14 12 Ret 12 14 13 11 Ret 10 Ret
  Naoki Matsudo Ret
2007 B QAT ESP TUR CHN FRA ITA CAT GBR NED GER USA CZE SMR POR JPN AUS MAL VAL 176 7th
  Randy de Puniet Ret 13 8 8 Ret Ret 5 6 Ret Ret 6 8 Ret Ret 2 6 4 9
  Olivier Jacque 12 18 Ret DNS 16 DNS
  Fonsi Nieto 11
  Anthony West 11 9 8 7 12 8 12 7 12 15 16
  Roger Lee Hayden 10
  Akira Yanagawa 17
2008 B QAT ESP POR CHN FRA ITA CAT GBR NED GER USA CZE SMR IND JPN AUS MAL VAL 112 9th
  Anthony West 16 13 16 17 14 15 12 10 Ret 10 17 5 13 11 15 12 12 17
  John Hopkins 12 7 5 14 Ret Ret 10 Ret DNS 11 14 14 10 13 11 14
  Jamie Hacking 11

World Superbike Championship

edit
Year Team Bike Tyres Riders 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Pos.
2017 PHI CHA ARA ASS IMO DON MIS LAG LAU POR MAG JER LOS 599 1st
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10RR P   Jonathan Rea 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 Ret 1 3 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 Ret 1 1 1 1
  Tom Sykes 3 6 3 2 3 4 2 2 4 3 1 2 1 3 3 2 3 4 DNS DNS 3 7 3 5 6 Ret
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing   Randy Krummenacher 10 16 12 Ret 14 14 11 14 13 15 14 Ret 7 8 17 14 12 Ret
  Anthony West 13 8 18 14
  Sylvain Guintoli 6 8 8 8
  Leon Haslam 2 Ret
Pedercini Racing SC-Project   Alex de Angelis 14 11 16 11 15 Ret 12 15 11 Ret 17 Ret 12 Ret 14 13
  Riccardo Russo Ret Ret 14 14 15 16 17 16
  Jérémy Guarnoni 11 16
Grillini Racing Team   Ondřej Ježek 18 17 18 13 DNS DNS 16 18 16 17 18 13 14 12 19 17 Ret 16 16 11 16 18 15 Ret 14 14
  Ayrton Badovini 17 Ret Ret 14 Ret 17 15 16 15 Ret 16 14 13 11 16 Ret 16 18 12 9 DNS 15 Ret DNS
  Roberto Rolfo 13 15
Team Kawasaki Go Eleven   Román Ramos 13 14 15 9 Ret 11 7 11 9 11 11 8 8 Ret 12 12 14 14 10 15 12 9 10 11 10 10
Royal Air Force Reg. & Res. Kawasaki   Jake Dixon Ret 9
2018 PHI CHA ARA ASS IMO DON BRN LAG MIS POR MAG VIL LOS 570 1st
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK   Jonathan Rea 5 2 1 4 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 3 1 Ret 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 C
  Tom Sykes 2 4 6 Ret 6 6 4 1 2 3 3 6 3 16 7 8 5 5 5 5 2 4 6 5 2 C
Team GoEleven Kawasaki   Román Ramos 14 11 14 13 10 11 11 Ret Ret 12 19 Ret 13 10 12 12 13 15 14 Ret 15 18 12 13 14 C
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing   Toprak Razgatlıoğlu 13 10 15 8 9 9 10 9 11 8 21 2 10 9 Ret DNS 11 12 8 Ret 8 12 3 7 10 C
  Leon Haslam 9 16 9 Ret
Team Pedercini Racing   Yonny Hernández Ret DNS 16 11 14 16 16 15 17 13 11 14 11 15 Ret 16 12 16
  Luke Mossey 17 14
  Jérémy Guarnoni 17 19
  Gabriele Ruiu 14 14 15 C
Orelac Racing VerdNatura   Leandro Mercado 10 12 13 Ret Ret 13 8 Ret 15 10 13 12 12 17 Ret 11 10 17 11 15 14 15 Ret 12 12 C
SPB racing   Vladimir Leonov DNS 17 Ret Ret
Team WD40   Mason Law Ret Ret

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Bike Team Tyres No. Riders 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points RC Points TC Points MC
R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2 R1 SR R2
2019 Kawasaki ZX-10RR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK P 91   Leon Haslam AUS
15
AUS
3
AUS
3
THA
5
THA
5
THA
5
SPA
9
SPA
7
SPA
4
NED
5
NED
C
NED
8
ITA
5
ITA
6
ITA
C
SPA
9
SPA
6
SPA
5
ITA
Ret
ITA
3
ITA
3
GBR
3
GBR
3
GBR
5
USA
Ret
USA
5
USA
6
POR
5
POR
5
POR
5
FRA
Ret
FRA
9
FRA
7
ARG
6
ARG
8
ARG
10
QAT
5
QAT
4
QAT
9
281 7th 944 1st 673 1st
1   Jonathan Rea AUS
2
AUS
2
AUS
2
THA
2
THA
2
THA
2
SPA
2
SPA
2
SPA
2
NED
2
NED
C
NED
3
ITA
1
ITA
1
ITA
C
SPA
4
SPA
4
SPA
2
ITA
1
ITA
5
ITA
1
GBR
1
GBR
1
GBR
1
USA
1
USA
1
USA
2
POR
1
POR
1
POR
2
FRA
2
FRA
2
FRA
1
ARG
2
ARG
1
ARG
1
QAT
1
QAT
1
QAT
1
663 1st
2020 Kawasaki ZX-10RR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK P 22   Alex Lowes AUS
2
AUS
4
AUS
1
SPA
9
SPA
7
SPA
5
POR
4
POR
4
POR
Ret
SPA
Ret
SPA
6
SPA
9
SPA
6
SPA
6
SPA
5
SPA
9
SPA
7
SPA
8
FRA
3
FRA
2
FRA
9
POR
6
POR
Ret
POR
Ret
189 6th 549 2nd 392 1st
1   Jonathan Rea AUS
Ret
AUS
1
AUS
2
SPA
2
SPA
1
SPA
6
POR
1
POR
1
POR
1
SPA
3
SPA
1
SPA
1
SPA
2
SPA
2
SPA
1
SPA
1
SPA
2
SPA
4
FRA
1
FRA
1
FRA
4
POR
4
POR
5
POR
14
360 1st
2021 Kawasaki ZX-10RR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK P 22   Alex Lowes SPA
2
SPA
2
SPA
3
POR
19
POR
6
POR
4
ITA
5
ITA
5
ITA
6
GBR
3
GBR
14
GBR
6
NED
Ret
NED
6
NED
7
CZE
13
CZE
7
CZE
6
SPA
5
SPA
5
SPA
6
FRA
Ret
FRA
3
FRA
Ret
SPA
6
SPA
4
SPA
Ret
SPA
9
SPA
C
SPA
DNS
POR
DNS
POR
DNS
POR
DNS
ARG
4
ARG
9
ARG
DNS
INA
DNS
INA
C
INA
DNS
213 8th 764 3rd 570 3rd
1   Jonathan Rea SPA
1
SPA
1
SPA
2
POR
3
POR
1
POR
1
ITA
3
ITA
3
ITA
3
GBR
2
GBR
1
GBR
20
NED
1
NED
1
NED
1
CZE
Ret
CZE
3
CZE
3
SPA
2
SPA
2
SPA
3
FRA
2
FRA
1
FRA
2
SPA
4
SPA
1
SPA
6
SPA
2
SPA
C
SPA
5
POR
Ret
POR
Ret
POR
1
ARG
2
ARG
3
ARG
2
INA
1
INA
C
INA
1
551 2nd
2022 Kawasaki ZX-10RR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK P 22   Alex Lowes SPA
Ret
SPA
6
SPA
5
NED
Ret
NED
Ret
NED
4
POR
7
POR
6
POR
4
ITA
5
ITA
8
ITA
8
GBR
3
GBR
5
GBR
6
CZE
9
CZE
Ret
CZE
DNS
FRA
4
FRA
4
FRA
4
SPA
7
SPA
3
SPA
Ret
POR
5
POR
4
POR
5
ARG
6
ARG
5
ARG
4
INA
9
INA
7
INA
9
AUS
3
AUS
4
AUS
3
272 6th 774 3rd 530 3rd
65   Jonathan Rea SPA
1
SPA
2
SPA
2
NED
1
NED
1
NED
Ret
POR
3
POR
1
POR
1
ITA
2
ITA
3
ITA
4
GBR
2
GBR
2
GBR
3
CZE
4
CZE
2
CZE
3
FRA
24
FRA
3
FRA
5
SPA
2
SPA
2
SPA
4
POR
3
POR
3
POR
3
ARG
2
ARG
3
ARG
3
INA
3
INA
2
INA
3
AUS
1
AUS
3
AUS
2
502 3rd
2023 Kawasaki ZX-10RR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK P 22   Alex Lowes AUS
Ret
AUS
4
AUS
Ret
INA
10
INA
3
INA
13
NED
7
NED
4
NED
9
SPA
Ret
SPA
5
SPA
4
ITA
7
ITA
6
ITA
Ret
GBR
6
GBR
6
GBR
6
ITA
9
ITA
7
ITA
Ret
CZE
9
CZE
7
CZE
14
FRA
8
FRA
Ret
FRA
DNS
SPA
SPA
SPA
POR
5
POR
Ret
POR
DNS
SPA
7
SPA
Ret
SPA
DNS
149 11th 518 3rd 391 3rd
65   Jonathan Rea AUS
2
AUS
7
AUS
8
INA
9
INA
4
INA
Ret
NED
2
NED
2
NED
Ret
SPA
3
SPA
Ret
SPA
5
ITA
5
ITA
5
ITA
4
GBR
3
GBR
3
GBR
5
ITA
3
ITA
4
ITA
3
CZE
1
CZE
2
CZE
3
FRA
3
FRA
3
FRA
3
SPA
3
SPA
2
SPA
4
POR
3
POR
Ret
POR
10
SPA
4
SPA
3
SPA
17
370 3rd
99   Florian Marino AUS AUS AUS INA INA INA NED NED NED SPA SPA SPA ITA ITA ITA GBR GBR GBR ITA ITA ITA CZE CZE CZE FRA FRA FRA SPA
16
SPA
16
SPA
15
POR POR POR SPA SPA SPA 1 24th
2024 Kawasaki ZX-10RR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK P 22   Alex Lowes AUS
4
AUS
1
AUS
1
SPA
6
SPA
5
SPA
6
NED
5
NED
3
NED
Ret
ITA
5
ITA
3
ITA
4
GBR
2
GBR
5
GBR
3
CZE
Ret
CZE
3
CZE
9
POR
5
POR
3
POR
3
FRA
Ret
FRA
2
FRA
4
ITA
20
ITA
2
ITA
5
SPA
7
SPA
Ret
SPA
DNS
POR
4
POR
6
POR
12
SPA
4
SPA
3
SPA
5
316 4th 445 3rd 339 3rd
47   Axel Bassani AUS
12
AUS
11
AUS
11
SPA
10
SPA
14
SPA
Ret
NED
9
NED
13
NED
18
ITA
11
ITA
6
ITA
7
GBR
12
GBR
Ret
GBR
10
CZE
16
CZE
13
CZE
Ret
POR
8
POR
12
POR
15
FRA
11
FRA
10
FRA
11
ITA
5
ITA
11
ITA
Ret
SPA
12
SPA
15
SPA
12
POR
Ret
POR
12
POR
10
SPA
8
SPA
14
SPA
10
108 14th

* Season still in progress.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Kawasaki: A new beginning in 2007". kawasaki-motogp.com. 2006-11-29. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  2. ^ Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki.eu Retrieved 11 January 2019
  3. ^ KRT 2019 launch date is set Kawasaki.eu Retrieved 11 January 2019
  4. ^ Ana Carrasco signs with Provec Racing in WorldSSP300 wsbk.com, 3 January 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019
  5. ^ "West to Replace Jacque at Kawasaki". gpupdate.net. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  6. ^ "Anthony West gets a Kawasaki MotoGP Ride for the remainder of the season". Daily Motos. June 21, 2007. Archived from the original on May 24, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  7. ^ "Marco Melandri confirms Kawasaki switch". motorcyclenews.com. 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  8. ^ "Kawasaki: addio MotoGp. Melandri a piedi". Tuttosport. 2008-12-30. Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  9. ^ Kawasaki to race as Hayate MotoGP in 2009 motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved on 2009-05-09