Lucio Cecchinello's LCR and
Kenny Roberts' Team KR operations, and the Konica Minolta team, are the targets of Dunlop tyre chief Jeremy Ferguson as he fights to maintain a presence in the
MotoGP paddock.
"If we want to stay in MotoGP in 2008 the options are very limited," he admitted even though Tech 3 rider Makoto Tamada lapped the 2.6-mile track in second fastest in the day's final practice session. "Even for an optimist like me I would say that it's only 50% that we will be here next year."
James Toseland and
Colin Edwards – who has a long history of development duties with Michelin – will ride for Tech 3 next year. And with all the factory teams having committed to either
Bridgestone or Michelin for 2008, Dunlop will try and sort a deal with one of the satellite squads, or continue developing MotoGP tyres outside of the actual races.
"We're not going away anywhere," Ferguson pledged.
Dunlop is in only the second year of its MotoGP programme, and many observers will have forgotten that it took Bridgestone - currently dominant in the sport - three years after its entry to the class before it won a race in 2004. Dunlop is also successful in many other areas of motorcycle racing, including 125 and 250cc GPs, the British, American, Australian and Japanese Superbike championships, and world endurance racing.
Although Tamada recorded his best time with a qualifying tyre this afternoon, his fastest lap during the session with a race tyre would have made him an impressive seventh fastest overall.
Friday am - Doctor Suppo says: Go Testing, Chaz
"I believe that a 20-year-old boy can learn more doing one season of testing on a factory bike in a factory team than racing in the Supersport class in a team that may not be fully competitive."
That's the advice from Estoril this morning of Ducati Marlboro project director Livio Suppo to the talented British youngster Chaz Davies, who is pondering what direction to take in his racing career.
