d'Antin resigns from MotoGP team.

Saw this coming.

should of stuck with yamahas.

Is the writing on the wall? will we soon be down to 16 riders?

the team is not d'antín owned anymore, alice owns teh team now, but if they keep getting these results, they may pull out

if the team did pull out 'aspar' martinez would take the bikes. i understand his team has everything else in place, including at least one rider.

Luis probably got tired of loosing badly and piss poor results every race. The past few years have been especially bad for his team. Its not enough just to be in MotoGP all teams owners want to fight for wins or be somewhat successful. Luis has had neither.

You really cant blame him considering they are the worst team in the paddock and have been for a while now.

So he took his ball and went home.

Maybe he got word that Sete is due to come back next year and ride for a ducati sat team and he doesent want to be part it...

I hope someone can clear this up for me.

Is Jorge 'Aspar' Martinez the same guy that was Crew Chief for Sete Gibbers back when he was riding for Fausto Gresini??

If Sete gets to ride for Melandri part of this season and does well I'm sure they'll offer him a seat on the factory team. But if he only does fairly well then it's probable for a seat on an Aspar Ducati team if it happens. The question is would Sete consider going on a Satellite Ducati team that will probably not get the support from the factory to be competitive. I doubt it at this post stage in his career.

I think there is a great chance that Spies will be looking at a spot on an Aspar Ducati, IF they can get the semi-factory backing that would be similar to Tech3's support....and, IF Chris the V decides not to leave Suzuki, seeing how it has been said that Rizla will not run a 3rd bike, and Schwant'z team still remains a dream...

I see Sete becoming a test rider at best with a few wildcard races, with Canepa trying to move to the Xerox squad...

well, d'Antin put a bid on Ducati for years in motogp 4stroke and it always has a crap result. I think if he won't change the factory he'll strugle again in 2009. Poor decisions dear Luis. Even switch to Kawasaki would be better than stay with Duc.

TLRWinder: jorge martinez owns/runs the bancaja/mapfre 125&250 teams and has for quite a few years winning the 125 title with bautista and talmasci.he's trying to get a motoGp seat with any manufacturer, preferably suzuki or ducati with bautista being his chosen rider. apparently he had sponsorship signed to do it but with no bike he had to give the money back,and with no manufacturer likely to make more bikes he could be waiting a while.

right, thanks Harms...I sorta know most of that stuff. Maybe Team Aspar will get a shot at d'Antin's Ducatis, no?

...but, who was Gibernau's crew chief? wasn't this the same guy? i think it's the same name...

jorge martínez aspar - 4 times world champ, 80 and 125cc as harms127 stated

juan martínez - engineer working with JB and rossi, head engineer at gresini with sete, at ducati with sete and currently at kawasaki

Thanks, chu chu....wow, didn't know he was @Kawsaki!!

Personally i believe that Alice will have a dramatic over haul in 09 like Tech3 did this year and this is the first step. Just my opinion but Ducati is probably planning to go with Sete and Kalio or Canepa, 2 quality riders, a new mgmt team and factory GP9's.

You see Tech3's success when they got 2 top riders and factory machinery. Its about time Ducati stepped up and brought Alice out of the darkness. In order to make a new start, all of the old must go and Luis is the beginning. So i guess Sylvan and Elias will end up in WSS and WSBK or BSB. Its already been greatly hinted they Alice will have 2 new riders next year so Sylvan and Elias are out.

cont.

Besides, NH is is going to get Marco's seat on the factory Ducati team (ABOUT TIME!!! HE SUFFERED AT HONDA ENOUGH), i don't think Sete is quite ready for another factory ride yet. So Alice is good for him. West will be with Elias and Sylvan in WSBK or BSB. I also think that Rizla will let Caprix go and give Spies the #1 seat and Caprix will probably retire or get Dovi's ride. Marco will go to Kawasaki.

Nakano will only because hes Japanese even though he needs them boot like Tamada.

2009 will be the beginning of a new and improved Alice team. Who knows maybe KR will they their shyt together and show up as well.

The Ducmans been rubbing that crystal ball

Haydens getting his P45, nothing more

Careful with the crystal Ducman - don't rub it in public!!! Bautista as Aspar's stated rider might be a bit short of bigger bike experience for next year - only 1 year in 250's. You don't see Westy being drafted into the Aspar team as a stop gap?? I think you're pretty much on the money everywhere else though. Maybe as a Westy fan I am just clutching at straws!! On the money front the bwin.com odds have changed a lot over the past three weeks. Stoner from 6:1 in to 2.6:1: Rossi out from 1.25:1 to 2.10:1 and Dani from 1.50:1 out to 4:1. The bookies are usually pretty tight with their money - they reckon Danis gone, and it's going to be tight between Valentino and Casey. Don't see it myself!