Will Dorna take the Kawasaki Racing Team to court if they are not racing in 2009 ? 

Anthony West in 2008 racing for Kawasaki

Kawasaki, which officially announced that it was suspending its factory MotoGP activities on January 9, has a contract with Dorna to race in the championship until 2011. Ezpeleta told La Gazetta dello Sport that he was willing to release Kawasaki from the final two years of that agreement, providing that its bikes are on the grid in 2009. "It is an agreement until 2011, which Dorna has with all the factories," Ezpeleta said. "It cannot just be discarded."

"I have told Kawasaki that I would not accept this contract being broken and, since they have said that the costs for this season are budgeted, I have proposed that they race in 2009.

"In exchange I will release them from 2010 and 2011.

"The problem with this is that Kawasaki says it only has engines built for 25 per cent of the championship and that they don't want to develop the rest. Therefore I am searching for a structure, in France, to do this for them.

"The final obstacle will be to get the Japanese to meet these people and agree to this scenario."

When asked how optimistic he was of success, Ezpeleta declared: "I think that it will all be resolved. Today Olivier Jacque is testing at Eastern Creek, in Australia.

"The team will continue to be managed by Michael Bartholemy and it is important to safeguard the futures of John Hopkins and Marco Melandri.

"If Kawasaki will not race, I will take them to court."

Ezpeleta added that he wants a series of cost-cutting measures - such as a reduction in testing, and engines that last for two or three grand prix weekends - agreed before the start of this season.