All posts tagged francis batta
No Alstare -MV Agusta racing team in Supersport
Francis Batta’s dreams of fielding MV Agusta F3 in World Supersport have been definitely put aside for the 2012 season along with their idea of a couple of wildcard partecipations, which was confirmed by Batta’s wife, Patricia Dethor via their Facebook page, but the historical team insists they are working hard on a return in 2013.
Apparently MV Agusta wants to dedicate all their economic resources on production (we saw the video of their new assembly line earlier this morning) and on development of new bikes and than helping sponsor a racing team at an international level.
Source | motoblog.it
Luca Scassa denies MV Agusta Supersport ride
The rumor that Luca Scassa was in line to ride for Francis Batta’s new wannabe Supersport team fielding a MV Agusta F3 has been shot down by the Italian rider himself on his Facebook page:
MV Agusta for 2012 !?!? Would be very nice but I deny the news. I’ll keep you updated as soon as I can!
Batta is feverently working on a return to the Superbike paddock, but according to an interview with the Belgium manager with Italy’s Gpone.com, the Supersport project will be only defined by mid-January and apparently if everything does come together (budget, sponsors, competitveness) Alstare’s team won’t compete in the entire championship season, but only be for a few rounds.
Francis Batta to field Luca Scassa with a MV Agusta F3 in World Supersport?
Francis Batta in a recent interview said he was pulling his team out of World Superbikes as Suzuki would no longer back him and in alternative to the Japanese manufacturer, Batta had tried to contact Massimo Bordi of MV Agusta to see if they were interested in fielding a team, but he was continually blown off and couldn’t get an appointment.
It now seems that stubborn Belgium manager finally got his appointment and must have pitched a pretty good offer to the Italian marque as latest rumors have it that he’ll be fielding a Supersport team in 2012 with Luca Scassa riding an MV Agusta F3.
Scasssa has a vast experience on MV Agusta machines, he won the 2006 CIV Superstock Championship with a F4 and took third in World Superstock championship the same year. In 2007, the Rocker as he’s known competed as MV Agusta’s official rider in the AMA Superbike Championship taking the Rookie of the Year award and in 2008 returned to Italy to win the CIV Superbike championship on the F4. In 2011 Scassa raced for Giuliano Rovelli’s Yamaha ParkingGo team taking taking three victories and finishing fifth overall.
Alstare Suzuki pulls out of World Superbikes
The last time we heard from Alstare Suzuki team owner Francis Batta regarding his 2012 plans was just last month when he was confirmed that he would be staying in World Superbikes with Suzuki and was even looking into expanding his team and also run a bike in World Supersport if he could find sponsors and funding, instead the Belgium manager in a long interview with Cycle News has confirmed that he has thrown in the towel and is withdrawing from the 2012 Superbike championship.
Batta is reporting that Suzuki has pulled out its factory involvement (which now explains why Paul Denning’s Crescent Suzuki has turned to Yoshimura and that Suzuki will almost certainly no longer be in MotoGP) and he true to his word will not continue any racing efforts without them, despite having had offers to run Kawasaki’s and Yamaha’s but turned them down as a sign of respect because of his long standing relationship with the Hamamatsu manufacturer, but he did admit that he was interested in MV Agusta, but the Italian manufacturer didn’t return his calls.
It is very sad to see that such an important team as Alstare Suzuki who has brought so much to World Supersports and World Superbikes in the last fifteen years end this way.
We expect an official statement from Batta in the next few hours.
Francis Batta confirms 2012 World Superbike plans, but with another rider (w/video)
Superbike TV: Magny-Cours 2011 - Intervista Batta Integrale in Virgilio Video
Francis Batta said that he wouldn’t give anymore interviews unless his had some further news on his situation and after his latest statement last Sunday, he was interviewed at the Magny Cours round by Fabio di Palma of Superbike TV, and as usual the Alstare Suzuki owner does not mince words and has some words of criticism towards Michel Fabrizio.
Here’s a gist of the ten minute interview:
“The development of the GSX-R 1000 has stopped, but Suzuki is not pulling out of Superbikes, but we have to make do with what we have and continue for another year [when Suzuki should reveal it’s new 2013 Superbike]. It’s still one of more competitive bikes as long as we have rider that keeps it on its wheels and takes it to the finish line. We’ll try to be competitive next year. They’ve [Suzuki] confirmed we can keep all the material and that we’ll have a small help, however if we want special parts we have to order them by the the end of the month. Evidently the economic situation is different because we used to be backed by Suzuki, instead next year we won’t have any economic help from them. We are looking to reach a certain budget for 2012 and our current sponsors have confirmed their partecipation and we are looking for others, hopefully we won’t have the same problems that we’ve encountered in these last two years, a lot of promises, signed contracts and the money never arrived.
Francis Batta statement on Suzuki
On Saturday after QP2 at Imola, we posted what Francis Batta had said regarding Suzuki’s plans for 2012 reporting that the Japanese manufacturer would not be helping in future development nor would they back the team financially. Apparently Batta felt the need to further clarify his previous interview as the team issued this following press release after Sunday’s round in Italy.
At the moment, Suzuki Japan has not made their final decision regarding the 2012 World Superbike Championship. Currently, Suzuki Japan are able to offer Alstare the current bikes and spares, but are not in a position to provide funds for research and development. Furthermore any parts that Suzuki produce in 2012 would have to be purchased.
Alstare understand that Suzuki Japan are not in discussions with any other team regarding the 2012 World Superbike Championship, save for perhaps Paul Denning in UK, should Alstare not be involved with Suzuki in 2012. A final decision by Suzuki is promised after the Magny-Cours round and Alstare hope to be able to make an official statement then.
Suzuki to decide WSBK and MotoGP plans at Motegi
What are going to be the fates of Alstare Suzuki and Rizla Suzuki next season? According to Alstare’s Francis Batta, the Hamamatsu manufacturer will reveal its 2012 plans during the Japanese GP at Motegi next week.
Batta confirmed that after his latest talks with Suzuki, that the Japanese manufacturer will not supply his team with updated GSX 1000s and that he’ll have to settle with what he is currently running now and with no backing.
He also did not deny the rumors that have been floating around that he’s in talks with MV Agusta despite the fact that he had previously denied with a press release that he would not switch manufacturers and that he’d rather pull out of the championship.
Michel Fabrizio's statement: Is this also a goodbye to Alstare Suzuki in WSBK's?
That Alstare Suzuki’s World Superbike team is having problems making ends meet isn’t exactly new news and that Francis Batta in a statement just over a month declared that “if Suzuki decides not to take part in the World Superbike Championship next year, Francis will also stop rather than continue with another manufacturer,” so this statement by Michel Fabrizio posted on Facebook by Batta’s wife Patricia, reads at least from our point of view more like a definite farewell than anything else.
Hello everyone, I have nothing to criticize regarding the work carried out by Francis, not at a personal level nor contractually. At Brno, Francis and I by mutual agreement, decided to revise our previous contract provisions that were agreed upon at the beginning of the season and this is to help support the team in a time of difficulty. I’ve been paid up to today.
That said, I want to thank the whole team for the work done so far, but in particular I’d like to thank Francis and Patricia who’ve believed in me and are helping me to find new opportunities for my future, if Suzuki should stop officially supporting World Superbikes.
Batta has already cut back to only one rider this year and if the Japanese manufacturer decides to drop even the minimal support they are currently giving, it will become very tough for him to field a team in 2012 even as a privateer, and notwithstanding the new cost saving rules that World Superbikes could adopt next season.
With just three rounds left in the championship, not doubt we’ll be hearing more about the fate of this popular team in the following weeks.
Source | motoblog.it
Alstare Batta's denies manufacturer switch
Just fifteen days ago we reported that Francis Batta had put in a request to become the official Kawasaki team in 2012. Now the Belgium team manager has denied that he wants to make the switch to a much more supportive manufacturer and has even issued an official statement on the matter, announcing that he’d rather his team to sit out the 2012 championship than betray his long standing relationship with Suzuki.
Francis Batta and Alstare have been involved with Suzuki for the best part of thirteen years and this tremendous relationship has given the everybody an immense amount of satisfaction. The strong relationship was forged right from the very beginning and has grown throughout the years and is one that Francis values very highly. Francis has been a loyal supporter of Suzuki and it is for this reason that he would like to continue with them alone in the future. If Suzuki decide not to take part in the World Superbike Championship next year, Francis will also stop rather than continue with another manufacturer.
WSBK: Alstare Suzuki's Batta says 2011 is going to be rough
Alstare Suzuki’s team manager Francis Batta doesn’t like to sugar coat his words and give you politically correct statements. In his latest interview with Motosprint magazine, the Belgium manager is worried about the economic crisis that’s already taking its toll on the WSBK championship.
They’ll still be seven manufacturers on the grid, but only 20 riders have been confirmed so far, with teams cutting back on investments as Batta had to do, fielding only Michel Fabrizio as his sole rider or as the Ducati factory team pulling out all together, with one of the excuses being the rules were too penalizing.
When Batta was asked what he thought about an eventual rule change, he said, “I don’t say we have to race with Superstocks, but we should be nearer to them. Today the market is facing a momentous slowdown, and there’s a lot less money than in the past, and the rules should be changed to adapt to this situation. We have to go back and nobody should cheat.”
Continue reading: WSBK: Alstare Suzuki's Batta says 2011 is going to be rough
Max Neukirchner in MotoGP on a Ducati and Alstare Suzuki to replace Rizla Suzuki?
Now this is what we really call silly season. Sportmediaset through their daily TV sports show Studio Sport is reporting that World Superbike Ten Kate Honda rider Max Neukirchner may be heading to MotoGP next season with a German backed team.
The new team has an important sponsor that has very deep pockets and willing to shell out, not only 3 million euros for a Ducati Desmosedici, but also support the team in a big way if Dorna approves the entry (they’re probably jumping with joy and preparing the red carpet) and this could mean we may be seeing seven Ducati’s on the grid in 2011.
Even sillier is the rumor that Francis Batta could be switching his Suzuki team lock, stock and barrel from WSBK to MotoGP.
Continue reading: Max Neukirchner in MotoGP on a Ducati and Alstare Suzuki to replace Rizla Suzuki?
Francis Batta to Drop Suzuki?
Alstare Suzuki’s team owner Francis Batta is not only disappointed, but he’s also fighting mad and has made a not so unveiled threat to drop Suzuki for another manufacturer, if the Japanese company doesn’t decide to help fund and support his World Superbike team.
Take note that this isn’t the usual web gossip, but the words came directly from the Belgium manager during a recent interview with Italian satellite channel Nuvolari.
Batta’s Alstare team goes back a long way with Suzuki, they’ve won six world championships using the Suzuki branded bike: in World Superbikes in 2005 with Troy Corser, three Supersport championships with Fabrizio Pirovano in 1996 and 1998, in 1999 with Stéphane Chambon and two Superstock 1000 titles in 2002 with Vittorio Iannuzzo and Michel Fabrizio in 2003.
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