All posts tagged francis batta
Alstare Suzuki Unveils New 2010 Livery and Sponsor
Alstare Suzuki has unveiled their 2010 livery that will grace the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 that riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli will use to contest in this year’s World Superbike season.
Francis Batta team owner, after dropping Dr.Brux last September due to payment problems has a new main sponsor VIRU, an Estonian beer distributed in Italy by the Biscaldi Group.
WSBK - Max Neukirchner to Ten Kate Honda?
After Alstare Suzuki said that they were surprised that Max Neukirchner would be able and be allowed to participate in the Portimao tests on October 26, other rumors have started circulating regarding the rider’s true status in the team.
During this year’s WSBK silly season, Neukirchner was linked to switch to the new BMW team who wanted the Suzuki rider and was seriously thinking of buying out Neukirckner contract, despite the fact that he was already contracted with the Belgium team for 2010.
However several websites are now reporting that Alstare Suzuki team owner Francis Batta has terminated Neukirchner’s contract for 2010 due to ongoing injuries that have kept the rider out of most of this season and lingering doubts surrounding his health, and that the German rider is heading to the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team to replace Carlos Checa and Ryuichi Kiyonari, as the team is cutting down from three to two riders.
Ronald ten Kate talking to Motorsport Akutuell has confirmed that Neukirchner has signed a pre-contract with them and they are now ironing out the details.
The deal is expected to be announced early next week.
Source | motomatters
Alstare Suzuki and Sponsor Split Up
Francis Batta team owner and manager of Alstare Suzuki and their sponsor Brux have split up due to irreconcilable differences, in short Brux didn’t pay up.
Unfortunately for you guys you won’t be seeing anymore those paddock girls dressed in their cute dental assistant outfits and this could also explains why Batta can’t afford to pick up the future MotoGP refugee James Toseland, whose name has been linked to Suzuki. According to the manager : “James’ demands are a bit too high. In times like these, maybe other teams have more money than I do.”
After the jump you can read the official PR shtick about the split.
James Toseland to Alstare Suzuki?
Silly season hasn’t started only in MotoGP, but it’s also begining in WSBK. This time the rumor is from Motosprint, one of Italy’s best selling motorcycle weeklies and who has recently added a website with the latest motorcycling news.
It seems that Alstare Suzuki manager, Francis Batta, who is in Japan at the moment deciding next year’s programme, seems to be very interested in lining up James Toseland for their 2010 season.
Toseland is having a very difficult 2009 season in Yamaha Tech 3. Several massive highsides during winter testing, an ongoing war with team mate Colin Edwards over a crew chief switch and the erection of the wall in the garage and difficulty adjusting to Bridgestone tires, has left the rider struggling and unhappy.
Persisting rumors also have him leaving Poncharal’s team in 2010 to make room for 250cc rider Marco Simoncelli or even Ben Spies, however Toseland has Dorna backing as their token Brit rider and would not like to loose him now that BBC has esclusive rights for televising MotoGP.
With Max Neukirchner already sewn up for 2010 (even if BMW desperately wants him) the return of Toseland to the WSBK series, would allow Batta to create a high profile team that could seriously contend for the title, which they won back in 2005 with Troy Corser.
Toseland is a two times Superbike Champion, winning the title in 2004 with Ducati and in 2007 with Honda Ten Kate.
Fonsi Nieto to replace Neukirchner
With Max Neukirchner out of action with a broken femur and three broken bones in the lower leg and foot, Team Suzuki Alstare Brux has called on Spanish rider and former Alstare Suzuki rider Fonsi Nieto to replace Neukirchner in this weekend’s WSBK race in Kyalami, South Africa.
Nieto naturally knows the team and crew, but will start the first day of practice never having ridden the GSX-R K9.
The last Superbike race in South Africa was in 2002 and both races were won by Troy Bayliss.
Fonsi Nieto:
“Firstly, I want to wish Max all the best for a quick recovery. His crash at Monza was not his fault and he is lucky that the injuries are not worse than the are. I am very grateful to Francis Batta for giving me this opportunity to ride for the team again and I will do my best to repay his faith in me. Although I know the team, I do not know the bike because it is a completely new and different bike to last year’s model. So, I will have to learn the bike and learn the track at the same time and that is not so easy, but I will do my best for sure.”
Francis Batta tries to explain
With the 2nd round of WSBK race just aroung the corner, Francis Batta of Alstare Suzuki has tried to throw water on his bombshell statement regarding Aprilia’s RSV4 1000 Factory status and explain his position on the matter.
“I’m not against Aprilia or even BMW. The two manufacturers have interpreted the regulations and rules, but it’s the way the regulations are made that are wrong. It shouldn’t be possibile to race in the series if the bikes are not available on the market. I’m trying to have the rules changed and that the Superbike Championship return to its original spirit.”
“We have to modify the homologation system. In 2010 according to the present rules each manufacturer will have to produce 3000 road bikes, and with the present economic crisis and the fall in motorcycle sales this amount is absurd, it will keep out all the small and medium size manufacturers and it could also be a problem for the big Japanese companies.”
“Suzuki Italy is expecting to sell about 700 K9’s, so it will be necessary to lower the number of units to be produced and add other cost cutting measures to the rules.”
Source | sbk
Bombshell! Aprilia RSV4 isn’t a Superbike, it’s a Prototype!
Controversy has hit Aprilia after Max Biaggi took second place in the Superpole shoot out.
It happened early this morning during the Superpole when Alstare Suzuki owner and team manager, Jean Francois Batta told Italian network La7 that: “Everyone knows that the RSV4 is a prototype and shouldn’t be racing here in SBK. After the race I’m going to the technical commission and lodge a complaint.”
What exactly is in RSV4 that made Batta want to lodge a complaint? According to paddock gossip the Alstare techs seem to have had a tiny peek at Aprilia’s fuel system and saw something that did not convince them. Fuel systems according to Superbike regulations have to be identical to the road bike version.
Continue reading: Bombshell! Aprilia RSV4 isn’t a Superbike, it’s a Prototype!
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