Erv Kanemoto quitte honda

[theophil]

MOTOGP News Friday, 17th March 2006

Kanemoto no longer at HRC.

Repsol Honda's 2005 technical director, Erv Kanemoto, will not continue with the team for the 2006 MotoGP season, which starts on March 26, and is currently taking time off to consider his future options.

Kanemoto - whose machines had won 64 grands prix and seven world championships prior to 2005 - was reunited with Max Biaggi when both joined the factory Honda team last season, but were unable to reproduce their previous success.

The pair first worked together in 1993, taking the 250cc title for Honda in 1997 and then moving to the premier-class the following season - where Max finished runner-up to champion Mick Doohan in his first year on a 500.

With Biaggi switching to the factory Yamaha team for the following season the pair went their separate ways, but both were then hired by HRC - Biaggi from Camel Honda, Kanemoto from Team Suzuki MotoGP - to rejuvenate the Repsol Honda team after a winless 2004.

Repsol Honda's high point of last year was undoubtedly Nicky Hayden's first MotoGP victory - on his way to third in the championship - but Biaggi, with whom Kanemoto concentrated, struggled continuously with the RC211V and was left a winless fifth in the end of year standings.

Nevertheless, Honda still took second in the constructors' championship - with Repsol Honda runner-up in the teams' title - but Kanemoto will not be overseeing the 2006 efforts of Hayden and new signing Dani Pedrosa.

"I will not continue with HRC for this season and have no plan for the year," Erv told Crash.net. "After a taxing 2005 season trying to understand the inconsistency in the results, I need to take a little time off to regenerate myself and to think clearly on what type of project I would like to take on next."

After failing to find an alternative MotoGP or World Superbike ride, Biaggi's 2006 plans are also currently unknown - although he continues to be linked to a wild-card ride at the Monza WSBK round and possible further outings in the Midland F1 car.