Three 'names' linked to Tech 3 ride

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THREE candidates have been recognised as the strongest possibilities to join Tech 3 Yamaha in 2012.

Tech 3 team manager Hervé Poncheral has said that the team have identified "three names" to take the vacated seat of Colin Edwards, naming Álvaro Bautista, Andrea Dovizioso and Eugene Laverty as the favourites and adding that the decision of who will take the Texan's place should be clear by Japan.

Commenting on the subject to Motorcycle USA, Poncheral said: "I would say the two strongest candidates at the moment are Eugene Laverty and Andrea Dovizioso. It is not an easy decision."

Stepping up from WSS to WSB, Laverty has displayed himself as a promising talent, with a highlight being his flawless double victory at Monza, but as Yamaha withdraw from the production-based series the Irishman finds himself in the shopping window. "Eugene is young and really fast and he made a good step from Supersport to World Superbikes this year," said Poncheral. "With Yamaha stopping in World Superbike he’s facing a tough situation right now, but I have a lot of faith and trust in his potential."

Dovizioso appears to be holding out for a place on a competitive Honda for when MotoGP shifts to 1000s next season, however the Italian does not want to take a step backwards from a factory bike and is running out of time to make his decision.

But Hervé acknowledges his experience: "On the other hand Dovizioso is third in the championship and a proven performer in MotoGP. We know immediately he would understand the bike and he could deliver good results straightaway and that is something we have to consider.”

Riding in his second year and as the sole Rizla Suzuki rider, Bautista has made progress into MotoGP's second group behind the leaders, taking a best finish of fifth in the rain at Silverstone and sixth in the dry at Indianapolis. Commenting on the Spaniard, Poncheral said: "I believe Alvaro is giving the priority to Suzuki first and if nothing works out there it could be Aspar or us." As Bautista awaits news of Suzuki's involvement in MotoGP for 2012 and whether a 1000cc GSV-R will come out of the Hamamatsu workshops.

source: visordown

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Laverty: Tech 3 my top choice for MotoGP

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Eugene Laverty says he is actively pursuing a switch to the MotoGP World Championship in 2012 following the announcement that his Yamaha World Superbike team is withdrawing at the end of the season.

The Irishman, currently fourth in the WSBK standings, had plotted an assault on the WSBK title with Yamaha next season having already won two races in his rookie campaign, but the confirmation that the manufacturer won't continue in 2012 has scuppered those plans.

With uncertainty over whether Yamaha will have a presence at all next year, Laverty is considering following in the footsteps of predecessor Cal Crutchlow and making the switch to MotoGP, possibly also with Tech 3 Yamaha.

Indeed, Laverty – who raced in the 250GP paddock in 2007 and 2008 - feels MotoGP's imminent switch to 1000cc makes this the ideal opportunity for him to move.

“Upon receiving the news I thought it a good idea to travel to Brno to visit the MotoGP paddock,” Laverty wrote on his personal blog at eugenelaverty.com. “I've been in talks with Herve Poncharal and I've made no secret of the fact that this would be my number one choice for next year if the opportunity arises.

“Tech 3 Yamaha are in my opinion head and shoulders above the rest of the privateer teams and on top of that I feel really at home within the Yamaha family. With MotoGP switching to 1000cc next year it would be the perfect time to make the jump to the top class.

“For now though my focus is on the final four races of the World Superbike Championship and I haven't given up on 3rd in the championship just yet. We'll need eight strong finishes to have any chance of chasing down Max or Marco so I'll see what I can do.”

Laverty is believed to be one of a few riders in contention for a Tech 3 Yamaha ride, though it hasn't been confirmed whether Colin Edwards – who is out of contract at the end of the season – will even be dropped for 2012. The likes of Randy de Puniet and Bradley Smith have also been linked with the ride.

source: crash

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Edwards not planning to retire

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Colin Edwards insists he has no plans to retire at the end of the 2011 MotoGP season.

The 37-year-old Texan is ninth in the world championship and the leading non-factory bike rider heading into this weekend's Indianapolis round - but, unlike team-mate Cal Crutchlow, is out of contract at the end of this year.

Rising stars such as Eugene Laverty, Bradley Smith and Stefan Bradl have all been linked to the second Monster Yamaha Tech 3 seat.

Speaking during a media teleconference in the build-up to this weekend's Indy round, Edwards appeared to confirm both his intention to race on - and that Yamaha wants him to stop:

"Probably the worst thing is that I'm not ready to retire. That would make it easy for everybody," he said. "But at the moment, I'm still enjoying it. I'm still having a good time, and I'm still motivated. Until that goes away, I'm going to ride motorcycles."

Despite Yamaha's apparent lack of enthusiasm, the switch to 1000cc engines for 2012 should mean Edwards' development skills are in demand somewhere on the grid. 

That is especially true for the new class of 'Claiming Rule Teams' although it remains to be seen if Edwards would really want to take a risk with one of the newcomers. 

Edwards finished on the podium at Silverstone - just one week after breaking his collarbone - and was denied a rostrum at round two (Jerez) by a technical failure on the final lap.

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Tech 3 Yamaha keen on Eugene Laverty

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal has confirmed he is interested in signing Eugene Laverty for the 2012 MotoGP world championship.

Laverty travelled to Brno last week for talks with the French team owner after he was left without a ride next year following Yamaha’s bombshell decision to axe its factory World Superbike squad.

Laverty spoke to Poncharal last year about a possible Moto2 ride for Tech 3, but the Irish racer is now concentrating on joining Cal Crutchlow in MotoGP next season.

Laverty is one of several names being linked with the Tech 3 rider including current rider Colin Edwards, Andrea Iannone and Briton Bradley Smith.

Poncharal told MCN: "Eugene visited us in Brno and he has a strong interest. I spoke with him last year for Moto2 but he is a strong candidate. He is young and fast and he’s a Yamaha rider at the moment, so that’s also a possibility."

Laverty, who raced in the 250GP world championship in 2007 and ’08, said he wasn’t expecting any news on the Tech 3 talks until around the Misano race early next month.

He told MCN: "There’s nothing happening any time soon and it really is a waiting game. I wasn’t looking in MotoGP two weeks ago, so that’s all changed and we need to see what the powers that be want. It’s Herve’s decision and his team, so he makes the final choice on the rider and we will see how that develops."

For more on Laverty talking about the Tech 3 talks, see today’s issue of Motor Cycle News.

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