Having finished the 2008 MotoGP campaign at the bottom of the manufacturer standings, Kawasaki has no choice and must improve their results next season as the pressure mounts on the Japanese manufacturer's team.

While Kawasaki finished a distant 5th, riders John Hopkins and Anthony West could not do better than a 16th and 18th place respectively in the riders' standings.

"It's clear that we'll have to do a lot better next year," racing director IchiroYoda told Motosprint. "There is great pressure on us; we have been told we must get results."

The team have hired former Ducati's Marco Melandri they tested at Phillip Island last week and both riders were pleased with the progress made so far.


Photo Credit : Bridgestone