Waldmann quits WCM

Ralf Waldmann has quit the Harris WCM MotoGP team saying it is too late in his career for him to make the move from two-stroke to four-stroke bikes.

The German rider rode the bike for the first time last week at Mallory Park and Rockingham but did not have a very good first introduction. He crashed at a wet Mallory and when they got to Rockingham half the track was closed leaving it more suitable for 125s than a MotoGP bike.

Waldmann spoke to team-manager Peter Clifford after the test and said that he liked both the bike and the team but felt he was having trouble adapting to the four-stroke and the bike deserved a better rider.

Waldmann’s departure left the team with only Chris Burns to ride at the test session in Catalunya yesterday, March 12. Clifford knew that Niall MacKenzie would be at the track testing with the BSB Rizla Suzuki team and asked former BSB champion if he would put some miles on the second bike. MacKenzie had already seen the bike when he attended the first tests the week before but agreed to put in a few laps.

MacKenzie was impressed with the bike but said that it still needed a lot more work before it could compete at the top of the field.

” The bike is at an early stage but it feels as good as any top Superbike I’ve ridden. Of course there is still loads more to come and lots of weight to come off it, so I would say it has good potential.

” In comparison to the other bikes out there, it is very comfortable mid-corner. It is a Grand Prix spec chassis and it does everything you want it to do – there is no problem there. The difference is getting off the corners and of course down the straights. The other bikes have so much power. This is a basic spec engine at the moment and it will need a lot more power if it is going to get close to the factory machines in those areas. ”

Who will be the next rider for WCM? Check out next weeks MCN, out March 19, for the latest developments.

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