Anthony West casts doubt on MotoGP future

Anthony West has conceded that he would sack himself if he was running Kawaski’s factory MotoGP squad!

The Aussie has had a torrid time during his first full premier class campaign and Kawasaki bosses will tell the 27-year-old he will be axed for 2009.

Being dumped will hardly be a shock given his poor form, not least to West, who told MCN: “I’d like to stay at Kawasaki but with the results so far I can’t imagine it is going to happen.

“If I was the boss of Kawasaki and my riders were coming last, you blame the bike or the rider and it is always the rider they blame first. That’s my own personal feeling.”

Almost resigned to his fate, West said he hadn’t started considering his options for next season, but he added: “I haven’t really started looking yet. If I’m out I’ll try and find another ride in MotoGP, and if I still can’t find one then I’ll try and go to World Superbikes. And if I can’t find a good there, it looks like I might have the option of getting on the Yamaha 600 again.”

West won two races for Yamaha in World Supersport before landing his dream MotoGP break with Kawasaki halfway through 2007.

He said a return though would be a last resort. “It is stressful enough just trying to get this bike up the front so I’m not trying to think about next year. It is too depressing thinking about riding a 600 again so I want to focus on the rest of the year.”

West said the struggles encountered by John Hopkins proved the 2008 factory ZX-RR had not improved as fast as its rivals, and that finding a suitable replacement will be tough.

“Who are they going to find that’s going to be any better? There are not that many riders who can ride these bikes and everything is so close it is not like I’m far off. Even if they find a better rider they want too much money.

“I’m cheap and money is a real big part of it, “said West, who added: “I don’t want to say the bike is shit because it still a good bike and they are still trying to develop it the best they can. But John is not doing what he did last year.

“Last year he was always challenging for the top five but this year he’s been struggling for the top ten.”