Marco Melandri will, according to various sources, make the grid for 2009's opening MotoGP race at Qatar aboard the Bad Wind and is due to officially put pen to paper in the next day or so.
Even though Melandri has pretty wary of riding the Hayate, a bike that had four-fifths of no development over the winter, his performance at the desert track's night test early last week showed it had some pace.
The Italian was only a few seconds off Casey's Stoner fastest time and not that far at all behind James Toseland's 2009 YZR-M1 when all the bikes got up to pace on the second and third days.
Melandri is known to have not wanted to sit out this season but he also ruled out very early on a switch to World Superbikes. Whether the Bad Wind will receive any development through the season is another matter altogether.
Where this leaves former team-mate John Hopkins is anyone's guess. Hopkins has been linked with a Stiggy Honda WSB ride and, given Roby Rolfo's three points from a posible 50 at Phillip Island, this might well be back on the cards.
