Marco Melandri's deal to run the recently-renamed Kawasaki MotoGP team (it will now be called Hayate which meas hurricane, or bad wind, depending on your point of view) is still the subject of much confusion.

The factory announced the other day that Melandri will ride for them at the Qatar round and will test tomorrow under the lights at night. This was, apparently, the first the Italian had heard of it.

According to the stout chaps at motogpmatters.com, Melandri has said he will go to the desert and test the Dornisaki but isn't really that keen to race it if it turns out to be a shed. Which it will. Probably.
John Hopkins is quiet on the matter but it is believed he has ben unceremoniously dumped by cash-cow Monster and is now not riding in 2009, even though he still has a contract with Kawasaki. Will he end up replacing Makoto Tamada in Paul Bird's World Superbike squad when the Japanese rider finally gives in?