Marco Melandri is officially in talks with Kawasaki and Gresini Honda for a 2009 MotoGP ride. His manager Alberto Vergani has confirmed the Italian will not stay with Ducati next season and is already in talks with teams about his future. Melandri's contract for next year has been anulled so this leaves him free to talk to whoever will listen.

Whether OR not this means Melandri will be allowed out of his 2008 contract after Laguna Seca remains to be seen and it begs the question that if this is the case, who will Ducati put on the bike after the American round?
Obviously, Sete Gibernau is in the frame but it is unclear yet whether the Spaniard is prepared to come back to racing full time. He has tested both the GP8 and GP9 Desmosedicis and was within tenths of Casey Stoner's race times at Mugello. This doesn't mean that he is fit enough for a whole race weekend or, indeed, whether he feels he has anything to prove or actually want to do it.

Ducati sent test rider Nicole Caneppa to the Indianapolis tyre test session earlier this month and, even though there were no regular MotoGP riders in attendance, he managed to be quickest over the two days, outpacing AMA Champion Ben Spies. He is also booked for in for three WSB wildcard appearances later in the year.