BBC Sport Website
Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki has pulled out of MotoGP to cut costs amid the global financial crisis. "We took the final decision not to continue in MotoGP," said Kawasaki's Katsuhiro Sato. "It's something we have been considering since mid-December. "In the current economic climate and unless the situation improves it is difficult to say if we will return." Kawasaki had competed in motorcycling's premier class since the 2003 season, with annual costs of around £28.8m. The worldwide economic downturn has also affected other Japanese marques involved in motorsport. Honda announced in December it is quitting Formula One, while Subaru and Suzuki are out of the World Rally Championship
Kawasaki has also felt the bite with sales of its bikes in the United States and Europe badly hit by the economic slump. Dutch-based Kawasaki Motors Racing failed to win in MotoGP, their best result French rider Randy de Puniet's second place in Japan in 2007.
