Team Roberts confirms Japanese GP absence.
As was rumoured following KTM's withdrawal of its engines prior to the Czech Republic Grand Prix last weekend, Team Roberts has confirmed that it will not be present at next week's Japanese Grand Prix.
Team manager Chuck Aksland explained that KTM's decision to end the relationship during the category's summer break, with the knock-on effect that Team Roberts would not be provided with engines for the rest of the season, has left the squad unable to contest the Motegi event and, probably, the other flyaway rounds that follow.
As was rumoured following KTM's withdrawal of its engines prior to the Czech Republic Grand Prix last weekend, Team Roberts has confirmed that it will not be present at next week's Japanese Grand Prix.
Team manager Chuck Aksland explained that KTM's decision to end the relationship during the category's summer break, with the knock-on effect that Team Roberts would not be provided with engines for the rest of the season, has left the squad unable to contest the Motegi event and, probably, the other flyaway rounds that follow.
"We will not be racing in Japan, and will possibly miss most, or all, of the remaining flyaway races," Aksland confirmed to motogp.com, "We were prepared for these events with the KTM engine, but they have decided to breach their commitments by stopping [the supply].There was not sufficient time or resource to prepare the V5s for the flyaway races, so it looks like at the moment we will focus on Valencia."
The team had to use last year's V5 machine to fulfil its obligations at Brno, with former rider Jeremy McWilliams returning in place of KTM-contracted Shane Byrne.
