Official: Nakano stays at Kawasaki.

As reported by Crash.net on August 17, Kawasaki have today officially announced that Shinya Nakano will stay with team green next season, when he will ride an all-new version of the Ninja ZX-RR currently under development in Japan.

"I'm happy that Shinya will stay with the Kawasaki Racing Team next year because he is definitely our most valuable asset and, after two seasons, he's certainly one of the 'Kawasaki family' now," said team manager Harald Eckl. "It's hard to imagine the team without him."

2006 will mark Nakano's third consecutive year with the factory Kawasaki Racing Team. In 2004, the Japanese ace finished a creditable tenth in the world championship standings, a position he is fighting to maintain this season with just two races remaining.

"I'm very happy to continue with the Kawasaki MotoGP project in 2006, which will be my third year with the team," stated Shinya, whose best Kawasaki result to date is a third place at Motegi in 2004. "MotoGP is more and more competitive every year and I'm looking forward to working with Kawasaki to develop the Ninja ZX-RR into a competitive package.

"I'm also pleased that I will be working with the same crew next year, including my crew chief, Fiorenzo Fanali. He is probably the most experienced person I have ever worked closely with during my career, and I feel I still have a lot to learn from him," added Nakano.

Nakano's build up to the 2006 season will start immediately after the final round of this year at Valencia, with two days of testing at the Spanish circuit aboard the new machine.

Meanwhile, Nakano will be partnered at Kawasaki next season by up and coming French star, Randy de Puniet, who makes the step up to MotoGP after a successful apprenticeship in the hotly contested 125cc and 250cc World Championship classes.

de Puniet will be replacing Alex Hofmann, whom Nakano has ridden alongside for the past two seasons.

"I'm happy that Randy de Puniet will be my team-mate because, like me, he comes from the 250cc championship," commented Nakano. "I think our styles are similar and that we can work together, although Randy will have many things to learn on the MotoGP bike. But now, I need to concentrate on the last two races of this season; I'm still chasing a podium finish and I also want to secure a top ten position in the final standings once again."

At the end of November Nakano, together with de Puniet, will travel to Sepang in Malaysia for further testing, before taking a well-earned break over Christmas. Testing will resume for the Kawasaki Racing Team in January, again at the Sepang circuit on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"The last race of the season is just two weeks away, but Shinya will be busy over the winter months, testing and improving the new version of the Ninja ZX-RR," confirmed Eckl. "I'm sure that with his input and experience, together with the expertise of Kawasaki's Japanese engineers, we will arrive at the first race in Jerez next year with a competitive motorcycle."