Jacque races German GP

Kawasaki are hoping that Olivier Jacque will repeat his Shanghai GP success after deciding to run him alongside regular riders Alex Hoffman and Shinya Nakano at the German GP this weekend.

The French rider has been working for Kawasaki as a test rider to develop the ZX-RR MotoGP machine and this is part of the test programme.

Last time Jacque competed was at the Chinese GP where he excelled in the wet conditions to take a surprise second place.

He hasn’t raced at the Sachsenring for two years but has previously scored a MotoGP pole position at the circuit and a 250cc win.

Harald Eckl, Kawasaki team manager, said: “OJ’s presence will strengthen the team and we have already seen what he is capable of this season. We are optimistic for a good performance here, as Sachsenring should be compatible with the latest ZX-RR package – both engine and handling set-up – however tyre performance will again be a critical factor.