Kawasaki to make Randy de Puniet new MotoGP contract offer

Kawasaki bosses have confirmed to MCN they are on the brink of making a new contract offer to MotoGP rider Randy de Puniet. 

The Japanese factory has an option on the French rider until July 1, 2007 but Kawasaki boss Michael Bartholemy has confirmed Randy de Puniet will get a fresh offer for MotoGP before the end of the month.

The former 250 rider has impressed on the new ZX-RR 800 machine in 2007, and recently in Catalunya he celebrated a double success despite still suffering nasty shoulder and knee injuries suffered at the Italian MotoGP in Mugello earlier this month.

He claimed his first premier class front row start and then claimed his best ever race result with fifth position at the MotoGP in Spain.

And now Bartholemy wants to make Randy de Puniet an offer to extend his contract, with Kawasaki eager to finalise its 2008 rider line-up by the end of June.

Kawasaki has set top target Loris Capirossi an Assen MotoGP deadline for an answer on their two-year contract offer.

And Bartholemy said: “My idea is that in Assen we have finalised one rider and this gives us more time to decide what we will do with de Puniet or the second rider situation.

“We don’t want to wait until the option date so I will make him an offer before this date.”