Leon Haslam won’t test BMW-powered MotoGP bike

Leon Haslam will not be called upon to help develop a new BMW-powered MotoGP bike being readied for the 2012 MotoGP world championship campaign by Scott Redding’s Marc VDS Racing squad.

The factory BMW World Superbike rider has been linked with a test appearance on the new MotoGP project that’s being developed with a modified S1000RR engine housed in a Swiss designed Suter Racing Technology chassis.

The Belgium-based Marc VDS Racing squad will take advantage of rules that allow heavily tweaked production engines to compete at a more affordable cost in the premier class next season.

But team boss Michael Bartholemy denied speculation that Haslam had been approached to assist in early development of the bike. He said: “This project is completely independent from BMW and there has been no contact with Leon.”

Redding could test the new bike though on May 3 in Estoril, Portugal when the team resumes its testing plan. Having previously been run on Michelin tyres, the bike will now be tested on Bridgestone rubber and the project is using Bosch electronics.

The squad will decide whether to continue with the project and race in 2012 by the end of August.