Transfer market 2017 (pt3)
After two comes three, so here we are with part three. A part with new facts and adjustments on the previous one. Because that's the way it goes with rumors, sometimes when they are passed around they become a little sharper than what they actually are. Apparently this also applies to Jacky Martens' team. For example, we wrote in the previous piece that the team would not be entirely satisfied with the straitjacket they are forced into as an official Husqvarna team and with the fact that engine blocks are no longer 'prepared' in-house at JM Racing.
But all in all, that dissatisfaction is not too bad, as we heard in Lommel. It has been a learning process for everyone active in the organization. Because where a 'one-on-one' relationship used to be sufficient to get things done internally, an external corporate structure now has to be taken into account. But, we now hear, during the start of this new way of working together it became clear who, what and how things are going in Austria. Once that was clear, the operation automatically started running smoothly. Max Anstie's victory in the home base of the Rockstar Energy – Negaan – Husqvarna team was the crowning achievement of a collaboration that both parties have entered into with full conviction and which they will still be fully committed to in 2017. For 2017, the team retains its confidence in Conrad Mewse and Thomas Covington, but it is not yet known whether Max Anstie, who is heading to Ice One for his MXGP debut, will be replaced.
Now on to politics. Because Brexit could also have an impact on the British teams. Why, you may ask? The resources of British teams will be sharply reduced. Because where 1 pound was once worth about 1,60 euros, it is now only about 1,20 euros. This means that where £1000 sponsorship used to be good for €1600, in the current economy this is only good for €1200. A problem for an organization that is internationally active and will be confronted more than once with having to pay invoices in euros. For them, the crash of the Pound and the associated loss in euros when it comes to sponsorship money may be detrimental to their existence. Or at least for their existence in the World Cup. What must be kept in mind is that the exchange rate of the pound in relation to the euro is not called an exchange rate for nothing. The exchange rate could normalize again to around 1,50 euros for 1 pound or plummet completely once negotiations between Europe and Great Britain get underway in full force.
This immediately makes it clear that running a World Cup team is not a simple task. The companies behind the teams are real companies, except for this one detail that many cannot operate in a self-sustaining manner. This means that the source sometimes dries up or the meaning sometimes runs out. We do not know what the exact cause would be for the team from the following rumor. And so we are not going to make a statement about that. But the CLS organization might no longer run the factory MX2 team for Kawasaki next season. However, the organization that has been associated with Kawasaki for years would possibly make a new start with a smaller (youth?) project, possibly on a different brand. If this rumor is true, it would mean that Kawasaki will have to look for a new organization to run their official factory team in the MX2 class. Another possibility is that the brand keeps the organization within Kawasaki Europe.
Text: Matthias Van Eeckhoven
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