Yamaha SBK looks like they’re risking to loose their sensational top rider Ben Spies.
According to this week’s issue of MotoSprint, the Texas Terror has upped his ante in contract negotiations and is asking for a cool 1.
1 million euros to ride for them next year, 10% more than this 2009 season.
Spies probably thought Yamaha would immediately jump at the opportunity to sign him on again, no matter what he was asking, considering the fantastic debut season he’s having so far.
Spies so far has 8 race wins in 16 races, despite all the mechanical problems that his R1 has given him, and is in second place in the championship standings, just 48 points from leader Noriyuki Haga.
You’d think that by this time, no matter the amount asked, Spies signature would already be on the dotted line, instead Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Division Manager, Laurens Klein Koerkamp is hedging.
Yamaha, like all motorcycle companies in this last year, are experiencing big sales drops and their 2010 race budgets are under careful scrutiny.
To keep Spies and continue winning in SBK, Yamaha Europe would have to cut their other racing programs, starting from their Supersport team that costs two million euros a year and does not give them the same results that Spies does.
So Spies is still on the market and besides Yamaha Tech 3 who wants him, Aprilia Racing has contacted him and are more than willing to pay the Texan’s asking price and tempt him into their team alsongside Max Biaggi, infact Aprilia’s racing manager Giampiero Sacchi has said: “If he wants to, he can sign with us right away.
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