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ItalianoPhillip Island in Australia, 4th March 2007
Historic date for Team Gil Motor Sport which won its first victory in the World Championship, only 25 months after its creation.
Indeed, regularly beating teams who have, for some, more than fifteen years of experience is a source of great pride for the young Team Gil Motor Sport which was just beginning its third season in the World Championship.
After a good 2007 season, the manufacturer Kawasaki reiterates its confidence in Gil Motor Sport to represent it in the Supersport World Championship in 2008.
To continue with the same victory objectives, Kawasaki-Gil Motor Sport called on the renowned British rider Chris Walker, with his immense experience in the Superbike and Moto GP World Championship.
4th in the 2007 World Supersport championship and the most experienced rider in this category currently, the Japanese Katsuaki Fujiwara is a strong link whose services Kawasaki-Gil Motor Sport had to secure to remain in line with its objective. Unfortunately, the 2008 season will not bring the same satisfaction as the 2007 season…
On 25th June 2008, during a meeting between Kawasaki Motors Europe and Gil Motor Sport, the manufacturer Kawasaki did not hold Gil Motor Sport responsible for the results of the 2008 season and confirmed to Gil Motor Sport that KME was counting on Gil Motor Sport to continue to represent them in 2009.
On 25th July 2008, Gil Motor Sport, strongly interested in the future Moto 2 program of the Dorna Championship for which the regulations have not yet been established, asked the manufacturer Kawasaki to avail itself of the services of another team to represent it. in Supersport from 2009.
In view of the very good relations between the manufacturer Kawasaki and Gil Motor Sport, Kawasaki Motors Europe Department France asked Gil Motor Sport on September 18, 2008 for the team to take charge of the official Kawasaki program for the World Endurance Championship.
To manage this team Jean-Christophe Ponsson will call on the 1981 GP250 Vice-World Champion, Jean-François Baldé, who will therefore be assigned the role of Team Manager.
Agreements were then made between KMEF and Gil Motor Sport for the 2009 season
On 31st December 2008, Jean-Christophe Ponsson was informed that the manufacturer Kawasaki had officially declared its withdrawal from Moto GP with immediate effect. From then on, Jean-Christophe Ponsson positioned himself towards Dorna as a potential buyer of the Kawasaki Moto GP program. Very quickly, discussions took place between Dorna, those responsible for Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Gil Motor Sport.
After a long meeting on 1st February 2009, between KHI and Gil Motor Sport, a memorandum of understanding was drawn up between them stipulating that from 2009 Gil Motor Sport will take charge of the Kawasaki Moto GP program and will run Marco Melandri and John Hopkins.
While Gil Motor Sport was preparing for this new challenge, it was a huge disappointment for the team to receive an email from KHI on 10th February 2009, which put an end to the protocol of 1st February 2009. The future will demonstrate that KHI ‘is geared towards a single rider option.
Knowing how to bounce back and adapt
Despite this disappointment, Jean-Christophe Ponsson wishes to be positive. He is all the more motivated to have a program in Moto 2, according to regulations, see in Moto GP from 2010. To better concentrate on this objective, Jean-Christophe Ponsson ended the KMEF contract on 13th February 2009 concerning the Endurance.
Gil Motor Sport therefore does not have a competition program for the 2009 season in order to better prepare for the future.
Investing in the future
The future passing through training, on 27th February 2009 Gil Motor Sport signed an agreement with the 1999 Supersport World Champion, Stéphane Chambon, as part of the training of the young rider Christophe Ponsson who has just turned 13, on 23rd December 2008.
