Hayate Racing count on Jacque’s experience

Marco Melandri is this weekend undertaking his second test with the newly formed Hayate Racing team, onboard the Ninja ZX-RR, with test rider Olivier Jacque alongside the Italian to give advice and support.

If necessary Jacque will ride at the test, but the key objective for the Frenchman is to simply assist Melandri in getting comfortable with his new machine.

Former 250cc World Champion Jacque told motogp.com on Saturday, “Maybe I will ride, but the main target from this weekend is to get some information from Marco, so we can see how the bike is performing compared to the others around the track. My main job is to advise Hayate on development, but also to help Marco to get the best from the bike.

Having tested for Hayate privately in Australia earlier this year, Jacque gave the following reply when asked if he will be testing throughout 2009, “We will see during the season if I have to do more development work. As long as there is money left in the budget then we can do more tests. At the moment we will start as it is. The bike cannot be developed any more right now. We need Marco to set up the bike properly for his style and to get some comments from him after the races.”

Giving details of what he himself had discovered about the prototype machinery Melandri will be using this season, Jacque commented, “The rear of the bike was a problem within the chassis that we discovered, the front end I liked from the beginning, but the rear problem is something we solved after the first test.”

Detailing the support he hopes to give fellow ex-250cc title winner Melandri, Jacque stated, “I hope I can help him to keep his motivation up because it is not easy to work alone in a team and know the situation of the team, so he needs to trust someone and trust the team. He knows that and he has to understand that everybody will give the best to him, and I will also try my best for him as I trust the project and I trust this bike. I think that if he is clever and if he wants to be at the top he can do it. He has the potential.”