Leaving the Green pastures

Shinya Nakano is set to shun a big-money offer from Kawasaki and sign for Konica Minolta Honda next season.

Honda have told the 29-year-old Japanese that the ride, which is currently occupied by his countryman Makoto Tamada, is his if he wants it next season, and are waiting on an answer.

Nakano, who is disappointed to have not yet ridden next year's Kawasaki, said: “I have a chance with Honda, all I have to say is yes.

“The delay with the new Kawsaki has made me look at my future and after three years with Kawasaki, I expected more, I have told them it would be difficult to stay.”

Nakano lies 12th in the riders' championship after taking the best finish of his career – second place – in the Dutch TT at Assen. A maiden win looked on the cards in Australia before rain intervened.

And Kawasaki team boss Harald Eckl believes that Nakano's departure is inevitable, despite putting a 1.1 million Euro (£750,000) contract on the table.

Eckl said, "In my mind, he is already gone. I have begged him, but he wants to see the new bike and we don't have it yet.”

The move comes as a blow to 250cc front-runner Hiroshi Aoyama, who won in Japan last weekend and was thought to be in line for the ride if Tamada was dropped.

Should Nakano move on, as is expected, Kawasaki have a number of riders on their wish-list to partner Frenchman Randy de Puniet next year.

Among the candidates are Spaniards Carlos Checa and Sete Gibernau, as well as Tamada.

Kawasaki’s PR person Ian Wheeler confirmed Shinya Nakano’s departure from the team but was not in a position to divulge who would be replacing him or who would fill the number 2 slot currently held by Randy de Puniet.

Money's not gonna sway him, I guess. It's the competitive streak in him that's urging the move. That's commendable and all but it's definitely not an aesthetically astute move. Konica Minolta's colours are just so blah. Not to mention the required revamping here. But if that's where his heart is set, into the blue I'd go.