Marco Melandri and Kawasaki are currently working on the details of a deal that will see the former 250cc GP World Champion and five-time MotoGP race winner ride Ninja ZX-RRs in 2009 and 2010, but no official contract has been signed yet. “We are currently finalizing the details with Melandri for 2009, but nothing has been signed yet,” Kawasaki Racing Team Communications Manager Ian Wheeler replied to an email inquiry from Roadracingworld.com. “We are awaiting confirmation from Kawasaki in Japan before sitting down with Marco to put pen to paper.” Melandri joined the Marlboro Ducati factory team to ride alongside 2007 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner in 2008 and 2009, but the 26-year-old Italian has been unable to get comfortable on the Desmosedici GP8 and his results have suffered this season. Earlier this year Melandri and Ducati announced that they had jointly agreed to abandon the second year of their agreement. Kawasaki currently fields American John Hopkins and Australian Anthony West. Hopkins’ year has had some ups and downs, especially injuries, but he will race with Kawasaki in 2009, as he has a two-year contract. West has failed to produce the desired results until the last Grand Prix at Brno, where he finished a career-best fifth. Wheeler said the team is looking into the possibility of running a third bike and rider full-time in 2009. West may be the third rider, but Wheeler said the team is in the “early stages” of its third rider planning.