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Biaggi's performance at the end of the year was disappointing for him, no doubt. However, with the political situation that Honda has, that disappointing performance could have been a result of Biaggi no longer getting the "good" parts for his RC211V. Honda has proven to be willing and capable of pulling such BS. They had previously stated that they wanted a youth movement in their team and Biaggi clearly does no fit that mold. I think it would be an advantage for Kawasaki to have more riders on the MotoGP grid. And with someone else (Camel) picking up the tab, it could be a win-win situation. More bikes on the track will help to speed up development and Biaggi has well proven that he is capable of being a front runner. WHo knows, this could be the motivation that Biaggi needs. He saw Rossi take a middle of the pack bike and make it a winner. Maybe he would like to show that he can do the same thing. I am not really a Biaggi fan, but I would hope the deal goes through. I will be surprised if it does.

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Biaggi, dropped by Honda and refused even satellite bikes by HRC, was also rejected by Suzuki and Yamaha. Initially Kawasaki was not interested, but the prospect of sponsorship from Camel for the un-sponsored green team was tempting enough for team director Harald Eckl to approach Bridgestone for tires. He told journalists that the first response from Bridgestone was negative, but then Biaggi spoke directly to the tire manufacturer and now, it seems, Bridgestone is prepared to supply a third Kawasaki rider if that rider is a fully-sponsored Max Biaggi. (Did Max's lawyers cry collusion?)

The new Dorna plan (since the old one didn't work) is for each factory to put four machines on the track in 2007. That would be twenty works machines from Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Ducati. The remaining slots would either be for new factory teams (and let's forget about BMW, they aren't coming, never were) like KTM (supplying motors to WCM next year). Honda will also supply engines to Team Roberts and to former 500 World Champion Kenny Robert's Junior in 2006, something that Honda did with Elf in 1986-87-88.

Still, the midnight hour has not yet come for Pons and until it does there is always the possibility of some last-minute surprise.

Biaggi, however, given up for lost, seems to have saved his career and, given the comments that some of the quicker testers who tried the Kawasaki at the end of the season, the Shinya Nakano-inspired green bike (that is about to be Camel yellow) may be the 250-type MotoGP 990 that Max tried to make the Honda into.

That, at any rate, is how it all looks at this minute as the last pieces fall into place.

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