Thanks to factory rider Valentin Debise, Kawasaki had its best IDM season in ten years in 2021, as Carsten Haufe, Kawasaki Germany’s racing director, recently noted. The Swiss team Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing, which had been signed up for the season, had done a solid job with the rider. Team boss Emil Weber thinks highly of the partnership with the German importer, but is still unsure whether he wants to continue the program.
Although Debise didn't win the championship—and the Frenchman had to end his season early due to a hand injury—his results up to that point speak for themselves: three podium finishes in the IDM Superbike 1000 class, including one victory. In the Supersport class, he made it onto the podium six times, finishing first on three occasions. Kawasaki was back at the front.
Why should Emil Weber and his team step back now? “The effort required is constantly growing,” the 55-year-old reveals. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find sponsors.” After two decades in racing, Weber is also reflecting on what it all means to him personally, but he adds right away: “You can’t convert the time invested into money.” Weber is still mulling it over; a potential winning driver could change that. “If someone I’ve always wanted to work with comes along, then of course I’ll keep going. But right now, the momentum is gone.”
But there’s also a side to Weber that’s absolutely loyal. On the racetracks, he sees not only rivals but also friends and commitments. Weber suggests, for example, that with the existing Kawasaki equipment, he could offer Nico Thöni and Micky Winkler a platform for 2022. There have also been inquiries from many other great riders. However, the offer from Kawasaki Germany will likely be the deciding factor. “I’ve had a great partnership with Kawasaki over the past few years, and in 2021, our work paid off with a lot of publicity. I’ll now see how everything develops over the next few weeks—if, how, and whether at all. I’ll make a decision by the end of November.”