125: Maxtra becomes Haojue.

China's largest motorcycle manufacturer, the Jiangmen Dachangjiang Group, has confirmed that its on-going 125 GP team will now run under the company's key brand name Haojue.

Launched at the 2008 MotoGP event in Shanghai under the Team Maxtra banner, the unique 'upside down' engined 125cc machine has undergone nine months of development under the supervision of racing legends John Surtees and Garry Taylor. However, since the launch, a number of issues have come to light over the international use of the Maxtra name, prompting the company to decide to revert to its original plan to run under the Team Haojue banner.

''The issue with the name change made it necessary for us to close the Team Maxtra website, but we now have a basic Team Haojue site at www.haojue-racing.com,'' Taylor explained, ''The on-going development programme is continuing as planned, with Jan Witteveen testing and developing a variety of new engine components and Harris Performance progressing with chassis and bodywork refinements.

''As we said right from the launch in China last year, we don't expect to be on podium pace in year one, but Haojue is one hundred per cent behind the project and we are determined to make progress and aim to challenge for podium finishes in 2010.''

Haojue sold over 2.95 million machines in 2008 and Team Haojue will make its public debut at the IRTA test in Jerez at the end of March.