Forward Racing owner Giovanni Cuzari has withdrawn his MotoGP and Moto2 Yamaha teams from the Indianapolis round of the world championship amid arrest and charges.
Arrested last month in Switzerland, Cuzari is facing alleged tax evasion and other financial impropriety.
The team says it has been forced to re-organise its affairs, including rebuilding sponsor relationships in a bid to make the grid at Brno a week after Indianapolis from August 14-16.
The team's MotoGP riders Loris Baz and Stefan Bradl are 16th and 19th in standings while Simone Corsi and Lorenzo Baldassarri 14th and 12th on the Moto2 points table.
Forward Racing managing director Marco Curioni issued a statement saying several ‘partners' and ‘friends' have distanced themselves from the team.
“I hope to have Giovanni – who until proven to the contrary he is correct to assume innocent – soon with us and available to find a solution,” Curioni said.
“In this dark moment, several “partners” and “friends” have understandably distanced himself from the team and then for this reason I want to thank those who are helping us.
“ Dorna and IRTA gave us full support from the beginning, all members of the team that they gave their unconditional support and those sponsors and the new companies – that despite the objective concerns – gave us confidence and are interpreting the meaning of sponsorship in the original reason: financial aid to allow the athlete to realise his talent”.