Reigning 125cc world champion Arnaud Vincent has spoken of his 'as🎀tonishment' at being sacked by the KTM team nine races into the 2003 season - indeed, the Frenchman seems as surprised as everyone at the Austrian team's decision.

In a further twist he is yet to receive offi🍸cial notice of his contract being terminated - which he needs to join another team - and says if he doesn't get it by Brno then he'll turn up at the KTM garage ready to ride.

"All I know is that they (KTM) are not satisfied with the results and that they decided to put an end to our collaboration," Vincent told his personal website arnaudvincent.com. "I'm aston🐼ished, but it's their choice, they think it's the right thing to do."

So far this season, Vincent has comfortably outpaced team-mate Roberto Locatelli - and indeed it loo♒ked like if anyone would go it would be the Italian. However, Vincent has described a personality clash with the team's chassis engineer, which he believes was the real cause of his dismissal.

"They wanted me to leave, there must be something ab🃏out me that they don't like," added Arnaud. "All I can think is that I did not agree with the person that took care of the chassis - and since I stopped working with him, the bike worked a lot better. I get on well with all the team, except this person. In my opinion, they had to choose between him and me.

"What a pity b🐓ecause I'm sure I 🔥could have really achieved something with this bike. If the motor worked better, we could have fought for wins. I signed up for two years and the story finishes after six months. I knew since the beginning of the year that we'd have problems, I knew that awaited me with KTM. I made a choice and stuck with it 100%. I never felt sorry for myself."

The statement released by KTM 🅷spoke of 'unrealistic expectations' on Vincent's behalf as the reigning world champion - something he says🎐 was never even spoken about.

"I have never been confronted with these problems previously, so you could safely say I'm a little shocked. I returned from training and just had a call to say I'd been sacked because I was lacking motivation - but that is absolutely not the case," he stated. "I do🦩 sport everyday, I train like a maniac while the bike does not work. This is really strange..."

KTM also announced that young Finn Mika Kallio, yet to win a GP👍, has been signed from the AJO Motorsports team to replace Vincent from Brno onwards - a decision that further stunned the current #1.

"This (Kallio's signing) is more th🍌an the limit. I don't understand. ♓They think that the bad results came from me and that better results will come from other riders? For me, this is a big disappointment. I gave so much... everyone in the paddock knows - except KTM, apparently," he sighed.

Despite the disa⛎ppointment, Vincent must now try and find a new team for the remainder of the 2003 season and beyond - with Kallio's team having offered him a ride in what would be a straight swap. However, without his official dismissal papers, he can't ꧅sign for another team.

"Already, I want to finish the season. I want to rediscover a bike that works well and get good results," Vincent declared. "But this is a very difficult decision to live with. Since yesterday, I cannot b๊e lower. I am champion of the world and out of a job. Kallio's team have offered me a ride at Brno, but I need time to think about it.

"I was supposed to receive (the dismissal letter) today but it didn't arrive. I absolutely need it to complete the sea൩son because I can't ride for another team without it," he explained. "If I do not receive anything before Brno (on August 15), I will be in th💮e KTM garage on Friday morning, at 9am, ready to roll.

"KTM has not given a good impression of itself within the championship by behaving in thi🎉s manner towards me," Vincenꦆt concluded.