Hodgson, who won the British Superbike Championship and two World Superbike races as a wild card entry last year at Donington Park and Brands Hatch, is eager to make his return to the international scene after spending two years racing in the UK.

“I can’t wait to get back to racing the GSE Ducati,” said the 27-year-old. “I’ve enjoyed racing in Britain, but I’m really looking forward to competing against the top guys at tracks all over the world. The GSE Racing team has been brilliant to work with over the past two years and we are all looking forward to the challenge.

“I’ve not raced at Valencia before, but after two tests I was able to grasp the characteristics of the circuit and check out the opposition. This weekend I’m aiming for two strong finishes, but it’s going to be tough this year with former 500cc Grand Prix rider Okada, Bayliss and current World Champion, Edwards as my competition.”

GSE Racing’s new recruit, 20-year-old James Toseland, who will have his first taste of World Superbike racing at this weekend’s event, thinks he is ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

“It’s going to be a steep learning curve for me and I’m glad that I’m taking this step in my career with such a professional and well-organised team,” said Toseland. “I’ve already ridden on most of the circuits on this year’s calendar when I competed in the World Supersport Championship, so I’m not completely new to the scene.”

GSE Racing’s Team Manager Colin Wright has kept a tight reign on his squad leading up to championship and is looking forward to seeing his team in action at the first round: “A World Superbike campaign is a completely new venture for GSE Racing. We’ve all had to knuckle down to prepare ourselves for the year ahead. I believe that our testing programme has shown that both Neil and James are capable of being competitive, but it’s the race results that count, so the real challenge is still yet to come.”

That view was echoed by Team Principal, Darrell Healey: “I’m really looking forward to the first round at Valencia. Both riders have proved they are competitive and the team has worked extremely hard over the winter months. The only downside that we face is the lack of a title sponsor. However, since the announcement of the increased media coverage of the championship through the BBC, we are hopeful that being the only British team in the championship will help us to secure a partnership with a UK or international brand in the near future.”