Starts....

Bologna (Italy), 19 June 2002: After careful consideration and following the introduction of the new Superbike regulations, Ducati Corse has decided to maintain unchanged its commitment in the World Superbike Championship for production-based motorbikes.

The new “Superbike Racing Unit”, headed by Paolo Ciabatti, will run the Italian manufacturer’s programme with an official factory team, and it can also count on the support of the satellite team GSE Racing, which will run Ducati 998 Factory 2002 bikes.

Paolo Ciabatti, responsible for the Ducati Corse Superbike programme, commented:

“Our main aim is to continue Ducati’s winning tradition in the World Superbike Championship. Being able to count not only on our official team, but also on a satellite structure like the GSE Racing team, will also allow us to continue with another of our aims, that of being able to produce up-and-coming talented riders in a highly professional structure. We will also continue with our policy towards private teams, which will be offered highly competitive bikes like the 998 RS”.

“The collaboration between Ducati Corse and GSE Racing has produced excellent results in the last few years” added Ciabatti. “Troy Bayliss and Neil Hodgson, British Superbike champions in 1999 and 2000 with the GSE team, are proof of this. For this reason we have decided not only to confirm but also to increase the support for our satellite team in the future”.

“In 2003 we will run two riders: following his excellent results with GSE Racing, Neil Hodgson will move to the factory team, while contacts with the other rider are still being defined”.

“I am delighted that Ducati Corse has renewed its confidence in our team”, declared Darrell Healey, GSE Racing Team Principal. “The importance of racing for the commercial success of road-going bikes has led Ducati Corse to continue to directly manage its World Superbike team, but GSE Racing has also been rewarded with a substantially improved package for its endeavours over the past two years. We now see ourselves as an extension of the factory and are very much looking forward to progressing our partnership with Ducati Corse into 2003 and beyond.”

Ends....

------

We tipped earlier this year that the whole Tardozzi managed current WSBK Team will move to MotoGP in 2003 while GSE would become the factory WSBK effort in 2003.  This message discounts this, as it states that GSE will get more support but Ducati Corse will also run an in house factory team.  But this WSBK effort will not be managed by Tardozzi who from this message we can fairly much guarantee will be moving to MotoGP with the new bike and Troy Bayliss. 

The other possible rider for Ducati's MotoGP squad has been the subject of much conjecture with rumours surrounding Max Biaggi moving to the Italian team along with Marlboro sponsorship money.  There are any number of riders who Ducati could put on a second MotoGP machine, Ducati already has Ben Bostrom and Ruben Xaus under their wing but there are numerous other riders who could maybe take up such a berth and do it justice.  It would be unlikely that Ducati would run two Australians in the same squad but if they did something makes me think that Anthony Gobert would look good in red leathers once again.

As to the factory World SuperBike Team, they have said in this statement that Neil Hodgson will come onboard there, it would seem likely that Ben Bostrom or Ruben Xaus would take the other seat if they do not end up in MotoGP.  As to the GSE squad, it would seem likely that they may give young James Toseland another chance to see if he can really take the step up to the next level.  But who would be his team-mate?

The silly season looks to be starting early......