Australian racer and World Superbike star Anthony Gobert is to make a GP return at next weekend's British GP at Donington Park - on the Mk3 version of the lightweight three-cylinder Modenas KR3.

Gobert's return puts a high-level rider on the new machine for the first time, and marks a new level of maturity of the latest version of the KR3. The 500-class racer, designed and constructed by Team Roberts, raced for the first time only three races and five weekends ago.

It also marks a chance of revival for the talented Australian star, whose World Superbike career has brought him eight race wins and international hero status, but whose GP experience has been tainted with problems. Gobert's talent has never been in question, and was proven also by eight race wins in two interrupted seasons in AMA Superbike racing in the USA.

"We're excited," said Team Owner Kenny Roberts, himself a former three-times World Champion. "We're developing our new bike during the racing season, and it was always our intention to put a top-level rider on it as soon as we had the teething troubles ironed out, and had two bikes built, so that he could have a pair in the pits.  "We know Anthony rides anything pretty hard, and we also know that Donington Park is a good type of circuit for our motorcycle. At the same time, the latest version is developing fast, with the best-yet combination of horsepower and handling.  "It's a good opportunity for him to show us - and everybody else - what our new bike is capable of doing," Roberts concluded.

Anthony Gobert in turn was delighted at the prospect, after his World Superbike team withdrew midway through the 2000 season, leaving him high and dry. "It's turned out really good for me," the 25-year-old Australian said from his Monaco base.  "They have some good horsepower from the bike, and they've made a lot of progress with chassis development. Everything is swimming in the right direction.  "I don't have any expectations - I want to go in with an open outlook. I've been training harder this year than ever before, and I feel fitter and better prepared. My aim is to adapt to the bike as quickly as possible, and go for a strong finish at Donington Park - it's not a favourite track, but I always seem to go well there.  "I'd like to prove to Team Roberts that it'd be worth sticking me on the bike for the rest of the season," Gobert concluded.

The team has not yet committed to final plans, according to manager Chuck Aksland.   "This is a one-race deal, and he'll be entered as a substitute for our regular rider David de Gea.  "We've already had Luca Cadalora test our bike, and he has an open invitation to race it when he's ready.  "As for Anthony, he's a professional racer who happens to have become available unexpectedly - and we've employed him for this race. We'll try and get a day's testing for him somewhere before the British GP, and when that race is done we'll think again about our future plans."

The Mk3 Modenas KR3 is the latest iteration of a lightweight three-cylinder machine designed and constructed by Team Roberts to challenge the established heavyweight Japanese factory machines. The latest version combines the compact dimensions and agile handling of the first version with the reliability and horsepower achieved by the second.