The Australian’s FP1 started from fourth position in its first race, which must have given the team plenty of hope for the future. Row one was completed by James Toseland, second on the 2002-spec GSE Ducati, and Hodgson’s team-mate Rubén Xaus in P3. The second row was made up of Régis Laconi, Steve Martin, Frankie Chili and Chris Walker.

Race one saw Toseland take off in the lead, from Xaus, the fast-starting Walker, Hodgson, Corser, Laconi and DFX Ducati’s Juan Borja. Hodgson was quick to reclaim one of his lost positions, passing Walker on the first tour, and the leading foursome were soon breaking away from the following pack. Borja managed to go off as they went into lap two, leaving Corser ahead of Laconi, Martin and Suzuki’s Gregorio Lavilla in a close group.

It wasn’t long before Toseland was having to defend his lead, as the 999 Ducatis looked to demonstrate their advantage. Indeed, Hodgson passed both Xaus and Toseland in quick succession, and began to pull out a small gap almost immediately. Meanwhile, a fastest lap for Walker kept him right with this leading group.

No doubt inspired by his team-mate, Xaus now attacked Toseland more forcefully, and after a few attempts he finally made his move stick. It was what the Spaniard needed, as Hodgson was now cutting the best laps of the race to extend his lead. The two Fila machines duly left the HM Plant duo behind, now with Walker third from Toseland.

Further back, Corser had dropped from fifth to eighth, his bike’s exhaust spitting flames all the while. Before long the Australian ran too wide, went off the track, and the FP1 went down in the gravel. It was later suggested that problems with rear tyre pressure had been the cause of this incident. A little earlier, Mauro Sanchini’s Kawasaki had been another to go off the circuit.

At the front, Hodgson pulled steadily away from Xaus, leaving a closer battle between Walker and Toseland. Chris initially seemed to be getting away, but James was able to get back for a renewed effort towards the end of the race. Although Laconi had been the first to get by Corser, it was now Martin occupying fifth. Laconi and Lavilla were still close to the DFX man, but the Suzuki was soon relegated by a rapid Chili on the PSG-1 Ducati. Sadly for Frankie he was soon left to tour into the pits, with rear axle gremlins ending his run.

The race finished with Hodgson winning from Xaus, Walker and Toseland, the last of these apparently with gearing problems. Next home was Laconi, after passing Martin late on, with Lavilla seventh and Lucio Pedercini eighth.

Hodgson made up for his poor start in the first race by going straight into the lead for race two. He was followed by Toseland, Xaus, Walker, Laconi, Chili, Martin, Corser, Lavilla, Borja and Pedercini. This time Xaus passed Toseland in turn two, but even so Hodgson made an immediate gap on the field. The pattern of the first race looked set to be repeated, with Walker pushing his team-mate for third place, while Xaus moved just out of their range quite early on, setting a fastest lap in his pursuit of Hodgson.

Frankie Chili’s second race went wrong rather more quickly than his first, as he was handed a stop-go penalty, presumably for a jump start. Even before he made his call into the pits he had begun to drop places, and then he was awarded another stop-and-go for speeding in the pitlane! It was no great surprise when he withdrew altogether later on, leaving him with no score from the event.

Before long, the two Ducati 999s were out on their own. Toseland and Walker had been tailed by Laconi and Chili, until the Italian’s dramas, with another group of Martin, Corser and Lavilla behind them. The orange machines were not to be troubled too long, as Laconi was forced to park up with an engine failure.

Lap records from Hodgson put him well clear of Xaus, who was similarly untroubled by the pursuing 998 men. Toseland and Walker remained together, as did the next three, but now in the order Martin, Lavilla, Corser. Borja was now eighth, with Pedercini ninth.

As the race reached its conclusion, most of the action came in the group for fifth. First, Lavilla took this place away from Martin, but these two reversed places again, not long after, while Corser fell back behind them. James Haydon’s second FP1 retired at this stage, but Corser hung on to score a creditable nine points.

Once again Hodgson won comfortably from Xaus, but this time Toseland joined them on the podium. Walker was fourth, but had seen the gap to his team-mate grow steadily in the final stages. Martin was fifth, from Lavilla, Corser and Borja.

Standings after two races: Hodgson 50; Xaus 40; Walker and Toseland 29; Martin 21; Lavilla 19; Pedercini 15; Borciani 13; Laconi 11; García and Borja 10.

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