By Dan Moakes
September 30 2003

Next year’s World Superbike championship doesn’t look to be shaping up too well, thanks in part to the one make tyre rule. A number of teams have not committed to the series, the manufacturers don’t seem to be returning, Dunlop and Michelin are not happy, and neither are all the riders.

Rule changes may have ended the restrictions on four-cylinder machines, but the switch to Pirelli tyres for all has not been viewed as a positive development. With this in mind, most factory teams are staying out of the championship, and those that remain have withdrawn some of their support.

The organisers have talked of four works efforts for 2004, including Ducati Corse, Alstare Suzuki and Foggy Petronas. The fourth team is not yet known. Ducati’s involvement is a given, after their domination this year, and yet, apparently, factory support has been withdrawn from the GSE Racing HM Plant squad. As a result, GSE are to withdraw from WSB.

British teams Crescent (Rizla) Suzuki and MonsterMob Ducati had been looking at the World Championship for 2004, but now Crescent has backed out and MonsterMob is undecided. It seems the credibility of the series has taken a big knock. Equally, the works efforts of Aprilia, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha seem to be staying at home, contrary to earlier rumours.

Where does this leave the riders? Well, Neil Hodgson seems almost set for a MotoGP ride with a satellite Ducati team, perhaps run by Luís d’Antín. Top riders Rubén Xaus, James Toseland and Régis Laconi are also said to be staying with the Italian make, but in the Spaniard’s case this could involve a transfer to AMA Superbikes in the United States. Toseland and Laconi should graduate to the Fila WSB team.

Where does GSE’s withdrawal leave Chris Walker, though? Rumours have connected him with Foggy Petronas, where the disappointing James Haydon has been shown the door, but ‘the Stalker’ may actually be in line to lead Virgin Yamaha’s British Superbike team.

We must hope there are enough decent private Ducatis and Suzukis to make the show worth watching, or that the rules can be tweaked to get the factories interested once again...

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