Two articles on crash.net...
British Superbikes Airwaves Ducati boss Colin Wright has admitted that he intends to sign the ex-factory Suzuki rider Gregorio Lavilla to the GSE run team for the remainder of this season but may not give him a machine to race.
Lavilla, since he has been deputising for the team's injured contracted rider James Haydon, is second in the BSB title chase and seems to be the only man, apart from Kiyonari's team-mate, so far able to challenge the flying factory Honda rider.
Wright is concerned that once Lavilla leaves, another team could snap him up and gain his points advantage for the remainder of the season.
"If he leaves, he could take a big load of points to one of our competitors," commented Wright.
However the team would be extremely hard pushed to keep up with three riders and six bikes, and therefore Wright claims not to want to actually field the Spanish rider in the rest of the championship.
"I would need at least four good technicians right now that know the GSE way to do things, not to mention the cost of two more high-spec Ducatis."
The Airwaves Ducati team are in a commanding position as they currently have the only non HM Plant Honda rider in the field that can seem to challenge Kiyonari for the title.
Wright knows this, and is trying to work out a deal with his sponsor to get the funding to mount a title challenge with Lavilla.
With more help from Ducati, which could come following the team's current success, and four reasonably experienced technicians that could easily be found from any of the smaller teams in the BSB paddock, Airwaves Ducati and Lavilla could be returning to the podium in the near future.
Otherwise Lavilla, who admitted that he only wants to race and would probably not be happy to sign a contract which meant he had to sit on the sidelines, could take his skills elsewhere.
"What I am here (at Airwaves Ducati) doing now is showing everybody what I know and what I can do," commented Lavilla.
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Before the BSB season started, there was a large amount of press dedicated to illustrating that Ducati machinery would struggle to keep up with the influx of four-cylinder machinery in top class Superbike racing this season.
Although this still appears to be the situation facing the factory team in World Superbike, Colin Wright's GSE-run Airwaves Ducati team has well and truly proved that it is not the case in BSB, with stunning performances from deputising rider Gregorio Lavilla in the two rounds held so far.
Now, with Lavilla's chances of carrying on in the British championship in doubt, as full-timer James Haydon makes a return to fitness, Crash.net has willingly joined those getting a taste of humble pie, and is prepared to petition Wright to try and ensure that the Spaniard gets a ride for the remainder of the season.
Armed with the venerable 999 F04, Lavilla has shown that there is still life in Ducati, and it would be an injustice for him not to continue the pursuit of early championship leader Ryuichi Kiyonari.
If you feel the same, email your thoughts to
adam@crash.net. All the comments, which will be used with the uppermost confidentiality, will then be passed directly on to Colin Wright and the GSE team in petition to keep Lavilla
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