Alstare Suzuki confirms Haslam in new lineup
Added on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Alstare Suzuki confirms Haslam in new lineup
Leon Haslam has been confirmed by Alstare Suzuki alongside Sylvain Guintoli for the 2010 World Superbike Championship.
In a manic 24 hours for the Suzuki team, who confirmed that they would be releasing German rider Max Neukirchner yesterday after he failed to produce medical certification over his fitness to ride, it has been confirmed that Haslam and Guintoli will ride for the factory team next year.
Haslam comes from the Stiggy Honda team who, despite a strong year in 2009, were unable to offer the former BSB rider the guarantee of a ride in 2010 due to financial worries.
Guintoli makes the move from British Superbikes despite having recently signed a new deal with Worx Crescent Suzuki. Current Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama swaps places with the former MotoGP rider to move to BSB.
Speaking on the agreement, Haslam said: “The opportunity to join Team Suzuki Alstare was something that my father and I took extremely seriously immediately.
“The team enjoys direct support from the manufacturer and a long history of success, so joining them offers me an exciting step forward in my career.
“Meeting Francis (Batta) and listening to his plans and desire to succeed confirmed the potential of the whole team and its infrastructure.
“Suzuki Alstare has a very experienced team of technicians and potential for development, both in-house and via the factory in Japan. This means that the team is 100 per cent geared up to win the 2010 World Superbike Championship.
“This is naturally opening a new chapter in my own career and one that I relish. The team has a promising winter test plan (with the Suzuki factory) so I’m very much looking forward to these tests, the 2010 World Superbike Championship and challenging for the world title.”
