HM Plant Honda rider Leon Haslam will leave the factory Honda British Superbike team at the end of the 2008 season after choosing to move back to the World Superbike Championship for 2009.
The 25-year-old from Derbyshire is in his fourth season in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and so far this year has achieved five race wins and a further five podiums on his CBR1000RR Fireblade. Leon heads in to the final round of the championship 17 points ahead of Tom Sykes in third, and aims to retain his current second place standing in the championship.
Leon: “Making a decision about 2009 has been an incredibly hard one for me. I’ve enjoyed this season so much with HM Plant Honda in BSB, had one of the best years of my career and know I could probably take the title next year. But the world scene is where my heart is and looking at the teams there and current rider movements, the World Superbike Championship is where I really need to be – and my ideal would be on a Honda. I’d like to thank the HM Plant Honda team for a great year and their continued belief in me and let’s hope we can finish this season on a real high at next weekend’s last round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch.”
HM Plant Honda Team Manager, Havier Beltran: “Leon has had a great year and worked very hard with the HM Plant Honda team to achieve good development of the new Fireblade and excellent race results on track. We made Leon an offer to stay with the team for 2009 but we fully understand his desire to return to the World Superbike Championship, support him in his decision and wish him great success for next season. We are talking to potential riders now for 2009 and will finalise the new HM Plant Honda rider line-up shortly.”
The final round of this season's British Superbike Championship will be played out next weekend, 10th-12th October, at Brands Hatch.
For further information or to follow the progress of the HM Plant Honda team and its riders, visit
www.honda-racing.co.uk.
