The recent signing of ex Moto-GP rider John Hopkins with the Stiggy Racing Honda squad has aroused speculations and raised the expectations of the Stiggy Racing Honda Superbike team ahead of the third round of the Championship. Eyes will be set on the performance of the new entry to the Superbike Championship and his already strong riding team-mate Leon Haslam. The all-new Stiggy Racing Honda CBR1000RR has proven to be fuelled with potential, ready for the new Superbike team to be unleashed at the Ricardo Tormo track in Valencia this weekend. John Hopkins (WSBK); The long speculated appearance of John Hopkins in the World Superbike series will finally be put into action when he will make his debut on the Stiggy Racing Honda this weekend. After a track absence of nearly four months, Hopkins has stated he is eager to make up for lost time and ready to challenge at the front of the World Superbike Championship. The American and his new Stiggy Racing Honda crew took off to the track of Almeria to get the first impression on the new bike before heading to Valencia. “I am really happy with the testing we have done in Almeria. The first impression of the bike and my new team is really good. The size of the motorcycle makes a big difference, it feels good to be able to move around on the bike again. After my disappointing season last year, it’s great to get out on track and enjoy riding a bike again. I’ve never been on a Superbike in my life but the size of the motorcycle makes a big difference and suits my style. I am looking forward to racing in Valencia this weekend and feel I am coming well prepared, despite not having had a lot of time on-track yet. I know the Valencia track well and should be able to put in a good performance.” Leon Haslam (WSBK); Leon endured a difficult race weekend in Qatar. His progress throughout the weekend was poised by technical problems and stopped him from setting competitive laps in the qualifying sessions. After a bad start in both races, an impressive salvage saw him battling through the field crossing the line in 11th twice over. Despite his disappointing time on track his race pace on his Honda CBR1000RR was outstanding and showed he could easily be running top five. With his new team-mate joining him this weekend and some more testing time under his belt, Haslam is confidently looking forward to the Valencia round; “The last time I raced in Valencia in WSBK I qualified on the front row and was challenging for a podium. I’m looking forward to getting out there on the Honda now. We have tested some new parts for the bike in our one-day test in Almeria and have been able to test a wet set-up for the first time this year. All in all I am really happy with the progress we made so far and feel confident for the next race. If I can have some good practice time on the track and qualify well, we can definitely set some good results in Valencia.” Anthony West (WSS); Anthony West was far from satisfied with his performance in Qatar. Lack of speed forced him to lose the connection with the front of the field and he only managed to finish the race just within the top ten in a disappointing 9th position. Anthony has indicated he is here to win races and quickly wants to return to the podium finish and competitive form he strongly demonstrated in the opening round of the season. “We have some new engines coming which are hopefully faster then the ones we used in Qatar. The bike setup has been really good so far, there’s nothing wrong with the chassis or suspension but we just need to find that extra bit of power in the engine. The track in Valencia is pretty tight, but it still has some parts where we will need the acceleration. We’ll have to see what the new engines can do. I have to start winning races.” Gianluca Vizziello (WSS); Gianluca Vizziello claimed a 14th position in the Qatar race, but was happy with the work and progression he and his crew had managed to achieve throughout the weekend. The Italian is confident he can push his way through the competitive Supersport field this weekend in Valencia and sets out for a good finish for his team. “If we can continue the progress we made in Qatar I am convinced I can move up through the field and set a good result. I m satisfied with the performance of the bike so far. Hopefully I can qualify a bit further up front and put in a good performance for my team.” Johan Stigefelt (Team Manager); “I am confidently looking forward to the next race in Valencia. We have been able to spend some valuable time on-track and test some new parts in Almeria with both John and Leon. It all worked out well and is another important step forward in the development of our Stiggy Racing Honda CBR1000RR. John has shown to be very easy to work with. He’s very optimistic and professional. He is not rushing anything, but just takes it step by step. Our main goal for him here today was to learn adapt to the bike and understand the structure in the team. It shows that he really enjoys being out on the bike again. We still have to sort some things out, but overall I am happy with another step forward. Unfortunately we do not have too much time in the race weekends to test parts and develop the bike, so I am hoping for some more time on-track tomorrow morning. I am happy with the first impression John has given the team. We already know Leon is fast and to see John step in and show his potential on the bike is just promising.”