The new "Superbike Racing Unit", headed by Paolo Ciabatti, will run the Italian manufacturer's programme with an official factory team, and it can also count on the support of the satellite team GSE Racing, which will run Ducati 998 Factory 2002 bikes.

Paolo Ciabatti, responsible for the Ducati Corse Superbike program, commented:

"Our main aim is to continue Ducati's winning tradition in the World Superbike Championship. Being able to count not only on our official team, but also on a satellite structure like the GSE Racing team, will also allow us to continue with another of our aims, that of being able to produce up-and-coming talented riders in a highly professional structure. We will also continue with our policy towards private teams, which will be offered highly competitive bikes like the 998 RS."

"The collaboration between Ducati Corse and GSE Racing has produced excellent results in the last few years" added Ciabatti. "Troy Bayliss and Neil Hodgson, British Superbike champions in 1999 and 2000 with the GSE team, are proof of this. For this reason we have decided not only to confirm but also to increase the support for our satellite team in the future."

"In 2003 we will run two riders: following his excellent results with GSE Racing, Neil Hodgson will move to the factory team, while contacts with the other rider are still being defined."