2012 was the first time in fifteen years that Francis Batta didn’t have a team on the grid.
The Belgium manager decided to take a sabbatical after Suzuki would no longer help support his World Superbike team and he just didn’t have the heart to continue in WSBK’s without them.
Batta however did try to get MV Agusta aboard in World Supersport, but the timing wasn’t right for the Italian manufacturer – who now will be debuting in WSS in 2013 with ParkinGO.
With Althea Racing ending their collaboration with Ducati, Alstare will be taking over Borgo Panigale’s factory effort and fielding Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini on the 1199 Panigale.
The official SBK website talked with Batta after the Jerez test and asked him what the return to World Superbikes meant to himm and he said, “I feel that my life is the motorcycle and for six months at home with nothing happening… this was for me very difficult, psychologically.
”Batta also explained how the team will work: “The machines and so on will be in our workshops in Belgium.
The job is very similar to the one we did before for Suzuki.
The development will be in Ducati but the team will be located in Belgium.
After the races the bikes and so on will go back to Belgium.
We have eight people working all day in Alstare in the workshops.
We still have the dynos, flow bench, etc.
all working at a high level.