Brands BSB: Haslam ‘would love to stay with Kawasaki’ for 2017

JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam would like to remain with the same manufacturer in the MCE British Superbike series for 2017, and to stay a Kawasaki rider.

The former World Superbike star finished second in the overall championship standing’s and the battle for the title went down to the final round at Brands Hatch.

In the end title rival, Be Wiser Ducati’s Shane Byrne clinched the BSB crown, but Haslam pushed him hard throughout the twelve rounds. Haslam has labelled his return to the championship
as a year of ‘ups and downs’ and it hasn’t been an easy 2016 for the ZX-10R racer.

This season has been a ‘big learning curve’ for the Smalley native and his team have won 50 percent of the races this year, with Haslam totalling nine wins in BSB, the same as Byrne.

”[Plans for next season] Nothing 100 percent - I would love to stay with Kawasaki. I feel I have built up a good relationship with them this year and I really like the bike and the potential of the bike is 60 and 70 percent and it is new bike this year. But a winter of testing I can believe we can be so much better and a second year on the same bike and knowing the tracks we can come out stronger,” said Haslam, at the track.

“It has been a year of ups and downs and we grounded out a lot of results and it has not been an ideal situation even when we were winning we knew we had some problems and we had a
bit of a lull around Thruxton and Snetterton. We have had some tough times for sure and the last round at Brands has been the hardest weekend of my racing career.

“Generally over the year I am super happy and we have worked together as three riders and achieved so much and we have won 50 percent of the races between us. I did all my crashing in
the Showdown so I have to learn for next year and I can’t wait. It has fired me up and it has been a big learning curve and a hard one and I have learnt a lot and hopefully we can take that into 2017.”