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The 2020 BSB British Superbike season has been over for about two weeks now, yet news on the rider market has not been long in coming. Today started off with news, confirmations and a welcome return. At the end of a season with little satisfaction in World Superbike with Puccetti Racing Kawasaki, Xavi Fores will return to racing over the English channel in the newly-formed FHO Racing BMW Team. The Spaniard will team up with multiple TT winner Peter Hickman.
The team founded by the well-known Macau entrepreneur Faye Ho, already present in previous years in support of riders and teams in BSB and the Macau Grand Prix (as well as the companion of race director Stuart Higgs), has actually been created from the ashes of Global Robots Smiths Racing. For the FHO Racing Team it will be an ambitious project, with two riders eager for redemption and considerable interest surrounding the track debut of the brand new BMW M1000RR. In addition to Fores and Hickman, youngster Alex Olsen will be at the start of British SuperStock 1000 with the exact same bike.
For Xavi Fores this will be the second adventure in British Superbike after the one experienced in 2019 with Honda Racing UK, when he obtained four podiums and a pole position at Donington 'National' and Knockhill, just missing out on the Showdown. It had a disappointing ending after a weekend to forget at Oulton Park, with difficulties in adapting to the bike and the championship. Now, with an extra year of experience behind him, the goals of the 35-year-old from Llombai are to fight for the top positions.
“I enjoyed my time in BSB but maybe not so much in WSB last season – said Forés – so to come back with such a high level team is a chance for me to sort some unfinished business in the championship! The level of competition, machinery and the support from the fans in Britain is incredible and I must say really surprised me to start with. When I raced here in 2019 I had never seen these tracks and many were very tricky to beat experienced regular riders, but now I feel confident that with one year of experience and better preparation, we can do much better. I have been in contact regularly with Faye, she is very motivated, and the project is very strong to give us the tools to fight at the front.”
The best 2019 independent rider of the World Championship will have Peter Hickman as teammate, looking for further stimuli after a very complicated year. Having concluded a four-season partnership with Smiths Racing, "Hicky" will restart from a new outfit with the hope of being competitive again in BSB and (continue) to win the main road race on the calendar as only he knows how.
“This is an exciting time for me, the team and I think racing in general - Hickman said – as we gain a passionate new team owner in Faye. I’ve known Faye for a few years as a generous supporter of racing in Macau and most importantly she wants to win! I’ve had an awesome four years with the Smiths Racing team, we’ve grown together as a group, been successful in BSB and on the Roads, so now I think we can build on that and take it to a new level. After such a bad year globally, it’s so positive to have a new team and sponsor enter the arena.”
In addition to having one eye on the title, both men will prove to be of vital importance for the development of the M1000RR, with BMW making big plans with the new bike in view of 2021. Soon there will also be some further big news with regard to Rich Energy OMG Racing and, above all, Synetiq TAS .
