"It's been a tough weekend for me having missed out on most of the qualifying practice on Saturday. My only bike had a technical problem at the beginning of practice so I only managed five laps and was forced to sit out the rest of qualifying.

“I was pretty happy with the practices that I did take part in and I really enjoyed the races and the new circuit here is mega. It's been a pleasure to be part of the Birdy team and I want to thank them all for having me on board for half of the season."

Having graduated from the British series, Paul Bird was delighted to emerge as the best true privateer team in 2008, but adds he is excited about the prospects for next season.

"It's been a challenging year for us here in World Superbikes but I think we've finished off the year in a strong 12th position and the leading privateer team which I'm pretty proud of.

“Unfortunately I wasn't able to be in Portimao but I am happy the team finished the season on a high with the best results for the year. We look forward to our 2009 plans and being part of the World Superbike Championship once again."