HM Plant Honda team boss Havier Beltran has thrown his support behind Leon Haslam after his exclusion from the second race of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship weekend at
Oulton Park.
The former Ducati man was involved in a controversial coming together with Rizla Suzuki rider Tom Sykes during the second race of the weekend, with contact at the Hislop Chicane putting Sykes out on the spot.
Although Haslam continued and was classified in fifth place when the race was red-flagged, he was later excluded after the Clerk of the Course deemed him to be guilty of careless riding, with an appeal by the team being thrown out later as the decision stood.
With Haslam having also been involved in an incident with Sykes during the second race of the weekend at
Thruxton, Beltran was quick to jump to the defence of the 24-year-old and insisted he wasn't a dangerous rider.
"It's been a difficult weekend for us to be honest," Beltran said after also seeing his second rider – Cal Crutchlow – dislocate an ankle in a fall.
"As regards Leon's disqualification, all I can say is that HM Plant Honda will always work within the rules and regulations set down for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, but we do not believe that Leon is a dangerous rider."
Haslam's exclusion from the race came after a fine run to second place in the opening race which saw him hunt down the Ducati of Shane Byrne in the closing stages.
However, despite trying to make a move for the lead on the final lap, Haslam was unable to make the pass stick as Byrne battled back and was forced to settle for the second step of the podium.
