Haslam: MotoGP is only aim.

Ex-GP rider Leon Haslam has declared that MotoGP is still his only long term goal, despite the young Brit returning to British Superbikes, with GSE Ducati, next season.

Haslam, still only 21-years-old, has rarely raced in the same championship for two years running, having competed in the 125cc GP class in 2000, the 500cc class in 2001, and then the 250cc class in 2002 - performing admirably on privateer machinery - before switching to a more competitive ride in the British Supersport series with Renegade Ducati.

Leon competed half a season in BSS before getting a BSB ride with the same team, after one of their Superbike riders, Sean Emmett, was fired. Leon, the son of former GP star 'Rocket Ron', then moved with Renegade to World Superbike for 2003.

"We've just taken big, big steps - we've never been on the same bike from year to year - and it's been hard because the steps that I've made we've never been able to push top fives as we wanted to," said Leon during an exclusive interview with Crash.net.

Nevertheless, the young Brit took his first WSBK podium finish at Oschersleben this season, on his way to eighth in the championship, and also claimed his first BSB win when he triumphed as a wild-card in the wet Brands Hatch round.

But Haslam now believes he needs to step back to go forward, and with GSE Ducati having helped propel Troy Bayliss, Neil Hodgson and James Toseland to world championship success, Haslam is confident that they will give him all he needs to become a regular race winner - and push him further along the road to MotoGP.

"I'm at that stage in my career now where I want to be with the best team and I want to win races," he said. "I think I've done the learning; I've raced at world level in every single class there is in motorcycle racing so I want to stay in the Superbike class and hopefully win races."

"From the start (of my career) we made a decision, me and my dad - I'm not bothered about being British champion, I'm not bothered about being 125 world champion. None of that really interests me - I've got one aim and that's MotoGP," he declared. "I'm now at the stage that to get a good ride in MotoGP I need to start winning."

"I'm really looking forward to (next year). Ducati have persuaded me to go there," he added of his 2005 BSB challenge. "I could have probably stayed in World Superbikes but, as a whole plan, in a few years time I need to develop this bike on Dunlops or Michelins.

"Hopefully we can win a British championship and then get better offers for the world championship. The (GSE) team is one of the best out there and to keep the relationship with Ducati is perfect," concluded Haslam.

The full interview with Haslam can be found in the Crash.net radio archive...