Foggy Petronas Racing launches.

One of the most eagerly anticipated events of the 2002 World Superbike season, the launch of Carl Fogarty's Foggy Petronas Racing outfit, was completed today in London's glamorous Delfina Restaurant.

The launch of the unique collaboration between Malaysian petroleum giant Petronas and the quadruple World Superbike Champion also provided the first public viewing of the eagerly awaited, and visually stunning, FP1 race bike.

To show how serious their intentions are for the World Superbike Championship, the Chairman of Petronas himself, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Azizan Abidin, was on hand with Fogarty to perform the unveiling.

This is the start of a five year sponsorship agreement between Petronas and FPR that will see riders Troy Corser and James Haydon join the World Superbike Series at Laguna Seca next month.

1996 World Superbike Champion Corser, a former factory Ducati stablemate of Foggy's, and British favourite Haydon will get their first taste of action on the FP1 when a rigorous testing schedule begins later this month.

"This is one of the proudest days of my career," said the 1994, 1995, 1998 and 1999 World Superbike Champion. "It is difficult to replace the feeling of winning four world championships, but this is about the closest I've come to that. I cannot wait to start racing the FP1 and start repaying the faith that Petronas has shown to me and the team.

"I think people realize that this is a very serious project and I would not be involved if I didn't think we could win the Championship within those five years. Our team has been working day and night to have this bike ready on time and it's the most beautiful bike I have ever seen.

"Our job is now to make sure that it is one of the fastest and most reliable and that all of our efforts contribute to the development of the ultimate production Superbike."