Chili second in race one

Round 5 - Germany - Oschersleben

1st June 2003

Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila 999 F03) and James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati 998 F02) took one win apiece at Oschersleben during round five of the World Superbike Championship. Hodgson's win was his ninth straight maximum points score of the season; Toseland's was his first ever SBK career win.

Hodgson was first to score, taking a closely fought victory over Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998RS), after performing a similar feat over the Italian rider in the Superpole competition on Saturday. In race one Hodgson was dogged throughout by Chili, who had led at the start, but pulled over to allow Hodgson to pass after Chili experienced a petrol leak from his own machine. Third place went to the consistent fastest lapper throughout, James Toseland, who was stone last at one stage, after he was run off the track by a crashing Gregorio Lavilla (Suzuki).

Toseland's run to a seven second margin of victory in race two was an assured ride from the British competitor and he was joined on the podium by Hodgson and a third British rider, his own team-mate Chris Walker.

In temperatures of 28°C Oschersleben was a crucible for men and machines, and Regis Laconi (NCR Ducati) put in two tough races to score a brace of fourths.

Ruben Xaus (Ducati Fila 999F02), dropped from second to third place in the championship standings, after a fall in race one and a fifth place in race two. Early leader Walker slowed after his 998F02 suffered a lack of power from a broken exhaust in race one but made up for his misfortune with his podium in the second.

Steve Martin, (DFX Ducati Pirelli) scored sixth on two occasions, ahead of his team-mate Marco Borciani in race one and his other team mate Juan Borja in race two.

Last updated 4 June 2003