2003 Superbike World Championship

The 2003 Superbike World Championship was the sixteenth FIM Superbike World Championship season. The season started on 2 March at Valencia and finished on 19 October at Magny-Cours after 12 rounds.

2003 Superbike World Championship
Previous: 2002 Next: 2004
Support series:
Supersport World Championship
Superstock European Championship

Rule changes for 2003 allowed 1000cc machines (either twins, triples or four-cylinder) to race. The rule changes in MotoGP which allowed 4-stroke engines starting from 2002 meant that the Japanese manufacturers had focused their resources there; as a result the Superbike World Championship was left with limited factory involvement,[1] with Ducati, Suzuki and the new-for-2003 Carl Fogarty's Foggy Petronas as the only factory teams. As a result of most of the field being formed of Ducati motorcycles, the championship was given the derogatory label of the "Ducati Cup" in some quarters.[2]

The factory Ducati Team entered the only two Ducati 999s in the field, taking 20 wins from 24 races in a season where all races were won by Ducati. Neil Hodgson won the riders' championship and Ducati won the manufacturers' championship.

Race calendar and results
Round Circuit Date Superpole Fastest lap Winning rider Winning team Report
1 R1 Valencia 2 March Neil Hodgson Neil Hodgson Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati Report
R2 Neil Hodgson Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati
2 R1 Phillip Island 30 March Neil Hodgson Neil Hodgson Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati Report
R2 Rubén Xaus Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati
3 R1 Sugo 27 April Régis Laconi Neil Hodgson Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati Report
R2 Pierfrancesco Chili Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati
4 R1 Monza 18 May Neil Hodgson Neil Hodgson Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati Report
R2 Régis Laconi Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati
5 R1 Oschersleben 1 June Neil Hodgson Pierfrancesco Chili Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati Report
R2 Neil Hodgson James Toseland HM Plant Ducati
6 R1 Silverstone 15 June Neil Hodgson Gregorio Lavilla Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati Report
R2 Gregorio Lavilla Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati
7 R1 Misano 22 June Neil Hodgson Rubén Xaus Rubén Xaus Fila Ducati Report
R2 Rubén Xaus Rubén Xaus Fila Ducati
8 R1 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 13 July Mat Mladin Régis Laconi Pierfrancesco Chili Team PSG-1 Report
R2 Rubén Xaus Rubén Xaus Fila Ducati
9 R1 Brands Hatch 27 July John Reynolds Shane Byrne Shane Byrne Monstermob Ducati Report
R2 John Reynolds Shane Byrne Monstermob Ducati
10 R1 Assen 7 September Pierfrancesco Chili Gregorio Lavilla Rubén Xaus Fila Ducati Report
R2 Neil Hodgson Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati
11 R1 Imola 28 September Rubén Xaus Neil Hodgson Rubén Xaus Fila Ducati Report
R2 Rubén Xaus Rubén Xaus Fila Ducati
12 R1 Magny-Cours 19 October James Toseland Neil Hodgson Neil Hodgson Fila Ducati Report
R2 Neil Hodgson Rubén Xaus Fila Ducati

Championship standings

Riders' standings
2003 final riders' standings[3]
Pos. Rider Bike ESP
 AUS
 JPN
 ITA
 GER
 GBR
 SMR
 USA
 GBR
 NED
 ITA
 FRA
 Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1 Hodgson Ducati 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 Ret 2 2 2 2 5 2 1 2 4 1 Ret 489
2 Xaus Ducati 2 2 2 2 4 4 7 Ret Ret 5 3 3 1 1 Ret 1 Ret 4 1 2 1 1 2 1 386
3 Toseland Ducati 4 3 DSQ 5 3 5 4 5 3 1 2 4 2 Ret 3 Ret 6 3 4 Ret Ret Ret 5 2 271
4 Laconi Ducati 5 Ret 6 4 2 7 2 4 4 4 4 6 3 4 Ret 4 4 8 Ret 4 3 2 6 16 267
5 Lavilla Suzuki 7 6 3 7 5 2 3 2 Ret Ret Ret 2 4 5 Ret 5 7 6 Ret 3 4 3 4 4 256
6 Walker Ducati 3 4 7 6 Ret Ret 6 6 5 3 9 8 5 8 5 3 3 Ret 5 8 Ret 5 3 3 234
7 Chili Ducati Ret Ret Ret 3 Ret 3 5 3 2 11 7 7 Ret 3 1 Ret 9 7 3 5 5 Ret Ret Ret 197
8 Martin Ducati 6 5 4 9 15 Ret 9 7 6 6 Ret Ret 6 9 Ret Ret 14 Ret 9 11 6 Ret 7 5 139
9 Pedercini Ducati 8 9 10 14 7 Ret 10 10 9 10 11 11 8 6 Ret 10 Ret 16 12 14 Ret 6 Ret 11 112
10 Borciani Ducati 9 10 9 10 13 13 8 8 7 9 10 13 11 14 10 9 Ret 14 Ret 13 10 11 Ret 14 111
11 Sanchini Kawasaki Ret 13 13 12 11 10 14 12 11 12 13 14 9 11 9 8 15 15 10 12 8 8 10 10 108
12 Corser Petronas Ret 7 5 8 Ret 12 13 Ret 12 14 16 Ret 7 10 8 Ret Ret Ret 6 9 7 7 8 Ret 107
13 Borja Ducati 14 8 12 15 10 9 DNS DNS Ret 7 Ret Ret Ret 12 11 7 12 Ret Ret 16 11 9 9 7 87
14 Clementi Kawasaki 11 14 11 11 Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret 13 14 16 10 13 Ret Ret 13 13 8 7 9 Ret Ret 9 76
15 Bussei Yamaha Ret 11 14 Ret 12 11 Ret 13 10 Ret 12 12 16 16 52
Ducati 7 6
16 Byrne Ducati 1 1 50
17 Reynolds Suzuki 6 10 Ret 2 Ret 10 42
18 Iannuzzo Suzuki 12 9 8 8 Ret 15 Ret 7 DNS DNS 37
19 Gramigni Yamaha Ret DNS 11 11 12 15 16 11 11 15 13 12 Ret 12 37
20 Kagayama Suzuki 5 5 10 9 35
21 Haslam Ducati Ret 10 7 6 Ret 6 35
22 García Ducati 10 12 8 Ret DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS Ret Ret DNS DNS 12 10 Ret Ret 28
23 Rutter Ducati 8 9 8 Ret 23
24 Izutsu Honda 6 6 20
25 Mladin Suzuki 4 DNS 13
26 Haydon Petronas 12 Ret 15 16 9 Ret Ret Ret Ret DNS Ret Ret 17 Ret DNS DNS Ret Ret Ret Ret 12
27 Fuertes Suzuki 15 Ret 16 Ret 17 17 15 16 Ret 17 Ret Ret 14 13 11 Ret 12
28 Emmett Ducati 5 Ret 11
29 Russo Ducati 13 15 16 13 13 Ret 15 18 Ret Ret 11
30 Yates Suzuki 6 Ret 10
31 Ellison Ducati 11 12 9
32 Gimbert Suzuki Ret 8 8
33 Watanabe Suzuki 8 Ret 8
34 Foti Ducati Ret Ret 15 14 14 15 Ret Ret 14 Ret 8
35 Tortoroglio Honda Ret 16 Ret 17 Ret 15 Ret 15 Ret 18 Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret Ret Ret Ret DNS 18 16 6
36 Stey Honda 13 13 6
37 Saiger Yamaha 13 Ret 17 14 15 17 6
38 Zaiser Aprilia Ret DNS 4
Suzuki 12 Ret
39 Nakamura Honda 14 14 4
40 Pedersoli Ducati 13 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 19 Ret 3
41 Blora Ducati 13 17 3
42 Protat Yamaha 14 15 3
43 Liverani Yamaha 14 19 20 Ret 2
44 Pini Suzuki 17 19 15 15 2
45 Mrkývka Ducati DNQ DNQ 15 17 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 15 Ret Ret Ret DNQ DNQ 2
Pos. Rider Bike ESP
 AUS
 JPN
 ITA
 GER
 GBR
 SMR
 USA
 GBR
 NED
 ITA
 FRA
 Pts
ColourResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
GreenPoints finish
BlueNon-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
PurpleRetired (Ret)
RedDid not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
BlackDisqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not participate (DNP)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole position
Italics – Fastest lap

Manufacturers' standings
2003 final manufacturers' standings[4]
Pos. Manufacturer ESP
 AUS
 JPN
 ITA
 GER
 GBR
 SMR
 USA
 GBR
 NED
 ITA
 FRA
 Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1 Ducati 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 600
2 Suzuki 7 6 3 7 5 2 3 2 8 8 5 2 4 5 4 5 7 2 16 3 4 3 4 4 306
3 Kawasaki 11 13 11 11 11 8 14 12 11 12 13 14 9 11 9 8 13 13 8 7 8 8 10 9 130
4 Petronas 12 7 5 8 9 12 13 Ret 12 14 16 Ret 7 10 8 Ret 17 Ret 6 9 7 7 8 Ret 118
5 Yamaha 16 11 14 Ret 12 11 11 11 10 19 12 12 12 15 16 11 11 15 13 12 14 12 69
6 Honda Ret 16 19 20 6 6 Ret 15 Ret 18 Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret Ret Ret Ret DNS 18 16 13 13 31
Aprilia Ret DNS 0
Pos. Manufacturer ESP
 AUS
 JPN
 ITA
 GER
 GBR
 SMR
 USA
 GBR
 NED
 ITA
 FRA
 Pts

Entry list
2003 Entry List [5]
No Rider Team Motorcycle Tyre
4 Troy Corser Foggy PETRONAS Racing Petronas FP1 M
5 Ivan Clementi Kawasaki Bertocchi Kawasaki ZX-7RR D
6 Mauro Sanchini Kawasaki Bertocchi Kawasaki ZX-7RR D
7 Pierfrancesco Chili Team PSG-1 Ducati 998RS D
8 James Haydon Foggy PETRONAS Racing Petronas FP1 M
9 Chris Walker HM Plant Ducati Ducati 998F02 D
10 Gregorio Lavilla Alstare Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 D
11 Rubén Xaus Ducati Fila Ducati 999F03 M
16 Sergio Fuertes MIR Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 D
19 Lucio Pedercini Team Pedercini Ducati 998RS D
20 Marco Borciani D.F.X. Racing Team Ducati 998RS P
23 Jiri Mrkyvka JM SBK Team Ducati 998RS D
26 Luca Pedersoli Team Pedercini Ducati 998RS D
27 Mark Heckles Team Rumi Honda VTR1000SP2 M
28 Serafino Foti Team Pedercini Ducati 998RS D
31 Vittorio Iannuzzo Alstare Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 D
33 Juan Borja D.F.X. Racing Team Ducati 998RS P
35 Nello Russo Team Pedercini Ducati 998RS D
38 Giancarlo De Matteis Caracchi NCR Nortel Net. Ducati 998RS D
48 David García Caracchi NCR Nortel Net. Ducati 998RS D
51 Davide Messori UnionBike GiMotorsport Yamaha YZF-R1 D
52 James Toseland HM Plant Ducati Ducati 998F02 D
55 Régis Laconi Caracchi NCR Nortel Net. Ducati 998RS D
68 Bertrand Stey White Endurance Honda VTR1000SP2 D
91 Walter Tortoroglio White Endurance Honda VTR1000SP2 D
92 Frédéric Protat UnionBike GiMotorsport Yamaha YZF-R1 D
98 Gianmaria Liverani UnionBike GiMotorsport Yamaha YZF-R1 D
99 Steve Martin D.F.X. Racing Team Ducati 998RS P
100 Neil Hodgson Ducati Fila Ducati 999F03 M
15 Giovanni Bussei Ducati Austin Ducati 998RS
22 Horst Saiger Remus Racing Austria Yamaha YZF-R1
29 Giuseppe Zannini Team Pro.Con. Ducati 998RS
32 Eric Bostrom Kawasaki Road Racing Kawasaki ZX-7RR
36 Sundby Dag Steinar Komatsu Sundby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1
39 Alessandro Gramigni Nuvolari 391 Yamaha YZF-R1
40 Nick Medd Renegade Ducati Ducati 998RS
41 Robert Menzen Racing Team R. Menzen Suzuki GSX-R1000
42 Paul Mooijman Kruisinga Motoren Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000
44 Stefan Nebel Elf Yoshimura Shafer Motorsp. Suzuki GSX-R1000
50 Marco Masetti Caracchi NCR Nortel Net. Ducati 996RS
57 Simone Conti Scuderia HF Suzuki GSX-R1000
60 Michael Rutter Renegade Ducati Ducati 998F02
61 John Reynolds Rizla Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
62 Sean Emmett ETI Racing Ducati 998RS
64 Yukio Kagayama Rizla Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
66 Mat Mladin Suzuki Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
67 Shane Byrne Monstermob Ducati Ducati 998F02 D
69 Karl Truchsess Remus Racing Austria Yamaha YZF-R1
70 Christian Zaiser Racing Team Zaiser Suzuki GSX-R1000
71 Martin Benito Isaac Acumoto Racing Team Yamaha YZF-R1
73 Steven Cutting Motorcycle Weaponry Suzuki GSX-R1000
74 Kenichiro Nakamura Blue Helmet MSC Honda VTR1000SP2
75 Alistair Maxwell Michelin Honda Honda CBR954RR M
76 Atsushi Watanabe Team Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000
77 Hitoyasu Izutsu Team HRC Honda VTR1000SPW
78 Jay Normoyle Warren & Brown Lightpaths Suzuki GSX-R1000
79 Noriyasu Numata Team Foundatlon Ducati 996RS
82 Lorenzo Mauri Team Pedercini Ducati 998RS
89 Dean Ellison Firepower Ducati Ducati 996
90 Leon Haslam Renegade Ducati Ducati 998RS
93 Sébastien Gimbert SERT Suzuki GSX-R1000
96 Luca Pini Boselli Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000
113 Paolo Blora Lucido Corse Ducati 996RS
120 Aaron Yates Suzuki Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
Key
Wildcard Rider
D Dunlop
M Michelin
P Pirelli

References
  1. Edge, Dirck. "1000cc Superbikes May Save World Championship". motorcycledaily.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-07.
  2. "History of the World Superbike Championship - Devitt". Devitt Insurance. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  3. "Magny Cours 17–18–19 October, 2003 – Superbike – Championship Standing & Ranking Progression". sbk.perugiatiming.com. Perugia Timing. 19 October 2003. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  4. "Magny Cours 17–18–19 October, 2003 – Superbike – Manufacturers Standings & Ranking Progression". sbk.perugiatiming.com. Perugia Timing. 19 October 2003. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  5. http://www.f1network.net/main/s180/st19541.htm
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