Spanish star Xavi Forés will make a welcome return to the Bennetts British Superbike Championship for the season finale at Brands Hatch this weekend, joining forces with Oxford Products Racing Ducati to deputise for Christian Iddon who is sidelined through injury.

Forés has most recently been competing in MotoAmerica, but is no stranger to Bennetts BSB, having scored four podium finishes during his previous appearances. He returns this weekend to line up on Steve Moore’s Ducati V4R, the manufacturer that he celebrated most of his success with in the World Championship, including 2018 when he was crowned Independent Champion, finishing seventh in the overall championship with podium finishes.

Forés has also celebrated title victories in the IDM Superbike Championship in 2014 and the CEV Stock Extreme Championship in 2010 and 2013, plus made wildcard appearances in MotoGP.

Forés said: “I’m very happy to come back to the series with a strong team like Oxford Products Racing Ducati. It was an easy conversation between Wilf and myself to arrange the deal. I wanted to race after a crazy season and he was happy to have me on the team.

“I’m really looking forward to start the weekend and specially to enjoy the experience with them. We are going to have a lot of work to do in order to understand everything in a very short time, but my target is to have good fun and enjoy my comeback to BSB.”

Team Owner Steve Moore concluded: “It is obviously a hugely disappointing outcome for Christian to miss the final round of the season, but the priority is for him recover from his surgery and start working towards his recovery. We have had some real highlights this season; a victory and a further seven podium finishes and remained in the fight for the title until the closing stages.

“To have a rider of Xavi’s calibre to join us this weekend is a great opportunity. He has plenty of experience across a multitude of classes, disciplines and manufacturers and so I am looking forward to him being a part of the team this weekend. We have no pressure or expectations on him, but we will are aiming to work with his feedback and keep moving forward throughout the weekend.”