GBmoto and rider Tristan Palmer have shelved plans to switch manufacturers for their first foray into British Superbikes next season and will remain as a Honda team working with local dealer P&H.

It is believed that team boss Mark Smith-Halvorsen had been in in talks with SMR to run a brace of Yamahas but that has now gone by the wayside. The squad now has all its parts and technical partners have been secured and the team will be looking to bench test their Superbikes mid-February, before heading to Spain for their first test on 1st of March at Cartagena.

“We considered many options in detail, before making the decision to use Hondas in BSB next year – I think most are already aware of excellent balance of the chassis and the performance it can produce whilst complying with next year’s technical regulations. For us, it also allows us to make the most of our in house knowledge and experience, whilst retaining an independence; which I think is healthy in this sporting environment, said Smith-Halvorsen.

"Having said that, we will be relying heavily on our technical partners to help us put together and understand the performance parameters of the Superbikes and we look forward to achieving mutually beneficial returns in those areas. Our expanded team for next year is already excited and neck deep in preparation for the bikes and all sorts of new things to happen and arrive and our plans to be competitive next year are firmly underway. This is an exciting time.”