Honorary Brit Brendan Roberts has admitted his debut World Superbike season is going to be tough as not only has he got a new bike and new tracks to lear, he has also got the Brit pack to deal with.

Roberts, who lines up alongside Jakub Smrz in the Guandalini Ducati squad with Frankie Chili as team boss, secured the his ride after taking the FIM Superstock Championship in Portimao last month.

"I've been given a fantastic opportunity next year and I'll be riding in the Superbike class against some of the biggest names in the sport," said Roberts.

"It's going to be tough as I have to learn a new bike, plus a couple of new tracks and there are a handful of extremely good riders coming from the UK, which will add to the mix of it all. I'm really excited and happy I've been given the chance to ride for the Guandalini team and extremely looking forward to the first test in January."