From the outset, it was clear that the Ducati 998 F 02 had the ‘legs’ of all the other bikes. However, it was only in combination with the talents of reigning title holder Bayliss that this machine’s supremacy was displayed. For whatever reason, team-mates Ruben Xaus, also on Michelin tyres, and Dunlop shod Ben Bostrom couldn’t quite unlock the secrets of the F 02.

Therefore, Bayliss’ biggest threat was the VTR 1000 SP2 Honda of Edwards, which effectively hung in behind until such time as it could claw back ground. Despite having no team-mates, or possibly because of this, Edwards was a constant factor in the championship, and he displayed true inspiration when it became possible to step up his game.

Surely no-one can say that they weren’t thoroughly entertained by the decisive races at Imola, which capped a great season. Either man would have deserved the title, but there is only ever one winner, if you don’t count the sport itself.

The following seasonal ratings are purely personal, and any debate is welcomed on the site forum.

1 Colin Edwards - Castrol Honda
Fast and consistent like no-one before, Colin had a remarkable, mistake-free record in 2002. Nine consecutive race wins came at the trailing edge of a staggering 25-podium run, and he didn’t finish a single race outside the top four all year. The final totals are impressive in themselves - eleven wins, ten seconds, four thirds and a fourth - but are all the more significant given that the best Honda developments weren’t brought out until September. In the meantime, the Texan maintained a pragmatic approach that would ultimately reward him, and it is for this reason that he has been rated above Bayliss here. He deserved to win back the title, and did just that in a thrilling head-to-head at the Imola finale.

2 Troy Bayliss - Ducati Infostrada
Troy had a dominant start that brought him fourteen wins from the first nine double headers, and he seemed to be running away with the title. Although this period brought him more victories than Colin would manage, it was widely accepted that the Ducati initally had the edge over the Honda. Nevertheless, Bayliss was comprehensively out-riding just about everyone, and it looked like a formality. Edwards’ response was proof enough that you cannot just sit back, and at Assen it began to look as though the pressure was affecting Bayliss. In the end, his fall in the second race there probably cost him the title, and although he fought strongly at Imola, it was not quite enough this time.

3 Neil Hodgson - HM Plant Ducati
Given that Neil was riding a year old non-works Ducati on Dunlops, 2002 was a particularly impressive year for the Englishman. Against the Bayliss-Edwards steamroller, Hodgson was frequently the only man to really challenge the lead pair, and he was rewarded with twenty-one top five finishes. These included nine podiums, and he also sat on pole three times. His pair of second placed finishes, at Monza and Brands Hatch, even saw him beat Edwards and Bayliss once apiece. Although Noriyuki Haga seemed to become a personal nemesis, Neil out-scored the Japanese by a 48-point margin, for third overall, and surely earned the right to a full factory-spec machine next year.

4 Chris Walker - Kawasaki Racing Team
An early-season affliction with Bell’s palsy, or partial paralysis of the face, added to the fact that he was riding a 750, made this a fine season’s work from ‘the Stalker,’ through adversity. Initially Kawasaki’s number two rider, Walker became the team’s focus after Hitoyasu Izutsu was injured, and he battled it out to finish best of the four-cylinders in seven races, as well as tussling with the likes of twin-mounted James Toseland at times. A consistent string of results saw Walker finish ninth overall, and best of the four-cylinders, with a couple of top six results. The most notable of these was a brilliant fourth in a damp race two at Silverstone, in front of his many fans, and a Ducati berth for 2003 is his just reward.

5 Noriyuki Haga - Playstation2-FGF Aprilia
Having achieved great things with a four-cylinder Yamaha on Dunlops, Noriyuki’s move to Grands Prix in 2001 proved disappointing. A return to Superbikes, albeit now on a twin, had the fans anticipating his spectacular antics again, and he duly delivered. However, although the season began strongly for Nori, the Aprilia RSV 1000 didn’t quite suit his riding style like the R7 had, and he rarely looked like a winner. After finishing second twice at the season-opener, where he led for much of race two, Haga then found a regular sparring partner in Hodgson, usually for third, fourth or fifth, sometimes fading from the front. The highlight for the Japanese came at Laguna Seca, where he could have beaten Edwards, but he will hope for more from next season.

6 Frankie Chili - Ducati NCR
Having been dropped by Suzuki, Frankie returned to the Ducati ranks on a privateer bike and, despite early season problems, proved he still had plenty of talent. A practice incident with Ruben Xaus left Chili out of action for a short time, but when he came back it was to finish fourth twice in three races. Thereafter, a string of fifths, sixths and sevenths followed, but his best day was to come at Assen. In the second race, the wily campaigner took advantage of others’ misfortune to finish a highly creditable second, and it marked his 44th visit to the World Superbike podium. There is nothing to suggest that the 38-year-old doesn’t have more of the same in him yet.

7 James Toseland - HM Plant Ducati
22-year-old Toseland made a definite step forward this year, and was seventh in the final standings as a result. Although not yet a match for team-mate Hodgson, James put together a consistent season, and it saw him get progressively closer to the top six. In the first eight rounds, James managed best finishes of fifth in Italy and sixth in South Africa. But as the season wound up he was sixth on a further five occasions, and he also followed Chili home to make his first podium in the Netherlands. The real test will be next year, when he will need to move up just that one notch higher, and try to get amongst the top guys on a regular basis.

8 Ruben Xaus - Ducati Infostrada
Ruben maintained his popular all-action style this year, but it wasn’t really enough to keep on terms with team-mate Bayliss. Indeed, the Spaniard remained on the erratic side, and some good results - two seconds, eight thirds - were offset by a few race-ending crashes. A few too many, in fact, as Xaus ended the year as the third of the works Ducatis, and quite a long way behind privateer Hodgson. With two seasons in the series now behind him, his speed is not in doubt, but it is probably about time that he cut down the number of mistakes. As both Bayliss and Edwards are headed to Grands Prix, Ruben keeps his place for 2003, when he must make good on his undoubted potential.

9 Gregorio Lavilla - Alstare Suzuki Corona
After a couple of good seasons Gregorio was let go by Kawasaki, and he moved over to become the sole Suzuki representative in 2002. It can’t have been easy, but he performed admirably in the role, and was top man in the 750cc class on eleven occasions, even if Walker outscored him over the season. Lavilla proved his worth by beating some of the 1000cc bikes on occasion, battling with such as Chili, Toseland and even Ben Bostrom. The Spaniard’s reward, in addition to a fifth and a sixth on Italian soil, was an extended contract that sees him stay with Suzuki for 2003. It will be interesting to see what happens if they run the GSX-R 1000 machine.

10 Ben Bostrom - L&M Ducati
Ben had won six times in 2001, and deservedly kept his place as third Ducati man as a result. Unfortunately, something seemed to be missing this year, and he slumped from third overall to fifth, with over fifty points less. His best result this year was third - which he recorded in the first race of the season - but Bostrom began to be pushed outside the top six in later races, and by such bikes as the Suzuki. There were still days when he was able to race with Hodgson and Haga, but the machinery should have made this inevitable, as should his ability. With only one top six in the last four races, it looked like Ben’s time in the series was spent, although he has it in him to make a comeback in the future.

Other notable performances
As mentioned above, Hitoyasu Izutsu started the year as the leading 750 runner, always qualifying top eight, and with two sixths and three seventh finishes from six races. He had fallen when placed fourth in the other. Unfortunately, a wrist injury on Friday at Sugo put him out for most of the year, although he did make it back for a few more points.

20-year-old Broc Parkes made progress during the year, which saw him score some eighth and ninth places at the finish, after some inspired riding off the startline. He is obviously a man for the future.

A number of wildcard riders gave good accounts at intervals during the year, with Nicky Hayden, Eric Bostrom, Akira Yanagawa, Shane Byrne and Aaron Yates, in particular, having good scoring runs. At Silverstone, Michael Rutter ran top four in both wet races, but fell twice, whilst Steve Hislop qualified on the front row for the same meeting.

However, the best wildcard notices go to Makoto Tamada, who qualified third at Sugo, led both races and finished second and first. Indeed, he was the fastest man in race two, and his result marked the only victory not to go to Bayliss or Edwards, as well as the only success for Dunlop.

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