John Hopkins eyes Suzuki MotoGP wild cards

John Hopkins was already plotting a dramatic return to the MotoGP world championship in 2011 before Alvaro Bautista’s cruel injury blow saw him a make a shock comeback in Jerez earlier this month.

The reformed bad boy, who is preparing to race for the Samsung Crescent Suzuki squad in British Superbike series in 2011, is still hoping to strike a deal to wild card in the British and American MotoGP races later this season.

Hopkins is seeking sponsorship to secure a factory Suzuki GSV-R ride to compete in the Silverstone round on June 12 and the Laguna Seca race on July 24. He can’t ride in the Indianapolis race in late August because of his BSB commitments at Cadwell Park.

Hopkins replaced Bautista in the recent Jerez clash after the Spaniard broke his left femur during practice for the season’s opening round in Qatar last month.

Hopkins finished 10th in a rain-hit Spanish Grand Prix and he told MCN: “If we get some sponsorship money and we can get some of the costs eliminated in doing a couple of wild card races later in the year then I think it will be a possibility.

“That’s what I’m aiming for and that’s what my hopes are. But obviously my main priority right now is to go out and do really well for the Crescent Suzuki team in BSB.”