GP blow for Brits

British interest in the world championship has been slashed by a third just two weeks before the first race in Qatar.

The Winona WCM 250 team, which was to field an all-British line-up with Dan Linfoot and Kev Coghlan, has withdrawn on a temporary basis and will definitely not participate in the early rounds of the championship.

Team boss Andy Hyde though denied the team had collapsed and plans are underway to see a return at Donington Park’s British GP in late June, with a view to competing for the rest of the season.

Linfoot and Coghlan missed testing earlier this week at the rain-hit IRTA test in Jerez, and they failed to appear on official entry lists released by Dorna having been on the provisional list to ride Aprilia machines.

And it was confirmed by team boss that they had informed Dorna of its withdrawal after losing vital sponsorship.

Hyde said: “We are not dead and buried, but we lost our title sponsor and it has been a process of trying to replace them. We believe we have done that, and we aim to be back at the British GP and complete the rest of the season from there. This is the project we all want to see, a British team in the world championship with British riders and that is still our aim.”

Linfoot remains with the team and is expected to contest some early European championship races, while Coghlan has decided to stay in the British 125 championship having recently signed with the UK1 squad,

It leaves four British riders starting the season in Qatar on March, with veteran Jeremy McWilliams in MotoGP, Eugene Laverty in 250s and teenagers Bradley Smith and Danny Webb in 125s.