It is well known that this year John Hopkins was going to race in the British Superbike Championship where Motogp team manager of Suzuki, Paul Denning also runs a team. Paul Denning always held the abilities of John Hopkins as a rider in high esteem and was sad to see him leave for Kawasaki, an ill fated move that saw a season of horrors for Hopkins before Kawasaki unceremoniously pulled out of Motogp. After that Hopkins has been in the AMA Superbike series and in wilderness thanks to injuries but has now recovered completely. In what is anticipated as a preparation for riding next year in Motogp when the new 1000cc regulations fall into place, Denning had placed Hopkins in the Suzuki Superbike Team. When Alvaro Bautista crashed a broke a leg, Hopkins was called to stand in. But now with the BSB season starting this week and Bautista still far from fitness it remains to be seen who will stand in for him at Estoril.