WORLD Superbike legend Carl Fogarty feels sorry for Neil Hodgson - because he reckons the Ducati Fila ace is a certainty for the 2003 championship.

Four-time world champion Fogarty can see no other candidate for this year's crown with Hodgson having already amassed a 113-point lead at the top of the standings ahead of the championship reaching its halfway stage at Silverstone on Sunday.

The 29-year-old from Burnley won all of the season's opening nine races before HM Plant Ducati rider and fellow Briton James Toseland got the better of him by more than seven seconds in the second race of the last round at Oschersleben in Germany.

Though Toseland succeeded in puncturing Hodgson's aura of invincibility, Fogarty, who won World Superbike crowns in 1994, 1995, 1998 and 1999, cannot see anyone challenging Hodgson for this season's ultimate prize.

But Blackburn's Fogarty is worried the relative weakness of this season's field following the defection of Aprilia and the big four Japanese manufacturers to the revamped MotoGP series, as well as the departures of many big-name riders, could detract from Hodgson's achievements this year.

"Neil's going to win the world championship providing he doesn't get injured, there's no question of that and we all knew it at the start of the season," said Fogarty.

"But the series is nowhere near as competitive as it used to be and anyone can see that.

"I believe this year is its weakest ever year and I honestly believe if we hadn't come back into the series with a new team (Foggy Petronas Racing) and a new bike then it would have been a big turn-off.

"It's nothing like when I was racing when there were still good riders to beat and there were also the big factory teams - Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and Aprilia.

"They were all there with full factory efforts and although the bike I was on, the Ducati, was the best package, it was certainly never the fastest because the Honda always was.

"Honda aren't even here now but I think they will definitely be coming back next season and there is a good chance two of the other Japanese manufacturers will be as well.

"So it will definitely be stronger next year.

"There's no doubt World Superbikes has been hit over the last few years and it took a big hit this year when MotoGP changed its rules because now they are both pretty much the same kind of class.

"But it is not Neil's fault the class is the way it is and all he can do is get on with it.

"I feel a little bit sorry for him to be honest because everyone will be saying he has only won because there is no Troy Bayliss, no Colin Edwards, no Noriyuki Haga.

"But Neil is a very good rider and I think he would match the likes of Bayliss anyway but because he and Edwards and so on aren't there, he can't prove that."