CARL Fogarty today quashed reports linking him with a £1million return to Ducati next season.

And he also denied any firm plans to retire from motor cycling at the end of 1997.

The 30-year-old Blackburn ace is nursing his wounds in his Tockholes home after managing only a fifth place finish in the first race at Brands Hatch on Sunday before crashing out in the second.

His dissatisfaction with the overall handling of the Castrol Honda RC45 is well-known and he called his weekend's performance "a nightmare".

But he insists that, although he has been talking to other teams, he remains a Castrol Honda rider and, at this moment, has no plans to alter that situation.

"Certain reports in the papers today have jumped the gun," said Fogarty.

"I have been talking to other teams, Ducati obviously being among them, but nothing concrete has come out of any of these talks.

"All of that's at least two months down the road and until then all I'm concentrating on is trying to retain my World Superbikes Championship title.

"I've been quoted in the past as saying that I want to retire after the 1997 season.

"And I will think very strongly of taking at least a year off then just to take stock and spend some time at home with my family.

"But, again, I have not decided anything about that yet - I'll decide when the time comes."

Although lying 49 points behind Australian Troy Corser in the World Superbikes table with five races to go, Fogarty believes he can still make up the deficit.

"The next four tracks are all smooth and that will help," he said.

"I could be in the lead after the next series of races with 50 points available for back-to-back wins.

"It's not over by a long shot." CARL Fogarty today quashed reports linking him with a £1million return to Ducati next season.

And he also denied any firm plans to retire from motor cycling at the end of 1997.

The 30-year-old Blackburn ace is nursing his wounds in his Tockholes home after managing only a fifth place finish in the first race at Brands Hatch on Sunday before crashing out in the second.

His dissatisfaction with the overall handling of the Castrol Honda RC45 is well-known and he called his weekend's performance "a nightmare".

But he insists that, although he has been talking to other teams, he remains a Castrol Honda rider and, at this moment, has no plans to alter that situation. "Certain reports in the papers today have jumped the gun," said Fogarty.

"I have been talking to other teams, Ducati obviously being among them, but nothing concrete has come out of any of these talks.

"All of that's at least two months down the road and until then all I'm concentrating on is trying to retain my World Superbikes Championship title.

"I've been quoted in the past as saying that I want to retire after the 1997 season.

"And I will think very strongly of taking at least a year off then just to take stock and spend some time at home with my family.

"But, again, I have not decided anything about that yet - I'll decide when the time comes."

Although lying 49 points behind Australian Troy Corser in the World Superbikes table with five races to go, Fogarty believes he can still make up the deficit.

"The next four tracks are all smooth and that will help," he said.

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