March 31, 2023

BeerMonster Ducati Conclude Testing Ahead of BSB Series Opener

BeerMonster Ducati riders Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell concluded their on-track preparations at Silverstone yesterday ahead of the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship which kicks off there over the Easter weekend.

Aboard the F23-specification BeerMonster Ducati V4R machines, both riders spun some laps in the wet conditions which plagued the third of the official BSB tests around the 1.64-mile National Circuit and ruled out any meaningful lap times.
 
Buoyed by their successful test at Navarra in Spain earlier in the month, both Ulsterman Irwin and Wiltshire ace Bridewell recorded around 35 laps each on Wednesday at Silverstone after sitting out all of Tuesday’s action because of the weather but despite the inclement conditions, both riders are raring to go when the action starts in earnest on Good Friday.

Glenn won all three races at the season opener at Silverstone last season before going on to finish runner-up in the final standings whilst Tommy, who finished third in the title race in 2022, is looking to kick off the season with a debut Silverstone victory.
 
Glenn Irwin: “That’s pre-season testing done. We had an enjoyable time at Navarra and got great feeling with the bike with a clear understanding and then did a few laps in the wet at Silverstone. I’m reasonably happy as there are areas where the package is strong but there are some that we need to keep working on and to improve. Because of the weather in the UK, no one has had much dry track time so going into round one, everyone is unsure as to where they are at. Hopefully next Friday will be dry and we can all see where we are at so I’m looking for a strong start to the season.”
 
Tommy Bridewell: “I’ve got a really positive feeling ahead of the season and I’ve made a good transition to the PBM BeerMonster Ducati team. My priority has been to better understand the new Ducati V4R and the way it works. It’s a lot different to the previous model and a real breath of fresh air, it’s all that I’ve been missing. We’ve hardly changed the bike during the testing we did, we didn’t get too many laps in but it’s still been very productive. I’m glad we got some time in the wet conditions as that was a big positive for me too so I’m confident rolling into the opening round.”
 
John Mowatt, Team Co-Ordinator: “The Silverstone test proved to be tough with difficult conditions on both days. The track temperature on Tuesday was too low for us to attempt any meaningful laps but although it was still wet, it warmed up sufficiently for us to get a few laps in on Wednesday. It was important track time for both Glenn and Tommy on the new F23 bikes and we gained some valuable data. Now we start our final preparations for the opening round at Silverstone over Easter which the whole team is looking forward to and we can’t wait to go racing again.”
 
The opening round of the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Silverstone over the Easter weekend from 7/9 April. 
 
 
Images (courtesy of Double Red): Glenn Irwin (2) and Tommy Bridewell (46) finished pre-season testing in the wet conditions at Silverstone ahead of round one next weekend.

IRWIN AND HAGER PBM DUCATI READY FOR DONINGTON PARK TEST

April 17, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati team and rider Glenn Irwin head to Donington Park this week for the second Bennetts British Superbike Championship R&G Official Test. After a strong run at Circuito de Navarra earlier this month, the team is looking forward to getting back on track in the UK, as the countdown to the start the 2025 season continues.  The iconic Donington Park will play host to the second pre-season test on Good Friday and Saturday, before the class of 2025 heads to Oulton Park next Wednesday and Thursday, April 23 and 24, for the final test before the season begins over the May Bank Holiday weekend. The team is looking to build on the success of the Navarra test, where Irwin was consistently quick, setting the pace on the first day before topping the timesheets at the end of the event with a best lap of 1min 44:527s. But keen not to get caught up focusing on lap times yet, Irwin is more concerned about getting through as much work as possible during the two days and making sure the important boxes are ticked. Glenn Irwin: “We’re all looking forward to it. At Navarra, it was important we worked through a number of things which are different this year and it was a great test – but it’s important that we don’t get complacent. “At Donington we’ve more new items to try and we’ve got a list of work to get through, which will be our priority. Once we’ve done all that and have a good feeling, I think we can show up well on the timesheets, but more so in race rhythm than in one-off fast laps. “At Navarra, we found areas where I was weak last year but not this year so we were able to use this as a reference. At Donington, we know the track well and have an idea of where we need to be but for me it’s about continuing to evaluate what we have and understanding the feeling of everything rather than get too hung up on what the timesheet says. If it feels good and we’re good, we’re happy!” Jordan Bird, Team Co-owner: The whole Hager PBM Ducati team is looking forward to being back on home soil for the first time this year. Navarra was a really productive test for us so the team and Glenn are heading into our UK testing program in great spirits! “We are looking forward to seeing plenty of BSB fans trackside at Donington Park. Let’s hope the sun is shining for us!”

SUCCESSFUL OPENING TEST AS IRWIN AND HAGER PBM DUCATI TOP NAVARRA TIMESHEETS

April 8, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati team is heading home from the first official Bennetts British Superbike test of the year feeling confident about the season ahead following a strong two days on track in Spain. The team and rider Glenn Irwin joined the class of 2025 at the first of the R&G Official BSB tests at Circuito de Navarra in Northern Spain, ending the event fastest overall, with a best lap of 1min 44.537secs. The team used the two days on track to work on a number of areas, with a particular focus on a new, updated lower seat unit and the new 2025 Pirelli tyre. And despite not putting any pressure on themselves to chase lap times, Irwin still clocked the best lap of the event, sticking in his best lap time during in Monday morning’s session to top the overall timesheets. Glenn Irwin: “We came to Navarra with the objective of just working with the guys again which has been fun. The layout here has improved a lot, it’s a really, really good track now, hopefully we can return. “We had quite a lot of things to try, my Ducati from last year to this is a very different bike but it’s been enjoyable to ride, I feel really comfortable on the bike. “We ended the test fastest which isn’t so important, but we were low into the’45s with 20-plus laps on the tyres every time we exited the pits. No new tyres this afternoon and lots of really good race pace. “The guys adapted the bike to the new tyre and I adapted my riding style a little bit and we’ve had a great, enjoyable couple of days. Roll on Donington!” Frank Bird, Team Co-owner: “It’s mega to finally get the 2025 season underway - it sounds a little bit cliched but it’s been a really long winter! There’s been a lot of hard work and stress in the build up but it’s good to finally get to a track and put all the hard work to the test. “A big thanks to the boys and of course thanks to all our sponsors. It’s been a really productive three days, I like to think we’ve ticked off all the boxes that we had before coming to the test so hats off to the whole team. “Everything ran smoothly, it’s like we’ve never been away but it’s great to finally get going and to be fastest on day one and fastest overall at the end. It seemed to come quite easily so we’re all looking forward to the next couple of tests.”  The team will now head home to the UK and the workshop for some further work, before the next R&G Official Test at Donington Park on April 18 and 19.
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