April 7, 2022

MCE Ducati Conclude Testing In Positive Mood

Eight times champions, the MCE Ducati British Superbike Championship Team completed their preparation for the upcoming 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship with a successful final test at Silverstone this week.

With last Thursday’s planned outing at Donington Park eventually aborted due to the bad weather, hopes were higher for both Josh Brookes and Tom Sykes to get some good laps in aboard the Lake District team’s factory supported PBM Ducati Panigale V4Rs.

 

However, cool temperatures interspersed with rain showers once again affected their progress over the two days and didn’t allow as much track time as they would have liked leaving Australian double BSB champion Brookes in 14th place and Yorkshireman Sykes, who won the World Superbike Championship in 2013, down in 19th overall.

Brookes was consistently inside the top six for most of the sessions with Sykes returning to a track he’s not raced on for many years, gathering important data in readiness for next weekend’s opening round at Silverstone which gets underway on Good Friday.

 

Josh Brookes: “It was a fairly productive test despite the weather being difficult with rain and gusty winds at times. But it’s been the same for everyone and from our side, we’ve done a lot of work with various settings and combinations. Silverstone has always been tricky for our bike, but last year, Silverstone was a good round for us. We’ve struggled in the last sector of the track in the past so that’s an area we’ve concentrated on this week and now the bike is working as good as it ever has. So everything is positive going into the race weekend over Easter, it’s just a case of seeing what the weather will do but I’m ready to rock.”

 

Tom Sykes: “I came here in good spirits after a positive test at Snetterton and found how the Ducati works so came here excited to continue that work. The start of yesterday didn’t go to plan, but I was going about my business and finding where the bike was working and where we needed to improve. The guys have made some small tweaks to the bike with the information since Snetterton, so everything is definitely heading in the right direction. The cold temperatures and really gusty wind meant I didn’t take the best from the bike or myself today but found some more information in preparation for next week.” 

 

John Mowatt, Team Co-Ordinator: “Traditionally, Silverstone isn’t our best track, but we knew which areas we needed to improve on, and we are confident that we now have what we need to be competitive next weekend. Josh chipped away in all the sessions and was only a fraction off the lap record whereas Tom, despite a slip off, methodically worked his way through lots of stuff to get a good load of data which will be important come the races. We will go back to the workshop and analyse the information and we fully expect to come out of the blocks fighting as it’s our intention to win back the title we lost after two years last season.”

 

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, Official Test, combined times:

 

1.         Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 53.627s

2.         Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +0.103s

3.         Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.168s

4.         Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.172s

5.         Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +0.202s

14.       Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati) +0.656s
19.       Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati) +0.802s

 

The opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Silverstone over the Easter weekend of 15/17 April. 


Pictures courtesy of Double Red: Josh Brookes (25) and Tom Sykes (66).

IRWIN AND HAGER PBM DUCATI WRAP-UP SUCCESSFUL TESTING PROGRAMME

April 24, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati team and rider Glenn Irwin have completed another successful R&G Official test at Oulton Park, with the opening round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship now just over a week away. Irwin and the team have spent the last two days at the Cheshire track, grabbing as much track time as possible in the final days on track before the season begins. After ending last weekend’s Donington Park test on top, the team was keen to continue to push in the final two days, working through a busy schedule and trying a host of new components and ideas. Irwin ended the test second quickest overall after clocking the best lap of Thursday afternoon’s final session, banking a 1min 33.313s lap on his last run. He leaves feeling confident about next weekend’s opening round and can’t wait to get back out. Glenn Irwin: “That’s us finished pre-season testing and I’m feeling good. We’ve been working, working, working and the bike felt better today but we still have a bit of work to do. “It’s been really, really enjoyable, we’ve tried a number of different things and I think now we’re finding a bit of a balance. Today we unlocked something in that middle session, I did a good few 33s in that run so I think we’re strong. “It’s definitely been very productive. We haven’t gone for lap times, we’ve been focussed on getting the bike right and when that happens, the lap times come. That’s what we’re starting to see and I think we’re in a good place to come back next week and start the season.” Frank Bird Jnr, Team Co-owner: “It’s a mega way to finish, this puts us in really good stead for the season and we’ve got a lot of boxes ticked off with the bike. All the boys are working well, we’ve got everyone back into the swing of things and Glenn seems to be riding well, so we’re in a good window for the first round. “It’s been a long winter but all the hard work seems to be paying off and we’re right in the mix. It means we can come here for Round One and we’re in a great place to start from.” The opening round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship roars into action at Oulton Park over the May Bank Holiday weekend, May 3-5.

IRWIN AND HAGER PBM DUCATI END SUCCESSFUL SECOND TEST ON TOP

April 19, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati team continued its strong testing form at Donington Park as rider Glenn Irwin once again ended the two days fastest overall. Although the team is still not concentrating on lap times, Irwin picked up where he left off at Circuito de Navarra earlier this month as he led the way on Friday before going even quicker on Day Two with an impressive fastest lap of 1min 27.015s in the final session. After a strong first test where he topped the timesheets at Navarra, the team headed to the second R&G Official test at Donington Park looking to work on a number of different things. Irwin was consistently quick across the opening day, ending Friday fastest overall with a 1:27.022sec lap in the final session to end the day at the top of the timesheets with what was the fastest ever BSB lap of the iconic track. Along with most of the pack, he opted to sit out of Saturday morning’s first session due to track conditions, heading out for the second to work through a few more things. He again shot to the top of the timesheets with a lap of 1:27.468, before later going one better in the final session to clock his new fastest ever lap. Glenn Irwin: “It’s been really good, like Navarra, we’ve continued with a plan. Yesterday we had a really, really strong bike here and conditions were a little better. Today conditions were tougher with the wind but everyone still finds a way to go fast. “We probably persevered with a bike which is suited to the final sector, perhaps Turn One as well. As the day went on I realised we were losing a bit in some places but we stuck with it. “It’s pleasing because I would say that isn’t the bike of choice for here, perhaps maybe yesterday's bike was better, but to top today feeling like that, to do a lot of laps in the 27s with improved pace on old tyres is good. The test has definitely been a success.” John Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “I think it’s been a positive test where we’ve confirmed a number of test items over the two days. We had slightly better conditions yesterday than today but I think we’ve ticked a lot of boxes, gone fairly quick so it’s all positive – roll on Oulton Park. “The plan there is more of the same, just keep trying to understand the new tyre, try and work with it. I think longevity is going to be the key now for Oulton Park, we’ll do a couple of race runs, see how the tyre lasts and then get ready for Round One.” The team will now prepare for the final test at Oulton Park next Wednesday and Thursday, April 23 and 24 which will be the last chance to get everything ready ahead of the first round of the 2025 season at Oulton Park over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
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