Positive first test for the Moto Rapido Racing Ducati team at Navarra

Leon Haslam made a welcome return to Ducati machinery this week, when he got his first chance to ride the Moto Rapido Racing Ducati team's Panigale V4 R at the Navarra circuit in Spain during the first of three R&G Official Tests. The 'Pocket Rocket' announced he was joining the Winchester-based team late last year, with high hopes of title success. And the positive start at Navarra means the team will move on to the next test at Donington in a great position.

Ben Currie is back on the Panigale V2, this time with a new Crew Chief in Les Pearson, as he aims to retake the Supersport title he won with the team in 2023. Ben and Les had lots to work through during the two-day test and made great ground with all the team leaving Spain on a high after the long winter break.

Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Racing Ducati #91)

"First test at Navarra done and it’s safe to say it’s been a long winter, so I was excited to get started. I've spent a bit of time with Wilf and Hammy over the winter, but there’s nothing like being with the whole team in the garage, watching everyone get stuck in. We got through so much and luckily the weather was good to us. It was great to get on the Ducati again for the first time in a few years. My bike now is a far cry from any Ducati I’ve ridden before.

As far as tests go this one couldn’t have gone better, and for a first outing I feel like we’re in a really strong position. Next up is Donington next week, where we’ll really see what we’ve got and fine tune the bike for racing. Big thanks to the team for making this first test as smooth as possible. Can’t wait to go again!"

Ben Currie (Moto Rapido Racing Ducati #61)

"I had a really positive couple of days at Navarra and finally got back out with the team and my brand new Panigale V2. I was buzzing to get going on the new bike, especially with some changes compared to the one we’ve been running before. We got through a massive programme, testing new suspension components and ideas, plus taking a fresh approach to the chassis setup.

We spent most of the first day just getting me comfortable and understanding how the bike felt, as it’s pretty different to what I’m used to. We also welcomed my new Crew Chief Les Pearson into the team. He’s well known in the paddock, so no need for an introduction. As expected there were a few teething problems, but we worked tirelessly through different set ups and by the end of the test we were in a really solid place.

W’ve got a good base to work from heading into Donington, so we can really focus on getting up to speed. The team's in a great place, the atmosphere is spot on, and having one of my best mates Leon on the other side of the garage makes it even better."

Moto Rapido Racing Ducati rocket into 2025 BSB title chase with Haslam

Moto Rapido Racing Ducati are aiming for their first Bennetts BSB Championship victory, having come close previously, including finishing runner-up in 2021. The Winchester-based Ducati dealership team have now joined forces with 2018 title-winner Haslam, and together they are ready to come out fighting when the season gets underway next May at Oulton Park.

Haslam returns to Ducati for the first time since 2007 and is relishing a return to the manufacturer he made his Superbike debut with in 2003. The Derbyshire rider’s previous success with Ducati includes claiming his first BSB race win together in 2004 and taking the runner-up spot in the 2006 Championship standings. The ‘Pocket Rocket’ also celebrated 10 race wins and a total of 42 podium finishes with Ducati in the Championship from 2004 – 2007.

Haslam said: “I am super excited for next year and returning to Ducati where it all first started for me on the Superbike back in 2003. I got my first ever BSB race win and World Championship podium with them and it was where my Superbike career really started.

“To go back to Ducati, riding for Wilf and the Moto Rapido Racing team, gives me the opportunity to try to win a second British Championship; everyone involved is so fired up for next year and for me that is the most important thing. I want to come back and have another go at winning this championship again, I can have a good winter and am excited to be ready to hit the ground running next year and try to win the title with Ducati.”

Team Owner Steve Moore
“I’m very pleased to secure Leon for our 2025 challenge. We’ve already had several technical meetings and we are certainly on the same page with what he needs from the Ducati, so I’m confident we can put the bike under him and the team around him that he needs to be winning races.

“Leon is a strong and demanding character, which I like, as so am I; together we can be a winning combination! The challenge of BSB is immense, the level of teams, machinery and riders means we will need to be on top of every detail, so we are starting preparation now.”

Christian Iddon feeling good going into the Showdown

Christian shares his thoughts on his season to date heading into the Showdown

“Everything has been going pretty good this year, except for the last couple of rounds. Everywhere we’ve been strong. At Brands Hatch, which was three rounds ago, I felt the best ever I’ve been on the bike. It wasn’t my best round in terms of results, but it was definitely the best I’ve felt and the most at one I’ve felt with my bike, the most in tune.

I was really looking forward to Thruxton, even though it’s not really been known as strong for us. I kind of thought we could really throw up a surprise there. We had the difficulty then of Wilf getting really poorly, and sadly that round turned out to be as the form book tends to suggest anyway which was a real shame.

We then had Cadwell which was probably worse as we didn’t expect the results we got, and our main championship rival actually scored really highly, which they hadn’t done at Thruxton.

The situation now is one of those that it is what it is. We’re still fourth in the points which is not bad but are trying to win the championship. There is a 60 odd point deficit but however we now are into the Showdown part of the year where the points ramp up.

This year we’ve been hammering in podiums at pretty much every round and that’s all well and good. But now we need to do that and up the game a little bit. We must make sure we’re outscoring out main championship rivals to at least head the pile, so as to be in with a shot of taking the championship.

We’re now going to three tracks that we know from this year. Oulton was a triple podium for me. Donington was difficult because I had a crash, but I set the fastest lap of the weekend. And Brands Hatch was the best I’ve ever felt on this bike in two years. So, we’re going to known quantities, and I feel pretty good about it.”

A challenging weekend for Oxford Products Racing Ducati at Cadwell Park

Ian ‘Hammy’ Darbyshire reports back from Cadwell Park, which hosted Round 8 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship over the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Historically last year wasn’t much of a ‘party in the Park’ for us with three lots of seventh place finishes so we were certainly hoping for better results this time round. Even though it was over a Bank Holiday and normal track action moved forward a day, we were also treated to the traditional Friday night Superbike test, with a two and half hour open pitlane.

It can’t go without saying that we had our boss back. As most know Wilf has been incredibly unwell and will still be recovering for some time, but he wanted to get back to support what he has built up over the last 15 seasons. We used the test to try new stuff with the new package we run in the bike. We made the most of the open pit lane and struck off 42 laps trying a few different things. We finished 2.220s off but satisfised we’d tried the right things. Then the fun began…

Saturday was a day of chasing our tales on both bikes with the rain and track conditions not being consistent at all throughout the day. We had a heavy down pour but a quick drying track as in general the temperatures were still warm. Both boys struggled to concentrate on a single set up or at least a set up that worked within a certain window. Christian didn’t have too much pressure to set up his weekend. Ben however didn’t go out in the first session meaning we had to go out in the second session to put a time in to put us in good stead for the rest of the weekend. Saturday saw Christian twelfth overall and Ben first. 

Superbike
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #21)
“I really didn’t envisage this weekend being so tough. From the first test I just didn’t feel a connection with the bike or get it to do with it what I wanted to do. On Sunday we had a difficult FP3 and that continued to a very difficult qualifying. Leading straight into Race One I was just involved in so many things. I was caught in a collision off the line. I also had another bike stop in front of me which I had to take evasive action to avoid which messed up turn one. Also, we had a few glitches with the bike, and then also got hit with a time penalty. Overall, though, more concerningly was the overall lack of pace we had. 

I woke up Monday with a fresh mind and keen to turn it around but unfortunately that wasn’t the case which is incredibly disappointing. I do however want to forget about the last two rounds and move forward. 

The last three rounds we know we’ve been quick from the first visits earlier this season so we know we can go well. Yes, we’ve dropped down to fourth in the championship, but the biggest concern is losing a lot of points to Kyle and Tommy. Both riders had a strong weekend. It’s tough to know where the difficulty lies this weekend between me and the bike but that’s when the team needs to come back together and go again. As always, a huge thank you to the fans, my personal sponsors, the team and their sponsors also.”

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Supersport
Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #1)
“That was a tough, tough weekend. The last couple of rounds have obviously been super tough for us as a whole team for both Christian and me on both sides of the garage. But I'm in really good spirits. 

We fought hard at Cadwell to try and get a bike that can challenge the front two, which were on phenomenal pace all weekend. With the slight lack of track time prior to qualifying and races due to bad weather, it did make it for a tricky time for me and the team. 

The second place in Saturday's race was a little bit of a gift because Jack unfortunately crashed out from second place, which actually gave us our biggest lead of the championship so far with 17 points going into Sunday. 

Unfortunately, I completely messed up Sunday's race and yeah, it wasn't part of the plan, let's just say that. Where I didn't have the pace to sort of challenge all weekend, I decided that I was going to try and settle for a good podium if I could. But once I set off for the race, the racer in me came out and I felt like I could challenge, so I wanted to stick in there as long as I could. I finally had a bike underneath me that I was capable to do the job, that's just how it is with the lack of track time that we had. 

The team were unbelievable to give me a bike there all of a sudden that could challenge with, and I got a little bit excited and then maybe just dropped concentration for a split second. I ran slightly wide, minimally wide, and lost the front end of the bottom of the mountain. That was that for Sunday's race. I lost a huge chunk of points again, which is massively unfortunate, but with six points back in the championship lead we are more than in this fight. 

With three rounds to go, there's three of us separated by six points, which is absolutely crazy for this part of the season. It’s going to make for a really exciting finish to the championship and I'm sure people are going to absolutely love it, and to be honest I can't wait to be a part of it. 

So, I'm confident the last three rounds should be good for us. And the added bit of confidence that I gained at Sunday's race to turn things around was good, so I'm really looking forward to the end of this season. Let’s keep pushing.”

A tough home round for Oxford Products Racing Ducati at Thruxton

Ian ‘Hammy’ Darbyshire reports back from Thruxton, Round 7 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, located just half an hour away from the team's Ducati dealership base in Winchester.

As most will know we went into one of the toughest weekends on the calendar for us without our team owner and Crew Chief Wilf. It certainly made a tricky task tougher, but the team were fully up for it and wanted to prove to the boss we could step up.

It’s historically a hard track for the Ducatis and we weren’t expecting 2024 to be any different.

We approached Friday like any other race weekend. We drafted in extra help from one of our previous staff members Cat and some remote support from Wilf where possible. The aim going into the round was trying to give the boys bikes that were stable enough to push on and so as to obtain as many points as possible.

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Superbike
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #21)

"We went into the weekend knowing it was going to be difficult. We’d lost our boss, owner, and crew chief in Wilf due to illness. As hard as this was for us it’s worth mentioning it must have been 10 times harder from him being on the sideline in hospital. Everyone knows how difficult the track is for us but actually I went into it really optimistic because I’ve been riding really well and the team's been working really well. I’ve scored good points there in the past on a Ducati so I saw no reason why we couldn’t stick it to them.

Friday showed that we had some pace. We worked our way through the schedule, and we were happy, even with it difficult to validate changes with a tricky schedule.

Saturday rolled round and qualifying was difficult, meaning we didn’t have the best grid place. I set off in Race 1 on the unpreferred tyre for our bike and felt really good on the Ducati. I was able to pick up grip, turn the bike and put it where I wanted without feeling like I was doing too much damage to the tyre. I managed to pull myself from 15th to first. By getting to the front my thought was I could save more tyre there instead of fighting and battling for positions mid pack but I must of burnt too many matches on reflection after watching it back and we finished P9. I felt pretty good for Sunday but I knew the pace was going to be a lot faster based on how much we were down on lap times on Saturday.

Roll on Sunday we just lost everything. I had no grip, struggled to turn the bike, and it was hard to know what changes there were other than the much higher temperatures. The sprint race was a short dash due to the red flag but again with the higher pace it was very difficult. On the last corner of the last lap I made a mistake which I was really disappointed I made but P6 was our finishing position.

From very early on I knew the last race was going to be a battle. As the race went on it just got harder and harder and there was nothing I could do other than hold on for as many positions as possible.

As weekends go we didn’t lose a huge amount to the rivals we came into this weekend with, but we did open the door to three other title contenders making the championship now wide open with us not as close to the top as we'd hoped."

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Supersport
Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #1)

"That was a tough weekend for both myself and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team. But we came away with a fourth, and a third in the Supersport feature race, a brilliant way to end a hard weekend.

We dug in for that result. Everyone in the team played a huge role this weekend, especially in the absence of our team boss and Crew Chief Wilf who was unfortunately missing due to illness.

We’re currently just four points off the championship lead, so we just need to keep working in this direction and attack the last half of this season, which should bode well for us.

Now it's back to work for Cadwell Park, where hopefully we come into the weekend prepared and ready to fight."

Oxford Products Racing Ducati score three podium finishes at Brands

Ian ‘Hammy’ Darbyshire reports back from Brands Hatch, Round 6 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

Hammy
Friday comes and its back to business. We were very relieved to see a clear weekend on Wednesday looking at the weather reports of mainly summer sun with the odd cloud cover.

Both Christian Iddon and Ben Currie came into the round knowing how big this one was and we were just as aware. Halfway point, the turning point, or the point you look back at come round 11 and say, ‘but what if!’

Ben started off our track action and we were happy to have a longer practice for the Supersport class. Both riders had solid days with Ben topping the time sheet and Iddon having a positive day with the strategy we approached.

It is very clear Supersport has become a three-four rider championship due to the disparity within the pack. Even though we topped the sheet this was not a sign of an easy weekend or even the race favourite. Jack is incredible strong with their bike getting better and better. And you can also never underestimate Luke’s class or speed!

Iddon’s championship on the other hand is still open and wide. Before this round we’ve had eight race winners, a total of twelve different podium finishers, ten different teams reaching the podium and five different manufacturers claiming the top spot. This just shows how close this season has been so far. The sessions were absolutely scorching with track temperate way over 40 degrees. Overall, we finished eighth combined and only 0.363 off P1.

Ben Currie
“After being combined first overall for Friday’s practises and then going and putting it on pole during qualifying, things were only looking up. And the ten-lap Sprint race on the Saturday was a proper colossal battle every lap of the way. Me and Jack pulled away from the rest of the field and it all came down to the last lap. I made a pass and unfortunately ran wide a couple of corners later and lost back the lead and couldn't regain it, missing out on the win by literally a thousandth of a second. Really unfortunate.” 

Christian Iddon
“Overall we’ve had a really good day. It’s strange because you could be ninth or tenth on the time sheets but still be less than a second off. Sticking to our plan and strategy is where we need to stay focused. Race pace is good, and we’ve had a good feeling from rolling out for the first time. I felt good during qualifying but just struggled to get the lap together and we ended up P9 for race 1 which is a long race of 20 laps. 

“Sat on the grid and it was hot, but not as hot as Friday, so I knew the race was going to be fast and hard. Lights go out and I get a good launch and fight straight to the first group sitting in fourth. We broke into group one pretty quick, and it was a pretty good battle between Glenn and Tommy which I was just working out. They were taking chunks out of each other, and I was faster in certain areas but not fast enough to make it count and I also didn’t want to get tangled up in that battling and put us on the back foot. I was in second at one point then Andrew caught the group out of nowhere and fourth was the result at the end of day one. I was kind of frustrated as I felt there was a better result there to be had but it just didn’t come together. On a positive note, I was happy with the feeling my bike gave me and I was riding well too.

Hammy
Even though Ben had a mega race and Christian gained a couple points on the championship we all wrapped up for the night on Saturday feeling a little hollow and obviously hungry for more. The team this year is different; we look at racing differently, we approach it differently, and we want it more than ever and it’s tough to not let the ‘ok’ results feel like a total loss. But the desire we have running through us now is infectious and it inspires me and Wilf to give everything for the team.

Sunday… the big dance! The night before the whole team spent the night together which doesn’t always happen due to hotels, caravans, motorhomes, and team living. It was awesome just to all sit, relax and just talk about life. Come Sunday morning this had clearly carried on through as everyone was really positive, and I could feel an air of confidence in everyone and their respective roles.

Ben Currie
“Sunday came around and I had an opportunity for redemption. We had a different game plan going into the race, which was to follow Jack and pressure him but unfortunately it wasn't to prevail as the same scenario as the previous race followed.

Jack tried to break us in the middle part of the race, but I hung onto him, managed to set the fastest lap of the race, and closed the eighth tenths of a gap that he had back in, and I made a pass on the last lap to take to lead.

Unfortunately, I made the similar mistake that I made in the first race, and I ran a little bit wide. He snuck up the inside of me, and this time I lost by half a bike length, four thousandths of a second. Being a carbon copy of Saturday's race was very unfortunate, and as you could expect I was a little bit miffed off.

But I'm now thoroughly looking forward to Thruxton and feel like it could be a very strong round for us. It was a round last year that we took a double victory at so let's look forward to that, especially as it’s the local round for the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team. And in the meantime, I have a test with the team at Cadwell Park in early August. I can’t wait to get going!” 

Christian Iddon
“Roll on to Sunday and the first race. I lost the rear on the first corner, and I just thought, jeez this weekend is bad. Just no luck. Red flags, hit twice by riders and this time basically I was down and had crashed. It just went and I don’t think I bedded the tyre in enough on the warmup lap as the revs dropped and it just went and just again the bike recovered it. If it had gone another two-three inches, then it would have been a big old high side and likely a trip to the nearest hospital!

Got back on it and again not for the first time this weekend I was dropped down the order but just got my head down and was determined. From there I just made moves, the bike allowed me to make moves. I felt so good. We keep changing a certain part of the bike and incrementally bit by bit the bike’s just got better and better and I arrived at a point where I could just make moves in places I don’t think I’ve ever made here on any bike.

The way the rules are our bike gets hurt because our bike isn’t fast where it used to be so making these moves felt insane. I made good ground and tried to relax as much as I could of the middle part of the race. I mean trying to relax while the current champion is hunting you down as I could see from my board isn’t easy, but I managed to remain relaxed and used my board perfectly. I just allowed the bike flow and save any tyre which isn’t easy banging out 25’s but it allowed me to without too much risk. As I saw the board hit zero from the rider behind and thought any change I have to go. I saw Kyle make the smallest mistake, just allowing the bike to wheelie just a touch more than he had any other lap coming onto the back straight, so I had to go even knowing he's supreme into that corner and knowing he’d likely try hit back anyway, but my bike made it stick. I was expecting someone to come back through and make a move as we have different weakness to the two bikes behind us, but it was nice to ride smooth and box it off. It was genuinely one of the most enjoyable races I’ve ever had. Wouldn’t have said that if I had finished fourth, it would have ended one of the worst…

–None of us had anything for Ryan. We’ve been racing for second this weekend, so we all need to improve, but credit where it’s due. But from our side we couldn’t have done more. I think result wise we could have had more but that circumstances were against this weekend, nothing me or the team could have done better. It just generates close lap times so I’m really, happy, specifically happy with how the bike’s allowing me to go fast, especially the last race where we were hitting 25’s for the whole race.

We lost a few points to the top of the championship which I’m not happy about as the gap to the top is all I care about, and I know the team do too. But it was also nice to beat Tommy in a one-on-one battle as obviously with Glenn’s misfortune this weekend he wasn’t able to race us as he normally would be, I’m genuinely happy to see him ok.

The next round will be interesting as everyone knows the Ducati struggles at Thruxton but I am genuinely excited because I’ve had a podium there before on a Ducati and I am sure Wilf and the boys can do their best to find that window that works, but we will see. Just a huge thanks to the team not stopping this weekend and always looking for the extra bit. We are really strong together at the moment and it feels good.”

 Photo Credit: Danny Easton