After successful two BSB titles with Yamaha, Kyle Ryde and his Nitrous Competitors Racing Crew (previously OMG Racing) will transfer to Ducati for the 2026 season, which is strictly what the Nottinghamshire rider “wished” to do, in keeping with rider coach and 2011 BSB champion Tommy Hill.
With 2023 champion Tommy Bridewell leaving Honda, Ryan Vickers getting back from World Superbike to switch him, and the introduction of the Bimota KB998 underway, Nitrous Competitors’s swap from Yamaha R1 to Ducati Panigale V4R is not essentially essentially the most notable information of this yr’s BSB offseason, nevertheless it has the potential to be maybe essentially the most important change of the winter.
This isn’t solely as a result of experience being Ducati’s fourth bike in BSB after Suzuki, BMW and Yamaha, but in addition due to teammate Glenn Irwin, who has confirmed himself able to difficult for the title on a Ducati machine in PBM in 2023 and 2024.
However rider coach Tommy Hill says it is a change that Ryde – who spent a couple of monitor days aboard a Panigale V4 R for coaching in 2025 – hoped for.
“Everybody is worked up,” Hill stated in an interview on the Ducati UK web site.
“Sure, this can be a new mission, and it will not be simple at first. However I feel this modification is an effective factor.
“It retains everybody on their toes, and that is what Kyle (Experience) wished as effectively, and he is enthusiastic about it. He is in his fourth yr with the group, so it may be change for his fifth season, and he is trying ahead to it, too.”
Regardless of his optimism, Hill acknowledges that the BSB-spec untested bikes may current challenges given the particular situations created by the British Championship ruleset.
“I’ve heard good issues in regards to the Panigale V4 R,” Hill stated.
“It appears to be like like an amazing machine and Ducati have made some massive enhancements.
“We do not know but if it is going to work with the BSB spec, however that is most likely at the back of everybody’s thoughts.
“The bike can change loads as a result of we are going to solely be utilizing one tire compound, whereas within the World Superbike Championship we can be utilizing 4 rear tire compounds and a full digital system.
“I feel it is going to work out effectively for us.
“Kyle has a top-level rider and an amazing group round him and we’re excited to modify to the Italian model.
“We at the moment are in a position to safely begin in earnest in 2026.”
