Glenn Irwin believes Tommy Bridewell “will likely be a formidable risk” within the 2026 BSB season.
After two years with Honda Racing UK, Bridewell raced for the Moto Rapide staff from 2019 to 2022 earlier than returning to the title-winning Ducati machine he performed for PBM in 2023, earlier than racing for BSB’s Superbike Advocate staff subsequent 12 months.
The Devize rider endured a tricky 2025 season with only one win, profitable the 2023 title and combating for the 2024 championship with Kyle Ryde till the ultimate lap of the ultimate race.
Irwin himself plans to return to Ducati subsequent 12 months with the Nitros Competitions staff, which is able to transfer from Yamaha. Irwin, who has been with the staff that received the final two titles on the aforementioned journey since mid-2025 after parting methods with PBM, mentioned he was “grateful” for the transfer to Ducati.
Irwin and Bridewell have been locked in a tense title battle in 2023 once they have been teammates at PBM, and Irwin expects his transfer to Ducati will put him again in rivalry for the highest spot in 2026, even with a brand new staff.
“It is going to be nice,” Irwin instructed Niall McKenzie on the Ducati Stage at Bike Reside.
“You already know Tommy (Bridewell) on a Ducati with Superbike Advocate will likely be a formidable risk.
“There are quite a lot of very quick gamers on this championship.
“However mentally robust persons are a choose few and that is Tommy’s energy. He is all the time had resilience.
“I feel there are some similarities with him and it is nice to have him again at Ducati on a Superbike.
“We now have an excellent rivalry and there’s mutual respect there.”
Irwin added that “it’ll be an ideal 12 months” for Bridewell and “Scott (Redding, Leon (Haslam)) and myself” to journey the Panigale V4 R in 2026.
