New bike. Testing complete. The stage is set...
Game on!
Hager PBM Racing Team and Scott Redding head to Oulton Park for the opening round of the 2026 British Superbike Championship this weekend (2-4 May), and if last week’s official test at the Cheshire circuit is anything to go by, expect high speeds and close on-track battles from the very first lap.
2026 is a big year for the Hager PBM Racing Team. As well as marking three decades at the forefront of British motorsport, the team is heading into this new season with a brand new bike.
The latest Ducati V4 R delivers major upgrades across the board, including its gearbox, aerodynamics and suspension set-up, along with a completely new double-sided swingarm, bringing Ducati’s MotoGP expertise closer to the domestic stage. To add further change, there's also a new Pirelli rear tyre to get to grips with.
Despite not riding a race bike for six months and with just two days to get up to speed on the new machinery, Scott and the team made the most of the last official pre-season test on 21-22 April, working solidly to fine-tune the set-up and maximise track time.
Impressively, at the end of the two days, Scott was second on the timesheet (+0.259s) and within a second of the lap record.
Jordan Bird, Hager PBM Racing Team, Co-owner: “What an incredible two days it’s been. Scott has been faultless, the technicians have been faultless, and the bike is phenomenal - I think we’ve got a real weapon on our hands this year! We’re all really excited to be back at Oulton Park next weekend for the start of the season. The fun part is over... now the hard work begins."
John Mowatt, Hager PBM Racing Team, Race Team Co-ordinator and Crew Chief: “The last few weeks have been pretty stressful but to see Scott spin some laps during the test was very satisfying! With the Ducati V4 R being a brand new motorcycle, we're still learning about it - how it works, what it does and doesn't respond to, plus we've had the new rear tyre to adjust to. All-in-all, we've had a positive test at Oulton Park and are ready to get back into the mix next weekend."
Scott Redding, Hager PBM Racing Team, #45: “I’m grateful we had two good days of weather at the Oulton Park test, which meant we could get a lot of laps in. The new bike has real potential, and in the final laps of the last session I started to find a rhythm, so overall I’m really happy with how everything has come together.
"When we return to Oulton Park next weekend, I’m confident we can be competitive and that’s the most important thing. Let’s go racing!”
