British Superbikes, Donington Park - Red flag helps Ryde claim win

Kyle Ryde was convinced Tommy Bridewell “would have probably beat me” had the opening Donington Park British Superbike race gone the distance.

Lisa Lewis

18 May 2024

Kyle Ryde, BSB, 2024, Donington Park, Race One, 18th May
© Ian Hopgood Photography

The British Superbike championship saw it’s third different race winner of the season so far with Kyle Ryde taking victory as leader when the red flag came out for Christian Iddon’s fall.

With his Yamaha OMG Grilla teammate picking up both wins in Navarra and Glenn Irwin a triple winner in Oulton Park, it was Ryde in charge out front in his home round at Donington after Vickers slipped out of contention early on.

The #77 had been managing his gap back to Leon Haslam, who only lost second a short while before the accident, but with enough time to show Bridewell make gains quickly, inferring he could catch and challenge for the win:

“It was Haslam that was behind me the whole race but the lap before it got red flagged Tommy must have got past him, so I always thought it was Leon. With Tommy being in second and noticeably, as he said a minute ago he’s really good in the last sector, so I reckon if he was right behind me on the last lap he would probably have beat me.”

I think the only way I could have beat him is if he had passed me with three to go and had figured something out but yeah, obviously I might be a little fortunate that the red flag came out.”

Ryde was quick to turn his thoughts to Iddon, who was taken for an x-ray at the medical centre and had picked up no fractures in his violent crash from fifth:

“I’m just hoping Christian is alright, it’s not nice to finish a race after 14 laps when there’s 20 to be scored so, yeah obviously I’m over the moon to go win my first race of the season and obviously to be at Donington, that was the plan.

Like many in the paddock, improvements are ongoing, with the tweaks made by Ryde and his OMG team paying off:

“The bike wasn’t perfect, but we can make it better tonight. Hopefully the pace will be a few steps faster.

We made it better for today and tomorrow we’re going to make it even better but yeah, yesterday the set-up of the bike just wasn’t great - same as what Tommy said a minute ago - I said to the team I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t feel great on the bike. We figured some things out last night, what was wrong, we fixed it for today and obviously i qualified on the front row. So I said it was better so we made it better for the race - and I won!”