BSB Brands Hatch: Redding wins race 1, Ryde keeps 48 points

Scott Redding (Hager PBM, Ducati) won race 1 of the British Superbike finale at Brands Hatch on Saturday 17 October 2026, in a race red-flagged because of rain. But reigning champion Kyle Ryde finished second and stays in front in the championship ahead of Sunday's final two races.

A win snatched in the rain

Redding started seventh after a poor qualifying session and was passed on the first lap. He closed on the leaders by timing his push as the rain began to fall, and took the lead at the end of lap 12. Rain flags came out around lap nine, then the race was stopped and the result declared.

Ryde, who started from pole, managed his points lead. More rain is forecast for Sunday.

Race 1 top six

• 1. Scott Redding (Hager PBM, Ducati) in 20 min 02.408 s;
• 2. Kyle Ryde (Ducati) +0.841 s;
• 3. Ryan Vickers (Honda Racing UK) +1.461 s;
• 4. Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido, Ducati) +1.557 s;
• 5. Max Cook (AJN Steelstock, Bimota) +1.968 s;
• 6. Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings, Yamaha) +2.206 s.

Vickers inherited third place on countback, after an initial report had put Haslam on the podium.

Championship: a 48-point gap

After race 1, Ryde has 539 points and Redding 491, a 48-point gap. A win is worth 35 points, so a maximum of 70 points remains on Sunday across races 2 and 3. Redding must cut the gap in race 2 to keep the title open until race 3.

Sencat Yamaha leaves the BSB

Another announcement of the weekend: Chris Barnes's Sencat Racing (Yamaha) confirmed it will not continue after the 2026 finale and will not race in any British class in 2027. Rider Christian Iddon's best results this season were two fifth places. Barnes cites several factors, mainly a lack of time.

Key takeaway

Redding won the battle, not yet the war: 48 points still separate the two, with a maximum of 70 on offer on Sunday.

The editorial team