BSB: Ryde wins third straight title at Brands Hatch, first since 1998

Kyle Ryde is the 2026 British Superbike champion. On Sunday 18 October at Brands Hatch, the Nitrous Competitions Ducati rider secured his third consecutive title in the second of the weekend's three races, one race before the end of the season.

A first since Niall Mackenzie

At 29, the Nottingham rider becomes the first to win three straight BSB titles since Niall Mackenzie, champion in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Mackenzie won his three crowns with the same team, Cadbury's Boost Yamaha; Ryde also stayed within the same structure, renamed Nitrous Competitions Racing in 2025, but on different machinery. It is his first title on a Ducati after two with Yamaha, making him the first to win consecutive titles after changing manufacturer.

The title comes in the 30th anniversary season of BSB in its current form, 30 years on from the first of Mackenzie's run.

How the title was decided

Ryde went into Race 2 with a 48-point lead over Scott Redding, his closest rival all season, who had beaten him in Race 1. A top-five finish was enough. He wanted to win, but Redding's repeated attacks convinced him to think of the bigger picture and settle for the podium: he finished third, behind Redding and Bradley Ray.

His season includes 30 podiums and 16 victories. Only a fourth in Race 3 at Thruxton and a DNF at Donington two weeks ago stopped him from a perfect podium record.

Vickers wins in the rain

Freed from the pressure, Ryde rode the final race on a soaked track, conditions he had dreaded: there had been no wet race all season. He followed Ryan Vickers for 14 laps and finished second, about half a second behind the winner. Joe Talbot was third, taking his first BSB podium.

A title before new rules

This is the last title won under the current technical rules. In 2027, new performance-balancing rules arrive to bring the manufacturers closer together, after a season dominated by the Ducati Panigale V4 R, which won 26 of the first 31 races.