Tommy Bridewell: Honda “still too far off the pace of our competitors” in BSB

Tommy Bridewell feels Honda is “still too far” from the pace of its rival manufacturers in the 2025 BSB season.

The Knockhill BSB saw a continuation of the themes from this year, with Raceways Yamaha rider Bradley Ray winning two of the three races, and the only rider able to beat him being one aboard a Ducati (Rory Skinner in the case of Race 3 on Sunday).

Bridewell’s Knockhill podium in the wet Race 2 on Sunday was his third in two rounds, after being on the rostrum in both Race 1 and Race 2 at Snetterton two weeks beforehand.

But the 2024 runner-up and 2023 BSB Champion still feels that Honda is at too much of a deficit from Yamaha and Ducati in terms of pace.

“It was great for the team to be able to get another podium in the Sprint race,” Bridewell said.

“It was hard work and I was pleased with the way I was riding, for sure.

“That said, we’re still too far off the pace of our competitors, the Yamaha and Ducati, to really come away feeling completely positive. To say that I’m hungry for more would be a massive, massive understatement. We’re playing our hand as best we can, but I’m obviously frustrated, so we’ll have to see where we can get to at Brands Hatch.”

Irwin: “A weekend I needed to have”

For Bridewell’s Honda Racing UK teammate, Andrew Irwin, the weekend in Knockhill offered positivity, with two top-10 finishes, after what he described as a “difficult” Snetterton round.

“It was a weekend that I felt I needed to have,” he said.

“I’m not really here to race in the bottom of the top 10 but, for me, coming back from a weekend as difficult as Snetterton, it’s a good step and it’s much better.

“We need to keep working in a calm, mannerly way and continue to progress and to continue that work at Brands Hatch.

“This was a good step on from Snetterton, now we need to do the same again.

“I know how to get to the podium and to win races in BSB, and I’ve got to be patient and work with the team to get ourselves back and get in a position to challenge further up the field.”