British Superbikes, Oulton Park - Iddon: “bike is just another world”

Christian Iddon and his team at Oxford Products Ducati have been working hard on their package between rounds, and are already seeing the benefits with a podium visit in the first race of the second round at Oulton Park.

The opening race at the Cheshire track allowed the #21 bike and rider the kind of success Iddon had been waiting a long time to see return.

• 2024 British Superbikes: Oulton Park - Race Results (1)
• 2024 British Superbikes: Oulton Park - Qualifying Results

The race itself saw Iddon, like Glenn Irwin ahead able to utilise the Ducati power and pull away. Though in the end there was no catching the #2 the result marked a large step in the right direction, also a building block on his fourth overall after solid results in both races in Navarra.

For Iddon, the new changes to his Ducati made all the difference:

“My bike is just another world compared to what it was last year, so I’m able to ride it, we’re able as a team to improve it session by session, because last year we had so many problems, such a big fundamental problem, that everything else we did wasn’t really helping at all.

So I just felt happy, in a way, that I can ride again now, like I’m used to riding because it was a tough year last year - we had really high expectations and fell so short.

On the race itself, Iddon was happy to be able to chase down Irwin and is looking for a way to improve on that and prevent him pulling the pin again for the races on Monday:

“It was a good race… I got duffed up a little bit at the beginning and then picked my way through a little bit and then tried to settle in behind Glenn and - he set an incredible pace really - I tried to keep pushing, every time I  sort of upped the pace he responded - every time.

“It was quite interesting where we make up time really, different parts of the track, so hopefully he won’t find out my secrets and I can find out his and we can improve for tomorrow and see if we can take it to him!”

Iddon has two chances to win on Bank Holiday Monday - the last time he did so was the first visit to Brands Hatch in 2021 - with the Sprint race first off before the riders return to track for the longer race three to close the meeting.