BROOKES IN PBM DREAM TEAM
2015 champion Brookes joins Redding at Be Wiser Ducati for 2019
Josh Brookes will join Scott Redding in a Be Wiser PBM Ducati dream team for the 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship. The 2015 champion moves from the McAMS Yamaha squad to line up next to the former MotoGP star in Paul Bird’s camp as he looks to return to the front after a challenging year. Following a stunning 2017 campaign with the private, family-run Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha team, where he finished second overall, many expected Brookes to be dominant upon returning to a factory-backed Yamaha project this year. However, despite flashes of that dominance at Brands Hatch and Thruxton, an inconsistent end to the year thwarted any chance of a title fight for the Aussie.
“In all the years I’ve been in BSB, PBM have always been able to put together a consistently good package and challenge at the front. The door has never been open for a conversation there because Shakey has been such a secure part of their line-up for so long. This year that opening became available, so it seemed like a good opportunity to see what we can do together. “PBM set the benchmark in BSB, they make the championship as good as it is because they run at such a high level, setting the bar. The bike always seems to have what it needs to win and that’s their motivation; it’s not about looking shiny it’s about what they need to be better than the next team and that’s where they set the benchmark. For me that’s motivating, they don’t cut corners or do stuff to satisfy people, they are here to win.” That need for change saw Brookes turn to the most successful team in the BSB paddock, which hasn’t previously been an option for the Aussie due to his difficult relationship with Shane Byrne. “This year wasn’t the year we wanted or expected,” Brookes told MCN. “It certainly didn’t materialise how we hoped it would, so it didn’t make sense to carry on. It was time for change, for both me and the team.”
Brookes’ decision to leave Yamaha could have come at a good time with the R1 looking set to be the oldest bike on the starting grid next year following the arrival of BMW’s new S1000RR, Kawasaki’s revised ZX-10RR, and of course, Ducati’s all-new V4, which Brookes will get a first taste of over the winter when testing gets underway.
“Every bike in MotoGP is a V4 now aside from Yamaha, so it’s a proven formula,” Brookes said. “They’ve all gone that way for a reason. Ducati have also got the golden egg of the Desmo system. Now with the bike being a V4 they’ll be able to benefit from that massively.
“Everything is screaming out that this will be a great bike and a solid package, so I’m looking forward to getting started.”