Charlie Nesbitt – Honda
While missing out on the Rookies Cup to Max Cook, Charlie Nesbitt did finish higher in the overall standings than the Kawasaki racer.
Much was expected of the youngster, who rode for the Hawk Racing team at the final two rounds of the 2022 season, albeit on a Suzuki. The team switched to Honda for 2023 and Nesbitt enjoyed a positive maiden campaign.
The standout, of course, was the trio of podiums at Thruxton, when Nesbitt bagged a second and two thirds in front of his home crowd. Nesbitt ended the year as the highest-placed Honda rider in the championship.
Despite the highs, there’s a clear area to improve on in 2024. Nesbitt suffered seven DNFs last season, crashing out of all three races at Knockhill and suffering a nightmare weekend at Cadwell which saw him on crutches after a huge crash during FP4. He’d fall out of race one and three that weekend.
Of course, it was easy to forget that Nesbitt was a rookie due to his impressive qualifying performances and race efforts elsewhere, and it’s a steep learning curve in the superbike class. Nevertheless, Nesbitt now needs improve on this if he’s to take the next step and stay ahead of his fellow young guns on the grid.
With Cook also remaining on the same machinery for his sophomore campaign, and Rory Skinner returning to the championship after a year in Moto2, it’s going to be fascinating to see which of the three ends the year on top.
Nesbitt will also have an experienced teammate to learn from this season in Lee Jackson, and that can only be a positive for the 23-year-old. His 2023 teammate, Josh Owens, missed the majority of his campaign through injury.