#21 Christian Iddon
Can he rattle his teammate’s cage?
It cannot be underestimated how important last season was for Christian Iddon after landing the golden spot within PBM Ducati. The pressure was on from day one; if you don’t win at PBM, it’s highly likely that your time will be up. Well, Iddon well and truly stood up to the challenge and went to the next level of his career. He claimed a vital maiden victory at Snetterton and secured eight further podiums whilst fighting hard against the other title contenders. A weight lifted and his critics silenced. Iddon also learnt plenty about being inside the championship’s most successful team and what not to do during the build-up to the year. Unlike last year, when he admittedly focused too much on trying to be fast before truly understanding the bike, this time he’s taken the time to work through a plan and take his time during the pre-season tests. He’s been able to try some new things and setups and it means that he’s already in a better position than he was 12 months ago. He knows his crew, he understands the way in which Paul Bird runs the team and he knows how to get the most out of the V4 R. Perhaps the most important thing is that Iddon isn’t afraid to go bar-to-bar with Brookes. He isn’t at PBM to be a number two rider, Iddon is here to win and become champion. That could be key. Brookes doesn’t really have too many weaknesses, but maybe, just maybe, if Iddon can rattle his cage slightly, the Aussie might leave himself open to an attack. Put simply, this is Iddon’s best chance yet at becoming champion, not just because he’s on the championshipwinning bike, but because he now knows that he can do it and he has the consistency to do so.
SHAKEY SAYS….
“After years of riding good bikes for good teams and not delivering a win or consistent championship campaign, Christian simply had to deliver last year. He did take that step and he did a pretty good job, and I think this year he’ll take another step.”