Glenn picks up where he left off
Positive start as PBM enter a new era
The new chapter is officially underway at Hager PBM Ducati and it’s off to a positive start with Glenn Irwin ending the Donington Test second overall.
Irwin, who finished as runner-up in 2023, found himself inside the top three in three of the six sessions as he quickly got back up to speed on the Ducati V4 R.
For the Northern Irishman, one of the key points to take away from the test was his pace on used tyres. The PBM team had allocated four sets per day, with Irwin using five of them in total across the two days.
Irwin did not attempt a time attack, with any hopes of doing so during the final session ruined by the rain.
“My pace on used tyres was incredible,” Irwin told MCN. “We have great long race pace, I had new tyres when we did a 28.1, but with a full tank of fuel, then we exited the pits and did more 28s with lap nine and 10.
“There was no stress whatsoever, I learned a lot from being Shakey’s [Byrne] teammate and it was always about what you could do on lap 20, rather than lap one. This bunch of people are technically great, and everybody gives 110%. There’s plenty of calmness, with what came around last year with my new approach to life, we maintain that and look to strengthen further. The bond has been awesome.”
Irwin and the team got their hands on the new shock from Öhlins which may take some time to adjust to with regards to feeling for the rider. As Irwin put it: “We haven’t found the sweet spot, but we found a direction towards the end of the day.”
Irwin did admit to MCN that he’s been suffering slightly with a back problem triggered by a previous injury, and his training has been altered as a result heading into the pre-season test programme. However, much to his surprise, it was not an issue while he was on the bike.
Irwin and PBM have more parts for the Navarra Test later this month.
‘My pace on used tyres was incredible’