Round eight of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship produced one of the most dramatic Sundays of the season at Donington Park, where Kyle Ryde delivered a flawless display of speed, nerve, and strategy to take all three victories in the first-ever four-race weekend. Across varying conditions, safety car interventions, and relentless challenges from rivals Scott Redding and Bradley Ray, Ryde cemented himself as the man to beat in this year’s title battle.
Race Two – Ryde Fends Off Redding in Opening Duel
The day began with the second race of the weekend, the first of Sunday’s triple-header. Ryde, already buoyed by strong pace in qualifying, started from pole thanks to the fastest lap set in Saturday’s contest. From the lights, he looked sharp aboard the Nitrous Competitions Yamaha, but the early laps belonged to Scott Redding, who briefly edged ahead at the Melbourne Loop.
What followed was a tense, twelve-lap showdown between the two title contenders. Redding pressed hard on the PBM Ducati, shadowing Ryde’s every move and waiting for a mistake. Ryde, however, kept his composure, riding defensively yet decisively. His racecraft paid off — he crossed the line just 0.201s clear of Redding, collecting another 18 championship points and underlining his form.
Behind the leading duo, Rory Skinner again showed his consistency with a lonely but deserved third on the Cheshire Mouldings Ducati, nearly four seconds back. Bradley Ray, who had faltered in race one after a fast start, steadied his weekend with a solid fourth for Raceways Yamaha.
The rest of the top ten saw Andrew Irwin secure another strong ride for Honda in fifth, narrowly holding off Christian Iddon on the AJN Steelstock Kawasaki in sixth. Leon Haslam pushed hard on the Moto Rapido Ducati to claim seventh, while Tommy Bridewell wrestled his Honda to eighth. Glenn Irwin suffered a wide moment mid-race, dropping him to ninth, with Danny Kent rounding out the top ten for McAMS Yamaha.
Race Three – Ryde Doubles Up Under Pressure
If the opener was a defensive masterclass, race three was all about decisive attacking. Starting again from pole, Ryde initially slotted in behind Redding, who made the stronger start under damp but drying conditions after a mid-day shower. For several laps, the Yamaha rider looked content to bide his time, stalking Redding and searching for an opportunity.
The arrival of Bradley Ray, however, forced Ryde’s hand. Ray, eager to make up for his patchy Saturday, had charged forward and threatened to turn the race into a three-way fight. On lap eight, Ryde pounced — lining up Redding through Craner Curves before sliding through at the Old Hairpin, a move that proved decisive.
Ray followed through into second, piling pressure on Ryde in the closing stages, but the #1 Yamaha rider managed the gap superbly, winning by 1.222s. Ray took a hard-earned second, while Redding’s fading grip meant he had to settle for third — a result he admitted was a relief after managing sketchy conditions at the front.
Christian Iddon stayed in the mix to take fourth on the AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, though he had a scare on the cool-down lap after nearly colliding with Ray while chatting to Ryde. Rory Skinner finished fifth after using up too much tyre in an early duel with Iddon, just ahead of Leon Haslam’s improving Moto Rapido Ducati in sixth.
Tommy Bridewell inherited seventh when Danny Kent slipped off under the safety car phase, while Max Cook secured eighth on the second Kawasaki. Charlie Nesbitt battled hard on the MasterMac Honda to ninth, narrowly fending off DAO Racing’s Josh Brookes in tenth.
Race Four – Ryde Completes Historic Treble
The curtain closer delivered high drama once more as Ryde completed his first-ever treble victory, sealing a near-perfect weekend at Donington Park. This time it was Bradley Ray who started from pole, but early skirmishes saw Rory Skinner hit the front at Starkey’s before Ryde capitalized to lead.
The race turned chaotic at the Foggy Esses, where Ryde lost the rear but somehow stayed upright, dropping behind both Ray and Skinner just as the safety car was deployed. When racing resumed, Ryde regrouped quickly. Working his way back into contention, he timed his decisive attack perfectly, passing Skinner at the Old Hairpin on the penultimate lap. From there, he never looked back, crossing the finish line 0.444s clear for his third win of the day.
Skinner secured second, while the final podium position changed hands dramatically in the closing corners. Leon Haslam initially looked set for third after a bold move on Ray, but Scott Redding — who had endured a nightmare start and even overshot into a slip road earlier — regrouped brilliantly. Capitalizing on the field being bunched up by the safety car, Redding surged forward, passing both Ray and Brookes before lunging inside Haslam at the Melbourne Loop. Though he ran wide, a forceful block pass allowed him to seal third, denying Haslam a podium.
Haslam had to settle for fourth, still a strong ride for Moto Rapido Ducati. Behind him, Josh Brookes salvaged a much-improved fifth for DAO Racing Honda after set-up changes. Max Cook made a late move on Ray to secure sixth, also top Kawasaki home. Ray, who had dominated at Donington earlier this season, could only manage seventh this time, fading badly after the restart. Tommy Bridewell chased him to eighth for Honda Racing UK, while Christian Iddon slipped to ninth after an early surge. Charlie Nesbitt once again rounded out the top ten for MasterMac Honda.
Summary
Three races, three victories — Kyle Ryde left Donington Park having stamped his authority on the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship. Each win told a different story: narrow defence against Redding, decisive aggression against Ray, and a comeback masterclass in the finale. His treble not only made history on the series’ first four-race weekend but also tightened his grip on the championship standings.
With rivals like Redding, Ray, and Skinner all showing flashes of speed, the season is far from over — but Sunday at Donington belonged entirely to Ryde.
Images BSB and Kyle Ryde Racing
