Scott Redding delivered exactly what he needed at the TT Circuit Assen on Saturday, charging from fifth on the grid to claim his first British Superbike victory since July — and his 23rd in the championship altogether. The Hager PBM Ducati rider timed his move to perfection, hitting the front early and holding firm as late rain threatened to unsettle the race. Behind him, championship leader Kyle Ryde fought hard to secure second place and keep his points advantage healthy, while Leon Haslam completed an all-Ducati podium.
Lights Out: Vickers Leads Early, Redding Strikes
From the moment the lights went out, Ryan Vickers made his intentions clear. The Honda Racing UK rider nailed the holeshot from the second row to lead into Turn One, relegating pole-sitter Leon Haslam to second. But it was Scott Redding who produced the most decisive opening lap, slicing through the field from fifth to second before setting his sights on Vickers. By the third tour, Redding had dived down the inside to take the lead — and immediately began to pull clear.
Haslam, meanwhile, found himself shuffled back as the opening laps unfolded, with Kyle Ryde quickly joining the leading group. The Nitrous Coin rider had overcome the sluggish starts that hampered him at previous rounds, moving up to third and engaging Haslam in a tense battle for the runner-up spot.
Mid-Race Drama: Vickers Slips, Ray Charges Through
For ten laps, Ryan Vickers looked comfortable in third — until a wide moment unsettled his race. The Honda rider dropped from the podium positions all the way to sixth, reporting afterwards that he had struggled with tyre grip as the race progressed. Undeterred, he settled into a rhythm and began to fight his way back, recovering strongly to finish fourth by the chequered flag.
Further back, Bradley Ray was turning in one of the drives of the day. Starting from 13th on the grid, the McAMS Yamaha rider found himself outside the points in 16th after the opening lap. Over the remaining 16 laps, he carved his way steadily through the order, picking off riders one by one to cross the line fifth — just over a second behind Vickers — and keeping his title hopes very much alive.
Up front, Redding’s advantage had stretched to more than three seconds before rain began to fall in the closing stages, slowing the pace and bunching the field. It made for a nervy finish, but Redding held on to take the win by 2.143 seconds — his first victory since Round Five at Brands Hatch.
Behind him, the battle for second went right to the line. Haslam threw everything at Ryde, diving for the inside at the final chicane on multiple occasions, but Ryde held firm to take the runner-up spot by a narrow margin. Haslam completed the podium, a strong result on home soil for the Moto Rapido Ducati team.
Race One Result — Top 15
| 1 | Scott Redding | Hager PBM Ducati | — |
| 2 | Kyle Ryde | Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions | +2.143s |
| 3 | Leon Haslam | Moto Rapido Ducati | +2.901s |
| 4 | Ryan Vickers | Honda Racing UK | +4.312s |
| 5 | Bradley Ray | McAMS Yamaha | +5.458s |
| 6 | Rory Skinner | Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha | +9.104s |
| 7 | Ilya Mikhalchik | ROKiT BMW Motorrad | +10.227s |
| 8 | Max Cook | Bimota | +11.442s |
| 9 | Danny Kent | Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha | +12.098s |
| 10 | Jason O’Halloran | Honda Racing UK | +13.516s |
| 11 | Glenn Irwin | Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions | +14.872s |
| 12 | Lee Jackson | DAO Racing | +18.305s |
| 13 | Storm Stacey | Bathams AJN Ducati | +19.641s |
| 14 | Josh Brookes | DAO Racing | +21.003s |
| 15 | Rhys Irwin | MasterMac Honda | +23.118s |
Rest of the Field & Retirements
- Ilya Mikhalchik scored his best BSB finish to date in seventh, leading the rookie standings chase closer to leader Joe Talbot.
- Max Cook was the top Bimota rider in eighth, continuing his consistent run of points finishes.
- Danny Kent had a difficult race from the front row, slipping back to ninth.
- Scott Swann finished 17th in his first outing for TAG Honda, having taken over the ride from Charlie Nesbitt.
- Joe Talbot crashed out at Turn Seven on Lap Four, while Christian Iddon fell at the final chicane on the same lap — both unhurt.
- Retirements included Andrew Irwin, Luke Hedger, and Richard Kerr.
Championship Shake-Up — Showdown Line-Up Confirmed
The result has had a major impact on the title picture heading into the final stages of the season:
| 1 | Kyle Ryde | 414 | — |
| 2 | Scott Redding | 346 | +1 win, -68pts gap |
| 3 | Bradley Ray | 303 | Charge from 16th to 5th keeps him in range |
| 4 | Leon Haslam | 280 | Podium moves him clear of Vickers |
| 5 | Ryan Vickers | 253 | Recovers to fourth |
| 6 | Max Cook | 208 | Top Bimota maintains sixth |
| 7 | Rory Skinner | 205 | Holds seventh despite missing podium fight |
All seven riders remain mathematically in contention for the title as the Showdown gets underway. In the rookie standings, Joe Talbot still leads on 124 points despite his DNF, but Ilya Mikhalchik has closed the gap to just 51 points after his strong seventh-place finish.
What’s Next
Race Two follows on Sunday, with Redding carrying all the momentum and Ryde determined to hit back. Ray, meanwhile, will be looking to turn his recovery drive into a front-row start and a podium challenge. The title race is far from settled — and Assen still has plenty to give.
Images: Hager PDM Racing Team
