BEST OF T
The 2026 season feels almost like a new era in WorldSBK, so we are asking some new questions to find out just how some of the top riders feel about WorldSBK. From their unique viewpoint on top of their 2026 racebikes, who is the best of the best there has ever been in WorldSBK? And, while we’ re here, what’ s each rider’ s personal high point in their WorldSBK careers so far?
TOMMY BRIDEWELL Superbike Advocates
OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
Until this year, Bridewell has been a wild card or one-off WorldSBK rider, from his first ride in 2008 to being a test team rider for Honda entry a few times in 2025.
He’ s seen the highs and lows of racing in every possible way, and at age 37, he has taken a big plunge into WorldSBK as a full-time rider with a new team.
We asked the 2023 BSB Champion( on the previous design of V4-R Ducati, of course) the same questions about who has been the best of the best in WorldSBK.
First up for Tommy, who is the greatest / best / favourite WorldSBK Champion of all time?“ In the case of Jonathan Rea, for what he has achieved in winning six WorldSBK championships in a row … I have won one British Superbike Championship, and you realise that winning a championship is hard. It’ s not one race. It’ s not like,‘ ah, I finished fifth and then tenth.’ You have to be second, first, second, first, third, first- for the whole year. To do that six years on the trot is unbelievable. But I am a bit more of an older school person, so when you asked me that question the first person that sprang to mind was Troy Bayliss. Because I am a Troy Bayliss fan! But also Colin Edwards, on that Castrol Honda. And James Toseland was good, really good. The choice is difficult because it’ s maybe one of those where I could spin the wheel again, and then it’ s landed on Bayliss, or it’ s landed on whoever else. But I want to say Bayliss, if I am honest. Just because of the level he was at in WorldSBK. Then, to go to MotoGP and win a race, I couldn’ t ever believe what I was watching. Nicolo Bulega is doing a great job here, for sure, but I don’ t know that he would do a wild card at Valencia at the end of the year and go and win a MotoGP race. So, I would go for Troy.”
There is a very specific answer from Tommy about which era was the best in WorldSBK. More a season than an era in 2009, tbh.“ I quite enjoyed the era of Ben Spies / Nori Haga. I am a fan of Haga and the way he used to ride. I cannot get my head around how anyone could ride so close to another rider. I can’ t do it even when I am trying to get a tow! To do that is exceptional. I enjoyed that year with Spies on the Yamaha and Haga on the Ducati. It was Haga’ s to win and then he sort of chucked it away a bit. You could also argue the Foggy / Chili era was a great one.”
Here is where we got truly deep into Tommy’ s outlook, when we asked him what his own best / most satisfying / memorable moment in WorldSBK has been.“ In 2007, obviously, I lost my brother Oli, and in 2008 I went to race in the Italian Superbike championship. At the end of that year we decided to do a wild card at Portimao. Oli was a funny character, where he just saved money for a guy of his age. It’ s not a secret- he left me £ 24,000. I used some of that money to pay to do that wildcard at Portimao. I paid the entry out of that money. It was the first year at Portimao. I could have said that my highlight is that I finished fifth in Race One at Motorland this year- and that is brilliant- but there is more substance to that race weekend in Portimao for me personally. I can remember riding there as a young lad, barrelling into T1, then Haga coming past me around T6, I think and I was just like“ wwhaww! Those were some great, great memories, for definite.”
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