Moto Rapido Racing Maintains Momentum with Strong Brands Hatch Points Haul
Moto Rapido Racing continued its impressive run of form at Brands Hatch with another consistent weekend of front-running performances during Round 5 of the 2026 ZYN British Superbike Championship.
Building on the progress shown in recent rounds, Leon Haslam and the Ducati Panigale V4 R once again demonstrated the pace to challenge at the sharp end, collecting two fourth-place finishes and a sixth across the weekend's three races.
The results strengthen Leon's championship challenge, leaving him fourth in the standings on 165 points and just two points adrift of third as the title battle continues to intensify.
Qualifying
Leon made an immediate impression around the demanding Brands Hatch GP circuit, securing sixth place in qualifying with a best lap of 1:24.845.
Lining up on the front two rows provided the ideal platform for the weekend ahead, with confidence high following another encouraging display of one-lap pace.
Race 1: Fighting in the lead group
Saturday's opening race developed into a fierce battle involving five riders fighting over the final podium position.
Managing tyre wear expertly throughout the race, Leon remained firmly in contention as he battled with Christian Iddon, Ryan Vickers, Glenn Irwin and Bradley Ray.
A late red flag brought the race to an early conclusion with two laps remaining, but Leon had already secured fourth place, collecting another valuable haul of championship points to begin the weekend.
Sunday: Consistency rewarded
The Sprint Race was contested at a relentless pace, with the leading group producing record-breaking lap times around the GP circuit.
Leon was once again at the heart of the action, trading positions with Ryan Vickers before bringing the Moto Rapido Ducati home in sixth place, banking more important points in the championship fight. The final Feature Race provided another opportunity to showcase the pace of the Moto Rapido Racing package.
Leon worked his way through the field with measured precision before making a decisive move on Bradley Ray at the halfway stage to claim fourth position. Once into clean air, he established a strong rhythm and steadily extended the gap behind, securing his second fourth-place finish of the weekend.
The result capped another encouraging weekend for Moto Rapido Racing, underlining the consistency that has become a hallmark of the team's 2026 campaign. With two fourth-place finishes, a sixth and another significant points haul, Leon leaves Brands Hatch firmly in championship contention and carrying strong momentum into the next round.
Weekend Summary
Session/Result
Qualifying: P6 (1:24.845)
Race 1: P4
Sprint: P6
Feature Race: P4
Championship: 4th (165 points)
Ian 'Hammy' Darbyshire, Team Manager
"It was a really solid, hard-fought weekend for us at Brands Hatch. Leon rode brilliantly across all three races, especially given how intense the pace was at the front.
"Six riders, including ourselves, went underneath the previous lap record over the weekend, which tells you everything about the level of competition. To come away with two fourth places and a sixth is a fantastic return and keeps us firmly in the championship fight.
"The whole team worked tirelessly all weekend and everyone should be proud of what we've achieved. We're leaving Brands Hatch with plenty of momentum and looking forward to carrying that into the next round."
Moto Rapido Racing now heads to the next round of the 2026 Bennetts British Superbike Championship encouraged by another weekend of consistent front-running performances, with the gap to the championship podium continuing to close.