BSB: Christian Iddon joins Danny Kent at Buildbase Suzuki

Christian Iddon has signed for Buildbase Suzuki ahead of the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season and will race alongside Danny Kent.

Iddon joins the Hawk Racing squad following a shock departure from Paul Bird Motorsport, where he’d spent the last two seasons. During that time, Iddon won three races (taking his maiden BSB victory at Snetterton in 2021) and secured a total of 21 podiums.

OUT NOW: Christian Iddon and Danny Kent speak exclusively to MCN about their 2022 BSB campaigns with Buildbase Suzuki!

In both seasons Iddon was in with a chance of the title heading into the final round of the year. In 2020, Iddon finished third overall, 30 points behind champion and former teammate Josh Brookes. Last year, Iddon ended his campaign fourth overall, 61 points adrift of Tarran Mackenzie.

2022 will not be the first time that Iddon has raced onboard a Suzuki, having previously been with the Halsall Suzuki team in 2015.

“To be honest I was surprised to find myself looking for a ride, going into the winter, but things always seem to fall into place, and I’m really pleased to be joining Buildbase Suzuki and Hawk Racing,” Iddon said. “I think we’re cut from similar cloth in that they love their racing, they’re very passionate about it, and they just quietly get on with it.

“I also think the team is underrated by a lot of people – though not by me – despite their achievements, and they don’t always get the recognition they deserve. But, you only have to look at the races and championships they’ve won and how they always get the best out of their riders to know it’s a great team. So, I think we’re well-suited to each other.

“And I think we can mount a serious title challenge. That’s got to be the aim, to be champion can only ever be the aim. Of course, that’s not easy with so many bikes so close on performance and good riders on the grid, but if we get the best from the bike and from me we can have a go.”

Iddon joins Kent at the team, who remains for a second campaign despite missing the majority of 2021 through injury. The 2015 Moto3 world champion dislocated and fractured his hip during a crash at Donington Park (Round 5) and missed the rest of the season.

Prior to that race meeting, Kent had secured his maiden BSB podium at Thruxton, finishing third in the final race of the weekend.

“I’m really grateful to Steve and Stuart [Hicken] for giving me another year with the team,” Kent said. “Obviously I missed the whole second half of last season with the injury, but we definitely saw some positives in the first half of the year, the podium at Thruxton being the standout.

“But, it was my first full year on a superbike and I felt I was adapting more and more and the potential was definitely there. I was gutted to miss the second half of the year, especially as I could see the development of the bike and the improvements the team were able to make that resulted in a couple of wins.

“My hip is getting better. It’s not at 100% but it’s going in the right direction. A lack of strength is the biggest thing; the muscles have deteriorated, and it feels weak, I can’t apply the same force, but I’m working with Loughborough University, and I have seen a significant improvement.”

Despite the improvements, Kent will need to visit a specialist every three months for the foreseeable future and has not yet ridden a bike since the accident. Kent will now aim to complete some private tests on a superstock bike in order to get back up to speed and feel comfortable again on two wheels.

The first official test takes place at Snetterton on March 26-27, and will be followed by a one-day test at Donington on March 31. Silverstone then holds a two-day test on April 6-7, with the new season kicking off at Silverstone on April 15-17.

OUT NOW: Christian Iddon and Danny Kent speak exclusively to MCN about their 2022 BSB campaigns with Buildbase Suzuki!