The FUCHS Silkolene backed Ducati pairing of Josh Brookes and Christian Iddon got their 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship up and running in style when the first official test of the season took place at the Silverstone National circuit over these past two days.

Defending champion Brookes and third-placed championship contender from 2020 Iddon have remained with Paul Bird’s Lake District-based squad for a second successive season aboard the factory-supported VisionTrack Ducati Panigale V4Rs and after a private test at Knockhill last week, the pair were in action against the full field of competitors who will contest this year’s 11-round series.

Cool and occasionally damp conditions were the order of the day for Wednesday’s four sessions whereby 37-year-old Bedfordshire-based Australian Brookes ended up second fastest behind his compatriot Jason O’Halloran whilst 36-year-old Mancunian Iddon, now based on Tyneside, finished third fastest, less than a tenth of a second behind his teammate.

Today (Thursday) was once again very cold although the rain held off as the times from the opening day plummeted. Iddon consistently lowered his times in the opening three sessions whilst Brookes improved in the day’s second session to record his fastest lap of the test.

Brookes, running the number one plate in Bennetts BSB for the first time since Tommy Hill tried to defend his crown in 2012, unfortunately, crashed out of the final session and sustained a finger injury which meant a trip to the hospital for further investigation.