Kyle Ryde heads to the opening round of the 2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship in Spain eager to build on the strong platform he established during the first official pre-season test at Donington Park.

The OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing heads into the new season looking to take another step forward on the Yamaha R1 as he prepares to begin in his quest for a first BSB title having made a significant stride in performance and consistency en route to third overall in 2023..

It’s a bid he got off to a good start during the recent two-day Donington Park test, Ryde topping five of six sessions to send a bold message to his title rivals ahead of Round 1, held in Navarra.

Before racing gets underway this weekend, however, Ryde and OMG Racing team-mate Ryan Vickers will embark on three more days of pre-season track time at the same venue. It’s an opportunity Ryde is hoping will confirm the positive set-up work conducted at Donington Park.

“After a long winter, it was great to get back on my R1 at Donington, so I’m glad I don’t have to wait too long to go again,” he said. 

“Overall the Donington test was good, we made some good steps forward and I’m feeling good on the bike, which is the most important thing. I’m ready to get to Navarra. 

“I was fast at the test there last year but with round one approaching it adds a bit more excitement. We’ll aim to make another step at this test and take the most we can from round one in Navarra.”

Though this is the first time Navarra has been included on the BSB calendar, Ryde was among several riders who travelled out to Spain during the winter last season to turn in test laps at the circuit.