Before we bid a final farewell to the year that was 2023 and begin gazing ahead to the year that will be 2024, BSN  looks back at the 2023 British Superbike Championship to bring you our rundown of the Top 10 BSB Riders of the Year. 

In ninth place is Josh Brookes…

Following a curious steady decline in form over the past two seasons, Josh Brookes bouncing back towards the front of the BSB grid in 2023 was one of the year’s feel-good tales.

While the ultra-experienced Australian is no stranger to bold changes of direction in a career that has seen him win races on Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Ducati machinery, his move onto the FHO Racing BMW M 1000 RR was billed as arguably his most challenging or, at the very least, his most intriguing.

Either way, few expected Brookes to toast his new home by making a winning start to life at FHO Racing with hard fought victories at Silverstone and Oulton Park among four podiums from the opening four races.

Giving him an early lead in the standings, talk quickly turned to the prospect of a third BSB title with a third manufacturer,  but from Round 3 onwards the momentum - both the Australian’s and FHO Racing’s - slowed in tempo, Brookes taking the rest of the season to trouble the podium another four occasions.

A return to the roads appeared to have its pros and cons for Brookes, the Aussie’s impressive comeback performance in the former being offset by a slump in the latter, but for the most part he was a metronomic top ten finisher and therefore a step in the right direction after his 2022 nadir.

While seventh in the standings perhaps wasn’t the outcome his rapid start to the season seemed to suggest, it was evidence enough that Brookes remains as much of a force in BSB now as he was way back in 2009 when he made his debut.

More than that though, Brookes appears to have found a very happy home at FHO Racing…

BSN's Top 10 BSB Riders of 2023:

10th - Danny Kent