Kyle Ryde leads the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship into its Brands Hatch finale. The defending champion holds a 30-point edge over his main challenger Bradley Ray. Three final races this October will decide the title.
The 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship is set for a massive final weekend. The title will be decided at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit from October 17th to 19th. Only two riders are in a proper fight for the championship trophy: defending champion Kyle Ryde and 2022 champion Bradley Ray.
After a tough and wet Showdown event at Oulton Park, Ryde holds a 30-point advantage over Ray. With three races remaining, and 105 points on the table, the season comes down to a true winner-takes-all event in Kent.
Oulton Park: A Weekend of Changing Fortunes
Round 10 at Oulton Park saw high drama and difficult weather. It was a weekend where the championship lead swung back and forth, putting both top riders under huge pressure.
Saturday’s Opener: The first race was run in mixed conditions. It made choosing the right tyre very difficult for all the teams. Veteran rider Josh Brookes (DAO Racing Honda) took a surprise win. For the title fight, this race was key. Championship leader Ryde (OMG Racing Yamaha) rode carefully in the difficult conditions. He finished third, earning a solid 20 points. Meanwhile, Ray (Raceways Yamaha) struggled badly with his tyre choice. He crossed the line in ninth place, collecting only eight points. This result stretched Ryde’s advantage to a large 43 points. This meant Ray needed a huge fightback on Sunday.
Ray’s Sensational Sunday Performance
Bradley Ray rose to the challenge on Sunday. He produced two brilliant races, showing the grit that won him the title in 2022.
Race Two (The Sprint): The race was short – just eight laps – after a weather delay. Ray started from a bad grid position, 14th, but he knew he had to gain places fast. The Raceways Yamaha rider carved through the field in clinical style. By lap five, he was close to Ryde and soon passed him. At the front, Leon Haslam and Christian Iddon had built a gap. Ray quickly closed this down. On the very last lap, he passed Iddon at Island corner. He then made a sensational dive past Haslam at the tricky Knickerbrook chicane. Ray took the victory by less than half a second. This dramatic win gave him a huge boost. Ryde, who finished fourth, watched his lead shrink to 36 points.
Race Three (The Final): This was a thrilling race, with up to ten riders battling at the front. The lead changed hands constantly between Ray, Ryde, Haslam, and Scott Redding (Hager PBM Ducati), who was also hunting a podium finish. Ray was determined and fought hard, trading places with Ryde multiple times. On the final lap, Redding found a way past to take the win. Crucially, Haslam hit a false neutral on his Ducati into the final corner. This made him run wide, and Ray slipped past for second place. Ryde finished fifth.
Despite Ray’s strong Sunday – a win and a second place – he only cut Ryde’s overall lead by 13 points across the two days. The damage from Saturday’s poor finish proved hard to recover. The gap is now settled at a crucial 30-point margin.
The Final Points Battle
The official championship standings before the Brands Hatch finale are:
| Position | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1st | Kyle Ryde (Leader) | OMG Racing Yamaha | 445 |
| 2nd | Bradley Ray | Raceways Yamaha | 415 |
| 3rd | Leon Haslam | Moto Rapido Ducati | 344 |
There are a maximum of 105 points on offer from the three races in Kent. Each race winner earns 35 points. While Leon Haslam is mathematically in the fight (101 points behind Ryde), the title will almost certainly go to one of the top two Yamaha riders.
The Maths: For Bradley Ray to win the title, he must outscore Ryde by at least 31 points over the three races. If Ryde finishes strongly in all three, Ray must take at least one win and two very high place finishes.
Ryde’s Goal: The defending champion’s aim is consistency. He needs to ride smart and avoid any accidents or mechanical issues. If he finishes fourth or better in every race, he is almost certain to secure his second BSB title.
The Brands Hatch GP circuit is one of the fastest and toughest on the calendar. Ray won a race here earlier in the season and knows the track well. This makes the final weekend a perfect setting for a massive and tense finish to the 2025 British Superbike Championship. Fans expect an unmissable three days of racing.
