Hickman and Todd Pull Out of 2026 BSB Season — Peter Hickman Bsb Withdrawal 2026
Peter Hickman Bsb Withdrawal 2026 became the key story in British Superbike on Thursday, with Peter Hickman and Davey Todd set to miss the rest of the season after LEW 8TEN Racing withdrew from the series. The move removes two co-owners from the grid and closes the door on an immediate return for a team that has been fighting to get back to full strength.
Hickman said the decision came after a long run of setbacks. “It’s obviously been a difficult call, but the priority is to get back to where I know I can be.” He added that the differences in bike spec at BSB make that progression difficult to manage properly at the moment.
Hickman’s return after injury
Hickman missed the majority of 2025 after sustaining multiple injuries in a crash at the Isle of Man TT. He returned at this year’s TT with four podiums, including two second-place finishes in the Senior TT and Superbike TT, but his BSB record has stalled since 2022.
He is an eight-time BSB race winner, and his last victory came for FHO Racing BMW during the 2022 season finale at Brands Hatch. That win was his 25th, and it remains his last BSB podium.
Todd’s interrupted season
Todd’s absence adds another layer to the withdrawal. He is currently out of action because of injuries sustained in a crash at the Daytona 200 in the USA, and he was deemed unfit to ride at both the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT this year.
The withdrawal also halts his BSB run with 8TEN Racing after he first competed in the series in 2023 with the Milenco by Padgetts Honda team and returned with 8TEN Racing in 2025. Hickman and Todd co-own 8TEN Racing, so the decision shuts down the squad’s BSB plans for the rest of 2026 in one move.
BMW’s BSB position
BMW Motorrad Head of Motorsport Sven Blusch said the manufacturer supports the riders’ push to recover fully. “It’s been a tough first half of the year for both Peter and Davey at 8TEN Racing and so we fully understand and support their desire to get back to full fitness,” he said.
BMW’s broader BSB drought now stretches back to September 2024, when Leon Haslam finished third in Race Two at Oulton Park. The last BMW victory came at the same circuit in April 2023, when Josh Brookes won for FHO Racing BMW, and Blusch said BMW Motorrad intends to continue its commitment to the championship this season, in National Superstock, and with eyes on a renewed effort in 2027.
For Hickman, the practical impact is immediate: he will continue to compete in selected events during 2026 on the same specification machinery he races on the roads, but BSB will no longer be part of that calendar this year. That leaves BMW without the two riders most closely tied to its recent BSB hopes and pushes the next phase of its programme toward the seasons ahead.
