Ducati Panigale V4R: Fascinating insights into the art of fast riding

The Ducati Panigale V4R is the benchmark in the 2026 World Superbike Championship. A glance at the statistics impressively underlines its dominance: works rider Nicolo Bulega has won every race of the season, Iker Lecuona has consistently finished second since Portimão, and in the manufacturers’ championship, Ducati has already amassed more than twice as many points as its nearest rival, Bimota. The fact that privateer riders are also regularly achieving top results speaks volumes for the qualities of the Panigale V4R and the strong customer programme run by the Bologna-based manufacturer. One of seven Ducati privateer riders is Tommy Bridewell, who explained to SPEEDWEEK.com what specific riding skills this successful bike demands.

By moving into the World Superbike Championship, Bridewell was breaking new ground in many respects. The Briton only joined the field from the second race weekend of the 2026 season, but improved steadily following a solid debut. At Most, he secured his first top-10 results with 8th place in the sprint and 10th in Sunday’s race; at Aragon, the Ducati rider even surprised everyone with 5th place in the first race and further top-10 finishes. Currently 16th in the World Championship, the former British Superbike Champion’s form is clearly on the up.

Explaining the nuances of riding technique

For Bridewell, the biggest difference between the British Superbike Championship and the World Superbike Championship is, apart from the strong competition, primarily the riding technique. In the BSB, electronic riding aids are banned, which is why he had to fundamentally adapt his riding style. He was particularly surprised by the intensive use of the rear brake in the World Championship.

“The way the rear brake is used in the World Superbike Championship is extraordinary,” explained Bridewell. “In England, you hardly ever use the rear brake at all. Looking back, I even wonder why not. It’s like driving a car: if you just press the brake, you slow down. If you also pull the handbrake, you slow down even more. Today, that seems completely logical to me.”

Bridewell war erstaunt, wie intensiv er die Hinterradbremse betätigen muss

Foto: Godl & Goose

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Bridewell realised just how much he still had to learn, particularly when entering corners. “I’m still a bit weak going into corners. The other Ducati riders are extremely strong there. They brake with both the front and rear brakes simultaneously, building up enormous pressure on the rear brake. As soon as they turn in, they release both brakes. When I first tried to copy that, I experienced severe chattering, even though my bike was set up almost identically to Yari Montella’s.”

It was only by analysing the data that Bridewell understood the crucial difference. “When I realised that they were using the rear brake significantly more than I was, the chattering stopped immediately. Suddenly, I was even about 10 km/h faster at the corner entry than before. It’s these little details that you only come to understand over time. That’s exactly what’s part of the learning process.”

How electronics influence performance

The transition to the Ducati Panigale V4 R’s extensive electronic systems was just as significant. Many outsiders believed that traction control automatically compensates for every mistake. Bridewell strongly disagrees with this notion.

“The crazy thing is: the electronics are an incredibly powerful tool – but only if you use them properly. Many people think that because you have traction control and wheelie control, you can just go full throttle because the electronics will save you. But that’s not how it works.”

Instead, the rider must do their utmost to prevent the systems from intervening in the first place. “The riders in the Superbike World Championship are much gentler on the throttle. The aim is to let the electronics do as little work as possible, because every intervention costs time. That’s exactly where I still have some catching up to do. I’m too aggressive on the throttle. When the rear wheel spins, I often think: ‘Never mind, just go full throttle.’ But then the traction control kicks in and the bike doesn’t accelerate properly.”

Bridewell experienced a specific example of this at Most. “I lost time in Turn 4 because, coming out of Turn 2, I simply went full throttle from first to fifth gear, trusting that the traction control would save me. The only problem was: the motorbike wasn’t moving forwards. During the race, I then started to open the throttle more gently. I could see straight away from the data that my speed had increased significantly.”

For Bridewell, it is therefore clear that whilst the electronics offer enormous potential, the rider must learn to use them in a targeted manner. “You have to understand how to use the electronics properly. There are various engine braking strategies when entering a corner, whilst traction control and wheelie control play a crucial role when exiting a corner. Only when you use all these systems correctly will you set good lap times.”