Peter Hickman’s 8TEN Racing team announces shock BSB withdrawal

The LEW 8TEN Racing team, which is co-owned by road racing stars Peter Hickman and Davey Todd, has officially withdrawn from the 2026 BSB championship.

The decision to withdraw from BSB has been made with a focus on getting both riders back to full fitness, which is especially important for Todd after he missed the 2026 North West 200 and Isle of Man TT.

For Hickman, this year’s TT marked his return to the iconic road race after suffering chest, back, shoulder and facial injuries during a crash at the 2025 event. Hickman’s return to the TT proved to be a successful one as he achieved four podium finishes, including two second places in the Superbike and Senior TT races. 

But despite his impressive results at the TT, Hickman had endured a tougher time in BSB so far this season, which played a role in the decision to withdraw. Hickman is now expected to compete at ‘selected events’ on the same machinery he races on the roads.

Speaking about the decision to withdraw from his commitments as the team’s only BSB rider, Hickman said: 

“It’s obviously been a difficult call, but the priority is to get back to where I know I can be. The differences in bike spec at BSB makes that progression difficult to manage properly at the moment. BSB has been a huge part of my career and I’ve loved every minute of it, but sometimes you have to sit back and prioritise and that’s exactly what we are doing.

“We appreciate this won’t be the news fans wanted to hear, but our focus has to be on returning both the riders and the team to the level of competitiveness that we and our partners expect.”

BMW Motorrad Head of Motorsport, Sven Blusch, added: 

“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. 

"The British Superbike Championship is without question one of the most fiercely competitive domestic championships in the world, and one very important to us at BMW Motorrad, so we have every intention of continuing our commitment to the series, both this season, also in National Superstock, and with eyes on a renewed effort in 2027."

Like Hickman, Todd is prioritising the 2027 season after he was injured during a crash at the Daytona 200 earlier this year. This decision means Todd will not return to BSB in 2026.

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