Both current Honda Racing UK BSB rider Andrew Irwin and the team’s lead Supersport rider, Jack Kennedy, a🍎re in search꧑ of a Superbike ride with the team for the 2025 BSB season.

For Andrew Irwin, the second season of his return to Honda Racing UK has been almost a continuation of the first, with the ꦛhumerus injury that kept him out for much of 2023 remaining an issue in the beginning of this year.

The result was a slow start for Irwin, but, despite returning ♓to podium form at Brands Hatch in July, crashes at Thruxton and Cadwell Park slowed the momentum he was building.

As a result, Irwi𓃲n’s fuꦡture at the Honda Racing UK team is uncertain.

“Honestly, I’m not so sure,” Irwin said when speaking to mahbꦉx.com on Friday at the recent Donington BSB round.

“We still need to confirm𓆏, really. If you want my honest opinion, I’d love to continue here. I think my plan is to continue, but let’s see. I haven’t had anything concrete yet.

🎀“Hopefully I continue at Honda, that’s what I want to do, I think itꦆ’s a fantastic team and I think also the Fireblade is probably the bike to be on in the championship at the moment.”

Another year at Honda would be the third in a🌳 row for Irwin on the Fireblade, a bik🧸e he says he likes and is being developed well.

“Last year I was really fast, I think probably faster than some ꧋people realise, before I got injured,” Irwin said. “So, people didn’t actually realise the potential that the bike had.

“Then, we got an updated model: we got split throttles, we have new aero, slig♈htly different engine — for sure the bike has took a step, that’s what we needed.

“Now we have that, you look at the Hawk guys [Lee Jackson and Charlie Nesbitt🍸], they’re fighting for the podium; you look at Tommy [Bridewell], he’s leading the championship.

“I think it shows that, not only have Honda brought out a new bike, but also the team has develoℱped this bike really fast and it’s onlyꦑ going to get stronger.

“This is the first yea𝔍r, next year I think you’ll see 🧜a big step in the development of the bike.”

Continuing with Honda also presents opportunities to race in WorldSBK, Irwin says, 𒅌should his results be good enough. Results, he says, are the reason he hasn’t wildcarded on the international stage in 2024, when his teammate, Tommy Bridewell, has.

“I think maওybe it [a WorldSBK wildcard] potentially would have been possible if the results had been there,” Irwin said.

“I think you see the job that he’s [Bridewell] ꦚdoing there, he’s doing a job as well as riding the bike there, I think.

“For me, it’s not part of the plan at💝 the minute, but I think next year, if I can continue here and try to do a good job, hopefu🐬lly it’ll open some doors like that.”

Kennedy: “Nothing has been ruled out…”

If Irwin is looking ho🅠ld onto his Honda Racing🐠 UK seat, Jack Kennedy is looking to take it from him.

Kennedy joined Honda Racing UK for this season to return to the British Supersport Championship on the Honda CBR600RR in search of a fi♏fth title in the class.

Leading by 20 points heading into the final round, Kennedy has shown himself once again to be capab𝓡le of winning in the Super🐻sport class, and a move to Superbike for next year remains a possibility.

“Of course, it’s [moving🧜🐼 to Superbike] come up in conversation and we’ve discussed it quite a bit,” Kennedy told mahbx.com at the Donington Park BSB.

“There’s ꦑstill quite a few things that need to fall into place, and o🌜bviously our main focus at the minute is on trying to win the Supersport Championship.

“So, I feel like that’s🌟 what needs to be done first, before we can di🐠scuss the finer details of what class I’m going to ride in next year, and what suits the team for the dynamic of what riders they’re running next year.

“There’s still a lot of things that need𝓡 to be finalised, but nothing has been ruled out so to speak, so it’s [movꦐing to Superbike in 2025] still a possibility.”

Speaking at the end of 2023, Kennedy admitted that there was “frustration” to be moving back to Supersport for 2024 after stepping up to BSB with the Mar-Train in 20༒23.

“I can’t deny that it does come with frustration not to stay in the [Superbike] class, and not to stay in the te🐈am that I was with,” he told Vis꧋ordown.

Kennedy added that the potential to move back up to the Superbike class with Honda Racing UK was also a part of the attraction of the move for him, even if it init♐𝓀ially meant a step back to Supersport.

“There is the prospect of moving back up [to the Superbike class] with the [Honda Rac🍬ing UK] team — there’s a lot of potential to progress with the team, and the two-year agreement was that if we do a good job for Honda and we win the championship then we can talk about riding a Superbike for the year after.”

Despജite Kennedy’s clear desire at the end of 2023 to be b🎃ack in the Superbike class quickly, speaking with mahbx.com at Donington Kennedy said that another year in Supersport with the Honda team would also be acceptable to him.

“With this team, I’m enjoying ▨the year so much,” Kennedy said. “The team is so professional and well-ran, and enjoyable to be a part of.

“💦I’ve enjoyed myself this ꧙year, so there’s no reason why I wouldn’t do another year in Supersport.”