2015 BSB champion Josh Brookes completes the ultra-competitive line up for team boss Paul Birdhaving signed to race for the Be Wiser Ducati Team in the 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

The 35-year-old Australian from Bringelly in New South Wales will partner returning MotoGP ace Scott Redding aboard a second factory-backed Be Wiser Ducati V4 in the 12 round series which kicks off at Silverstone on Easter Sunday (21st April) next year.

Brookes has a wealth of British Superbike experience to date including over 220 starts and is currently fourth in the list of all-time BSB race winners with a total of 39 victories prior to this weekend’s season finale at Brands Hatch, where he did the double earlier in the season.

As well as his domination en route to the 2015 BSB title, Josh has been runner-up three times in his BSB tenure as well as winning the 2005 Australian Superbike Championship. He also has two World Supersport Championship victories to his name.

He completes a superb line up for the Lake District-based PBM team who announced GP winner Redding last week having confirmed that both riders will have the very latest Ducati V4 machinery at their disposal.

In addition to their British Superbike Championship campaigns, Redding and Brookes are also planning on doing at least one event in the World Superbike Championship as a wild card, hopefully the UK round, once the calendar is finalised.

Josh Brookes:

“PBM have been the benchmark during much of my time in BSB and have always set the bar very high. With Shakey being my arch-rival, I never really saw myself riding alongside him but when things changed, it became a real consideration, although I wish him a full recovery. The Be Wiser Ducati V4 will be an awesome bike and I’m excited to be a part of this, and to start winning regularly again. I know the team will be at the forefront once again in 2019 and I’m really looking forward to this challenge.”

Paul Bird, Team Owner:

“We are the first team to announce our riders and plans for 2019 so we can now concentrate on winning the BSB title back next year which is our sole aim. Josh is a quality act who is totally focused on winning and is capable of that when he has the right tools as he has proved. We will give him exactly what he needs, as we will Scott, and that should provide some healthy rivalry within the garage. This is an exciting time and a new era for PBM and we can’t wait to get started in our quest.”