Andrew Irwin vows to put Northern Ireland's TAS Racing team 'back where they belong' in British Superbike Championship

The Carrickfergus rider will ride the brand-new BMW M1000RR in 2021 in a revamped line-up alongside Englishman Danny Buchan in the SYNETIQ colours.

Irwin’s decision to leave Honda Racing after two seasons took many by surprise, but the 26-year-old said he wanted a fresh challenge with a team he holds in high regard.

“To come to BMW is something that I like because it gives me a lot of motivation, and I want to take them back to where they belong and where I think they should be,” Irwin told the News Letter.

“I’m from Northern Ireland and I don’t hide the fact that I’m proud to be from here. It’s like anything we do, we tend to punch above our weight and I want to take TAS back to where I think they can be and be fighting for podiums again in the British Superbike Championship.

“They have been there and done it and Philip and Hector Neill have managed a lot of riders and brought them on in their careers, like Tom Sykes for example who has been a world champion.

“A lot of people hold them in high regard and I’m one of them, so I’m looking forward to working with them in the next stage of my career and it’s something that is giving me fire in my belly.

“It’s a nice feeling and I just want to get going.”

Irwin clinched three wins during a condensed BSB season this year – including a double at the Donington Park national circuit – as he finished the campaign in sixth overall in the standings.

He rode the all-new Fireblade for the Honda team alongside his older brother Glenn and Irwin says he can draw parallels to the challenge he now faces in the official BMW Motorrad BSB squad.

“Going to BMW is something similar to when I was at Honda because they hadn’t really fought at the front or won races for quite some time until Alex Lowes joined them,” he said.

“When I went to Honda they had won one or two races since 2013 when they won the championship, so I think going to BMW I can do something similar and help them get back to winning ways.

“In 2019 the BMW was a strong package but it was relatively standard then. This year was a funny year as a whole and some teams and riders struggled with the BMW, but I don’t think 2020 is a year you can really look into too much,” added Irwin.

“Bradley Ray put the TAS bike on the front row a few times so it can definitely go fast. If you look at it like that and consider that the new bike will have a stronger engine and be a better package all round, then it’s going to be a step forward.”

Looking back on this season, Irwin – who again fell foul of Race Direction on several occasions – believes he has gained ‘important experience’ that will help him become the finished article in 2021.

“I feel like this year was a roller-coaster. We had a lot of potential and we showed some flashes of brilliance, but also some flashes of a little bit of inexperience at times,” he said.

“I feel like I’m always learning and hopefully next year will be the year when it all comes together. I’m 26 now and I think it’s time to step up to the mark – maybe not in terms of the title – but in terms of fighting for the podium every week.

“I think we’ll have the package to do that and I’ve no doubts over the TAS boys as a team, so hopefully the rider won’t let them down!”

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