Mixed Fortunes for Divine at Oulton Park Season Opener
IslandStats.com
The high-speed twists and undulations of Oulton Park provided a dramatic backdrop for the opening round of the 2026 ZYN British Superbike Championship, where Bermuda’s Aeziah Divine experienced the ultimate highs and lows of elite motorcycle racing.
Representing Fibre Tec Honda-By MLav Racing, Divine’s season began with a display of blistering pace that was cruelly interrupted by mechanical misfortune. In the opening race, the young rider made an explosive start, carving through the field to climb as high as 12th. However, while locked in a fierce battle for 11th position, his bike succumbed to a technical failure on the eighth lap.
"It was a frustrating end to race one after a strong eight laps," Divine admitted after the DNF. "I had a great start and was fighting for 11th when I had to retire with a mechanical. It’s no fault of the team—it’s just really unfortunate to take a DNF in the first race of the season."
Despite the disappointment, Divine’s raw speed did not go unnoticed. His performance in the truncated first heat—including a new Personal Best lap time in the 1:48s—earned him a prestigious 10th-place slot on the grid for the second race of the weekend.
Divine capitalized on that starting position in Race 2, showing immense resilience to maintain his place among the frontrunners. Over 12 punishing laps, he powered his Honda to a 10th-place finish, crossing the line with a total time of 21:54.722.
While he finished 31.771 seconds behind race winner Ryan Frost, who clocked a winning time of 21:22.951, the result marks a significant points-scoring finish for Divine in a world-class field. With his pace now firmly established in the 1:48 bracket, the Bermudian standout heads to the next round with clear evidence that he has the speed to challenge the championship's top ten.
