Peter John Hickman (born 8 April 1987 in Burton-upon-Trent) is an English professional motorcycle racer and business owner for preparation of racing machines.[1]
For 2021, he competed in the British Superbike Championship class aboard a BMW M1000RR, initially with superbike teammate Xavi Forés for new team FHO Racing, formed from some elements of Hickman's old team Smiths Racing, which closed at the end of the 2020 season.[2][3] He continued with the same team during 2022, and again into 2023 with a teammate, Josh Brookes.
Hickman started TT racing in 2014. He won two in 2018, three in 2019, followed by four in 2022 and 2023, following the resumption of TT racing after two years of no Isle of Man TT events during COVID-19 travel restrictions.[4] The tally of four wins in one week of racing has only been achieved by two other riders, Phillip McCallen and Michael Dunlop,[5] and Ian Hutchinson who scored five in 2010.[6] Hickman has 14 TT victories in total, which puts him in 6th on the all-time winners list.[7]
Hickman currently holds the all-time lap record at the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course, set in 2023 during the Superstock TT race 2, with an average of 136.358 mph (219.447 km/h) over the 37.73 mi (60.72 km) long race circuit.[8]
Hickman 2021
Racing background
Short circuit
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2022)
Hickman took his first BSB race win at Cadwell Park in 2014. After starting the season without a ride he rode for Tsingtao WK Kawasaki for a single round before joining the RAF Reserves Honda team for the rest of the season at Knockhill.[9]
In 2022, Peter Hickman was announced as a wild card for the Donington ParkWorld Superbike event, riding his usual British Superbike BMW M1000RR, with suitable alterations including a World Superbike specification CPU.[11] He later replaced Michael van der Mark at the factory BMW team for the Autodrom Most round, taking his first points with a 14th-place result in race 2.[12]
Isle of Man TT races
In his debut year (2014) he reached the record as the fastest-ever newcomer at the Isle of Man TT,[13] with a fastest average lap speed of 129.104 mph (207.773 km/h),[9] and a race-average speed of 125.38 mph (201.78 km/h).[14] In 2022, the record was surpassed by Glenn Irwin, who reached 129.85 mph (208.97 km/h).[15] He prepared for his TT race debut by travelling to the Isle of Man and driving 70 laps of the near-38 mile course in a hire car, and by watching videos. Hickman's father Dave was a Manx Grand Prix winner and entered two TTs.[9][16]
Hickman clinched his first victory at the Isle of Man TT in a close race from Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison, breaking Ian Hutchinson's lap record twice in the 2018 Superstock event.[17] Hickman won the Senior TT, raising the absolute lap record to 135.452 mph (217.989 km/h) on the final lap, winning from Dean Harrison with Manxman Conor Cummins in third.[18]
Hickman won three TTs in 2019, and four in 2022 and 2023. In 2024 he won one, bringing his all-time total to 14.[19]
Other UK road races
Hickman achieved his first international road race win at the 2015 Ulster Grand Prix, winning the feature race ahead of Conor Cummins.[20]
Macau Grand Prix
Hickman won the last race of the 2015 season in November, the Macau Grand Prix, riding a Briggs Equipment/RAF Reserves BMW S1000RR.[21]
In November 2016, he retained his Macau Grand Prix title, after he worked his way through from fourth position, winning by just 0.533 seconds from eight-time winner Michael Rutter.[22]
In the 2017 event, Hickman was placed second, in front of event team-mate Michael Rutter, both riding Bathams BMWs.[23]
In 2018 Hickman won the Macau event for a third time, riding his BMW S1000RR prepared by Smiths Racing for Aspire Ho, ahead of Rutter (Bathams Aspire Ho Honda RC213V-S) and Martin Jessop (PBM Ducati).
In 2019, Hickman was again the man to beat, taking pole in front of Rutter.[24] The race was a controversial affair, as it was stopped by two red flags due to accidents, with insufficient laps completed to declare a result. It was initially declared null and void,[25] before Michael Rutter was declared the winner as he was leading the last completed lap, even though Hickman was leading the field when both red flags were deployed.[26]
The race was not held in 2020 and 2021,[27] and Hickman, like most top British riders, did not take part in 2022 due to travel restrictions.[28] Hickman took a comfortable fourth win in 2023, 28 seconds in front of Davey Todd and the first win for FHO BMW. [29]
![[icon]](File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small}
