Factory BMW road racing team FHO Racing has shockingly quit road racing ahead of this year's Isle of Man TT, with both Peter Hickman and reigning Senior TT champion Davey Todd walking away from the team and into the newly-formed 8Ten Racing team run by Hickman himself.
The news had been brewing over weeks of speculation surrounding the future of Macanese billionaire Faye Ho's FHO squad - despite it having full-factory support from BMW and recently announcing that Todd would be joining 14-time TT winner Hickman for the 2025 season.
"As is normal with racing," said Hickman in a brief social media statement, "we've had mega highs and disappointing lows throughout but FHO has and always will be a huge part of my racing career and I'm forever grateful for that opportunity."
The full structure of the new 8Ten Racing team is still to be officially announced, with a team launch believed to be scheduled for before the end of the month.
But according to The Race's sources in the road racing paddock, it seems that it will retain the majority of the current FHO staff and the team's factory BMW support.
Instead of going to the TT, FHO Racing will compete solely in the British Superbike Championship with Ukrainian racer Ilya Mikhalchik, the 2024 German champion and a long-time part of BMW's superbike development programme.
"I am a strong advocate of the British Superbike Championship," said Ho in a statement released by the championship, "one of the most entertaining and competitive series in the world.
"However, with my long-term goals looking to push motorsports activities in Asia, as well as to keep supporting young women with opportunities in racing, I've come to realise I cannot fully commit to the previous levels of time that I have given to BSB and road racing since becoming team owner in 2021 with additional commitments I have back at home in Macau."
Hickman first joined the FHO team in 2021, and has gone on to huge success for it at the TT since, winning seven races of his 14 career victories for FHO, as well as three BSB races and Ho's home race the Macau Grand Prix in 2023.
The team signed Todd to join Hickman for 2025 off the back of his breakthrough 2024 season where he took three wins including the Senior TT. He first rode for FHO at last year's Macau event, qualifying on pole position before the race was rained off.
