‘He doesn’t realise how good a passenger he is.’

The duo will contest the two three-lap races on the Hager/Wyckham Blackwell LCR Honda, with both driver and passenger aiming for the top step of the podium after taking a best finish of second and fourth respectively last year.

Last year was Ben’s first year of competition around the Mountain Course without his brother Tom by his side - the dominant duo having claimed 14 victories and a further two podiums between 2012 and 2023.

With Tom retiring at the end of 2023, Ben was joined by new passenger Kevin Rousseau in 2024. A challenging practice week saw them have a spill at the Mountain Box and miss the first race, but they bounced back to finished a strong second to Ryan and Callum Crowe in the second race.

For 2025 though, Cumbria-based Birchall has recruited Rosney for the full season, the Lancastrian having impressed since making his TT debut in 2016 alongside Lewis Blackstock.

Since then the duo have been almost ever-present in the top 10.

Rosney now makes the move to Birchall Racing with Ben eagerly looking forward to the new season. He said: ‘It’s taken a bit longer than anticipated but I’m delighted with the shape of the new team and having Paddy on board for the whole season, not just the TT, is a huge plus.

‘Kevin was great last year, and he did a brilliant job, especially when you consider he’d never done a flying lap before last year, but he has World Championship commitments with another driver which means he could only race with me for a couple of meetings in the year.

‘I totally understand and respect that, but I need, and want, to be competing regularly so when Paddy became available, he ticked all the boxes.

‘I’ve known him since he started racing and Tom’s mentored him in previous years and we’ve travelled to meetings together, so he already knows everyone in the team and has fitted in great.

‘We’re both feeling confident and it’s not just about this year, there’s a long-term plan in place.

‘He doesn’t realise how good a passenger he is and he’s already helping me, so all the boxes are ticked this year and that’s important in sidecar racing especially for feeling both confident and comfortable.

‘In the 20-plus years with Tom, I never really had to think about anything and whilst I wouldn’t go as far as to say I became complacent, I’ve had to do a lot of learning very quickly since he retired.

‘Knowing what’s required and what’s not required for the entire package, both on and away from the track, has become more evident these last 18 months as I have a lot more to think about now Tom’s not alongside me, so I’m thrilled to be in the situation I am now with Paddy.

‘The desire to succeed at the TT is as strong as ever - the fire’s still burning and we’re in a really good place.’