Glenn Irwin has responded to fans on social media who have criticised him for the way he battled Tommy Bridewell in the final BSB rac🔜e of the season a🔯t Brands Hatch.

Irwin entered the Brands Hatch finale last weekend with an outside sho﷽t at the🧜 title, but a crash in Saturday’s Race 1 left him all but out of contention.

On Sunday, both races boiled down to battles for the win between the two ma💮in title protagonists: Kyle Ryde and Irwin’s old rival Tommy Br🍌idewell.

Honda’s Bridewell won Race 2, while OMG Yamaha’s Ryde took v𒁏icto🧸ry in Race 3 to clinch the title.

While Race 2 saw Ryde and Bridewell break away from the pack together with superi♈or pace, in Race 3 a strong battle between Bridewell and Irwin allowed Ryde a one-second advantage that Bridewell broke the lap record to bridge.

After the race, Irwin said that “a little bit of me became a wingman for Kyle [Ryde],” and the PBM Ducati rider has received criticism online for battling Bridewell as hard as h𝕴e did given the context of ꧃the championship.

Irwin responded to the𒀰 criticism, saying ꦡthat he has “nothing but respect for Tommy Bridewell” in a social media post.

“Tommy Bridewell fans annoyed that I enjoyed a great battle on track, To💙mmy Bridewell fans annoyed that I felt I wanted to wingman Kyle (after seeing Honda deploying the tactic of And𝔍rew [Irwin] trying to disrupt Kyle),” Irwin wrote.

“What did the Tommy Bridewell fans say when on live TV he said he would ride throug🌺h me and subsequ🌃ently did do so?

“Take a longไ hard look in the mirror. I respect Tommy like I respect Kyle. Top top class riders the both of them.

“The saying goes, long runs the fox and yesterday that phrase played int♏o reality.

“Again, I have nothing but respect for Tommy Bridewell. To all his clueless fansಞ thank you for the entertainment on social media.”

Irw꧋in then replied to a fan who ෴claimed: “He wasn’t paid to ride shotgun for a rider in another team. Bitter man.”

Irwin hit ba🥂ck: “I can assure you, I am very not bitter after [Sunꦛday’s] result.”

Anot🤡her fan online said to Irwin: “Your tactics in the final race were desperate, it must have hurt  watching your biggest rival ride the Honda like you couldn't.”

Irwin responded: “In 2022 I rode a Honda (older spec) winning 5 races. That’s 2 more than💎 your hero.

“I think I can ride the Honda, according to friends that currently work at Honda the new bike is much better and its weaknesses have impro𝔍ved. So your comment is inaccurate and as expected from a keyboard warrior.”