WorldSBK 2026 Gets Underway
T
he first test of the WorldSBK
2026 calendar year took
place at the well-worn venue of
the Circuit de Jerez - Angel Ni-
eto, January 21-22. Most of the
expected new-season big hitters
were in attendance, along with
several others.
In what feels like a genuinely
new era of on-track WorldSBK
competition, there was no
Toprak Razgatlioglu, of course.
Alvaro Bautista rode at Jerez
for the non-factory Barni Spark
Ducati team, and Jonathan Rea
was only there as a test rider for
his old alma mater, Honda, not
Kawasaki.
As we all expected, the de
facto Aruba.it Racing Ducati
lead rider, Nicolo Bulega, was
the fastest rider, but like the rest
of his revamped and new peer
group, he was a slave to the
Spanish winter weather.
A fully wet first day and then a
largely wet final day (punctuated
eventually by a short window of
almost dry track conditions after
lunchtime) limited everyone's full
ambitions.
Bulega was still fastest over
-
all, even if he did run off track
and later crashed at the still-
damp T5, ending his latest test
unhurt, but in the pit box for the
last few hours.
Second fastest was one-
day/final-day rider Alex Lowes
(bimota by KRT), who got close
to Bulega's best of 1:39.331 with
his own 1:39.450.
New Pata Maxus Yamaha
rider Xavi Vierge was third
quickest, with privateer Ducati
rider Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS
Ducati) fourth.
There are two new BMW fac
-
tory signings for 2026, but it was
outgoing regular competitor and
new test rider Michael van der
Mark who set the fastest time
on the latest M 1000 RR in fifth
position overall.
WIND
IN THE
P50
Nicolo Bulega has one
objective only for 2026, and
that's to take the WorldSBK
title. He started off on the
right foot at Jerez.
