The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continued its 2026 preparations with the second day of winter testing at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto.

Day 2 Highlights

• Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continued his strong form, dominating Day 2 with a 1’37.587, the fastest lap of the test and the only rider to consistently lap in the 1’37s.
   
• Iker Lecuona made major strides in just his second outing with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. The Spaniard improved steadily throughout the day, eventually clocking a 1’38.444 on his 70th lap to secure second overall, 0.857s off Bulega’s pace.
   
• Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) showed competitive speed, setting a 1’38.756 on his 44th lap, ending the day third fastest and the top bimota rider.
   
• Michael van der Mark (BMW) made late improvements in the final hour, breaking into the 1’38s with a 1’38.998 to finish fourth. The Dutchman completed 75 laps in total, as BMW continued its winter development programme.
• Axel Bassani, riding for bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team,rounded out the top five with a 1’39.050, just 0.052s behind van der Mark. The Italian led the early morning sessions and completed over 50 laps, contributing valuable feedback to the bimota project.
• Honda’s testing effort continued with Corentin Perolari (1’39.607), Ryan Vickers (1’39.659) and Alan Techer (1’40.323) all in action aboard the CBR1000RR-R. The trio focused on development work throughout the day, with Perolari the fastest of the group

Coming Next

The winter test action will continue on 26 and 27 November at Jerez, as the championship’s teams work toward the start of the 2026 campaign.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “It was quite a good day, even if only a half day of work. I think we improved a bit from yesterday, with one more night of experience to analyse everything. I felt good straight away, and we managed to make some small steps with the turning — not perfect yet, but better. I lost a little in braking compared to yesterday, but overall we’ve made progress. We have good data for the winter, and I’m sure the team will work a lot to prepare for next year.”

Iker Lecuona continues his adaptation to the Ducati Panigale V4 R, completing his second day on track with Aruba.it Racing – Ducati. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continued to show notable speed as well, with his times descending lower and lower into the 1’39s as the day went on. His fastest time of 1’38.444s placed him P2, nine tenths behind his teammate, Nicolo Bulega.

Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani were on track with bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, continuing development of the KB998 Rimini. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) returned to the Andalucian circuit after not participating in Day 1 of the test. Day 2 saw the riders make up for lost time, laying down the most laps of any manufacturer on the day for a total of 101. The team were reportedly testing new items on the suspension and engine which they will hope can improve the bike’s straight-line speed. Lowes’s 1’38.756s time sat him third-fastest on the day, ahead of Bassani who finished fifth on the order thanks to his 1’39.050s time. The pair were supported by Xavi Fores who participated as a test rider for Bimota, logging a modest 9 laps after his 58 laps on Day 1.

Michael van der Mark focused on development work for BMW, representing the team in the absence of their new 2026 riders. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team) kept the irons hot on Day 2 recording an additional 79 laps for a total of 136 in his new role with the team as a test rider. The fastest of his laps came in Day 2 when he laid down a 1’38.998s time to seat the rider from the Netherlands P4 on the combined timesheet.

The combined top ten from the two days of testing at Jerez!

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’37.587s

2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.857s

3. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +1.169s

4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team) +1.411s

5. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +1.463s

6. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +1.550s

7. Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +1.762s

8. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) +1.846s

9. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +1.892s

10. Corentin Perolari (Honda HRC Test Team) +2.020s

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