The 2026 season is officially underway for Bodie Paige and Jake Paige, as the brothers opened their Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup campaign with the first official test at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
This season, the Paige brothers are racing both the Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup and the full MotoAmerica series.
Watch the Sepang Test Highlights here!
Saturday action concludes with a familiar duo on top – but plenty of stories continue to build ahead of race action.
Day 1 is in the books at the Buriram Test and it’s 2025 runner-up Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) who tops the timesheets with a 1:29.262 in Thailand. Hot on his heels despite two crashes it’s reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), 0.129 in arrears, with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) just taking third as he edged out Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi by just 0.011. It was a tight fight for that P3 as Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) lurked only another 0.005 back too.
Here’s what we saw on Saturday – on the timesheets and beyond.
BK8 GRESINI RACING MOTOGP, PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46 RACING TEAM, DUCATI LENOVO TEAM
Alex Marquez continued working out which aero package he prefers, and took that P1. His full-time teammate in the box, Fermin Aldeguer, is out injured and replaced by Michele Pirro, with the Italian completing the running 3.3s off Marquez but putting in some valuable track time.
After the highs of Sepang, Marc Marquez didn’t have it all his own way on Day 1 at Buriram. Two crashes for the reigning World Champion saw the first half of his day spent in the gravel or in the box. The first one was a fast one at the final corner as he was braking on the kerbs whilst the second was a small get-off at Turn 5, but rider ok. He also got back out there and finished the day in P2 on the combined times in somewhat classic style #93 bounce back.
Teammate Francesco Bagnaia was P12 but continued his positive pre-season form and was seen smiling throughout the day in the box. In the red corner there was more debate about the 2025 aero vs the 2024 package as well as different variations of the 2025 one itself. There’s now one day to decide…
From the blue of Gresini to the fluorescent yellow of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducatis. Fabio Di Giannantonio was up inside the top three for the majority of the day whilst Franco Morbidelli left it late to replicate what he showed in Sepang and pull off a leapfrog. The #21 jumped up the order into the top three in the closing 20 minutes, taking the chequered flag in third. Ninth at the conclusion of day one for ‘Diggia’ but with both riders strong throughout testing, there’re exciting times ahead for VR46.
APRILIA RACING & TRACKHOUSE MOTOGP TEAM
Aprilia’s pre-season has been the highlight of many within the MotoGP paddock and day one was no exception. Bezzecchi took fourth whilst teammate Jorge Martin was less than four tenths off the #72 despite riding the RS-GP at Buriram for the first time, ending the day in P13. Bezzecchi had a small crash on his way back to the pits but was perfectly OK. They had the latest spec of rear aero which was featured at Sepang as well as some new air ducts – but with a slightly different objective: to channel air to go around the riders legs.
Like in Bezzecchi and Martin’s garage, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) also had the latest spec of rear aero on his RS-GP. The 2025 Australian GP winner put in a fast run at the end of the day too, moving up into the top three originally before concluding the day in sixth. Teammate Ai Ogura likes Buriram, the place of his debut in MotoGP last year and thus his best result of the season but did struggle to match the #25. Ogura back-to-back tested the rear aero with the one seen in Valencia last season, confirming which direction he wants to go in. 15th at the flag, expect the Japanese star to make bigger moves on the final day tomorrow.
CASTROL HONDA LCR, HONDA HRC CASTROL & PRO HONDA LCR
Leading Honda’s charge, a mighty effort from Zarco saw the Frenchman climb up the order to fifth with a flying lap putting him just 0.205s away from Alex Marquez in P1. It wasn’t all smooth for Zarco – literally – though, as he said he struggled with consistent control of the bike as it evolved from one lap to another. Elsewhere, teammate Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) continued to adapt to his new MotoGP environment and said it’s all about the fast corners. A challenging day in the soaring heat, he was 20th at the end of it all but expect his time to drop significantly if all goes well on day two; he stated he has homework to do and plans to watch other riders’ lines.
Despite only having one bike available after a technical issue, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) was right in the thick of it once again, backing up Zarco’s pace and confirming Honda’s progress. He clinched seventh on the timesheets and confirmed that for him and teammate Luca Marini, there’ll be some aero-related items to try on day two before getting into the Grand Prix weekend.
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING & RED BULL KTM TECH3
KTM’s charge on Saturday was led by Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in eighth place. He was using the latest aero seen for the first time at Sepang, seemingly smaller than their previous incarnation. Teammate Enea Bastianini followed the same method of working as his teammate but struggled to match his pace as yet, finishing in P16.
There were small improvements made by Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he finished 10th at the end of play on day one, stating that his day went “great”. He also used the smaller aero from Sepang but teammate Pedro Acosta left it until later in the day to make the switch to it. The #37 was the third-best KTM though and after the highs of Sepang where he was fourth and the best in orange, he finished day one in 13th – work to do for The Shark.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP & PRIMA PRAMAC YAMAHA MOTOGP TEAM
The adaptation period is very much continuing at Yamaha as they seek to find their way forwards with the V4. Fresh from a quick trip to Adelaide to welcome the Australian city onto MotoGP’s calendar from 2027, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) was the best of the Yamahas in 17th and just over a second adrift of Alex Marquez’s top time. Teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu had a modified handlebar as well as a tweaked seat unit. Like in Sepang, there were no stegosaurus wings on the rear of the YZR-M1 due to height restrictions. Ergonomics are vital for ‘El Turco’, the tallest rider on the grid; the triple WorldSBK Champion was 21st on the opening day.
Unfortunately for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), it was not a day one to remember. He wasn’t impressed with the performance of the bike out on track, showing his anger in the box as well as a clear signal to the bike itself. ‘El Diablo’ also had chassis variations to try as well as the latest swingarm at his disposal. On the other side of his box, Alex Rins was behind the 2021 World Champion but was less than a tenth of a second away; the Spaniard had a different chassis available to him that wasn’t seen on his teammate’s side but both had the latest spec aero. They finished the day in 18th and 19th respectively with just one more day remaining to get the bike in the best of shape possible.
There’s another whole day of track action to come before pre-season concludes, but the countdown is very much on now. Join us for Sunday from Buriram as the final test day gets underway – half an hour earlier than first scheduled from 9:30am (UTC+7) local time! Check out the full RESULTS HERE.
CombinedPracticeTimes motogp
More from a press release issued by Pertamina Enduro VR46:
Positive first day of Official MotoGP test for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, which is in third place with Franco Morbidelli and in ninth with Fabio Di Giannantonio at Buriram.
At the Chang International Circuit, the last Official MotoGP winter test got underway, and the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team had a solid Day 1 despite the very high temperatures. Franco Morbidelli finished the first day in third place, while Fabio Di Giannantonio ended in ninth place.
Consistent Day 1 for Morbidelli, who continued in Buriram the work started during the Sepang test. On the Thai track, Franco also focused on the setup of his Ducati Desmosedici GP, completing 59 laps overall. The heat did not slow down the Italian-Brazilian rider, who set a 1’29”451 as his best time of the day, a lap that secured him third place in the combined classification.
A solid day as well for Di Giannantonio, who worked on the updates to his Ducati: Fabio focused on confirming the work carried out during the Sepang test also in Buriram, where the first race of the season will take place. The rider from Rome ended Day 1 in ninth place in the combined classification after completing 66 laps overall, with a best time of 1’29”643.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will return to the track tomorrow for the second and final day of MotoGP collective testing in Buriram before the start of the season, which will kick off with the Thai Grand Prix, scheduled from February 27th to March 1st.
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “I’m much happier today than in Malaysia test. Today it wasn’t an easy day, but we were able to stick to the plan and try everything we had in the plan. I’ve never been very quick on this track, but it seems we found a way to go fast here too, and it’s very important. The feeling with the bike is good, we tried many things and some of them were an improvement on the bike. The goal is to put all the things together to get the best package possible, so let’s see if we can start to prepare the race weekend already. Tomorrow we will also try the new aero once again, let’s see if we can use it for the first race.”
Franco Morbidelli: “It was a positive day, we tried to adapt the setup to this track. We went back and forth with some setting solutions in terms of electronics and chassis, and it went well. We were able to adapt very well to the track and to the different tyres as well. I like the new aero package, it’s a bit different in some areas. The plan for tomorrow is to continue working on the setup but also doing a race simulation. We will try some time attacks in the morning. I feel well, I look forward to starting the season, we are fast. The test started well, and this is giving me even more will to start and more confidence.”
More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR:
More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Marini and Mir find their rhythm at the Buriram Test.
The last chance to experiment without the pressures of a race weekend for the Honda HRC Castrol squad as the Buriram Test commences, Joan Mir and Luca Marini positive after the first day on track.
The penultimate test of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship pre-season began at the Chang International Circuit, the Honda HRC Castrol team resuming their work from the previous outing in Sepang. Time between tests gave Honda HRC’s engineers the perfect opportunity to assess the data gathered, the most successful manufacturer in Grand Prix racing arriving in Thailand with several new ideas.
Joan Mir put in a best lap of 1’29.494 on his final run of the day to go seventh overall and end within a quarter of a second of Alex Marquez, fastest of the first day. Still working on the setup of his Honda RC213V, the #36 was left content with the time he achieved but is aiming to complete more laps tomorrow.
Ending the morning session in third place, Luca Marini remained within half a second of the top times throughout the entirety of the day. A total of 60 laps produced a best time of 1’29.774 for the Italian and saw him end in 12th as 0.9s split the top 16. Improving rear grip remains Marini’s main focus for the last day of the Buriram Test.
Now just a single day of testing awaits, a final chance to gather data and prepare the plan for the opening Grand Prix of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship season.
Joan Mir: “A good day overall but maybe not as straight forward as I was expecting because we had a few things to work on between the two bikes we have here. It lost us a bit of time in the morning, but after that we focused and got through a lot for a really positive part of the day. Our package isn’t perfect, but we can make a good lap time alone with it, so this is positive for the first day here. More tomorrow as we try a few final items and then turn an eye to the race.”
Luca Marini: “Another step compared to the last test, improving a little bit more and more. Friday practice is where it matters, but I am satisfied with what we have done so far and what items we have been able to get through. Everyone worked well today as we chase our main target – more rear grip. Everything else is in a good position, especially when we compare to where we were one year ago.”
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Take P18 and P19 on Day 1 of Testing in Thailand.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins started the two-day Buriram MotoGP Official Test by getting a solid number of laps in and preparing for the upcoming Grand Prix of Thailand (27 February – 1 March). The teammates ended Day 1 in 18th and 19th place respectively in the overall rankings.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team sprung to action today at the Chang International Circuit for the two-day Buriram MotoGP Official Test. Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins completed the first day in 18th and 19th place respectively in the overall timesheets.
The Buriram Test Day 1 consisted of two riding sessions: Session 1 from 10:00-13:00 GMT +7 and Session 2 from 13:20-18:00.
The team was in high spirits having Quartararo back in the garage after he sustained a finger injury at the Sepang Test two weeks’ prior. The Frenchman was fully motivated to get back to work and ran a total of 67 laps on Day 1. His fastest lap was a 1’30.507s (Session 2), which put him in 18th place in the combined Session 1 + Session 2 timesheets, 1.245s from the top.
Rins enjoyed a productive outing. As the Chang International Circuit will be hosting the opening GP of the season next week, he and his crew are fully focused on bike set-ups. He completed 64 laps over the course of the first day. His best lap of 1’30.512s (Session 2) had him rank 19th in the Day 1 classifications, 1.250s from first.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back at the Chang track tomorrow from 09:30-13:00 GMT +7 and 13:20-17:30 to wrap up 2026 preseason testing.
Fabio Quartararo: “It was a long day. We will try to figure out something to improve a bit more tomorrow. Yamaha know the list of priorities and what they have to do. I just focus on providing feedback on what it is we need. Today we changed quite a lot on the bike. Tomorrow, I want to keep the same bike and do some runs in a row with the same base set-up.”
Alex Rins: “With the parts – chassis, swingarm, etc. – already decided on, we focused on settings today, trying to understand the bike better and to see where we can improve. It was a productive day. We need to keep working, and Yamaha will keep working to give us further updates, and like this, we can improve a bit more.”
More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP begins final two days of testing at Buriram Circuit ahead of Thailand season opener.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP completed a full testing programme on Day 1, with Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu evaluating multiple set-ups and technical solutions on their respective machines. The focus was not on single-lap performance, but on identifying the most effective base setting ahead of tomorrow‘s second test day and next week‘s season-opening round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship.
Jack Miller: “It was a decent day. We worked through different chassis options and several set-ups, and overall the bike is working reasonably well. I‘m quite happy with our base setting, especially as the chassis feels like a clear step forward compared to Malaysia. Sector 1 and Sector 2 are still our weak points at the moment, which was expected, but in Sector 3 and 4 I feel strong, particularly with the tyre allocation we have here. There‘s still work to do and we know we‘re not going to find 10 km/h overnight, but in general I‘m enjoying the bike and we have a clear direction for tomorrow.”
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: “I‘m still in a learning phase and adapting to this bike, but I can see progress in many areas. The biggest challenge at the moment is understanding the rear tyre, while I feel more comfortable with the front. That said, I don‘t yet have the confidence to fully lean on it the way I used to with the Pirelli. I‘m trying to improve corner by corner, and tomorrow I would like to attempt a sprint-style simulation and maybe also a fast lap like Jack did today — he did a very good job. Step by step, we‘re moving forward.”
Harrison Voight has landed the first major blow in the 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli (ASBK), easily winning today’s season opener at Phillip Island.
The Queenslander put his McMartin Racing Ducati into the lead from the outset, with his speed and work rate then proving to be an irresistible combination as he eased his way to victory ahead of Jacob Roulstone (Motocity Honda) and Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) – three of Australia’s young circuit racing tyros on the one SW-Motech Superbike podium.
In a spectacular day of ASBK action, Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati) and Roberto Tamburini (Addicted to Track Yamaha) shared Kawasaki Supersport victories, while New Zealander Tyler King (Kawasaki) got the job done in a manic Race and Road Supersport 300 race..
Meanwhile, Aussie Oli Bayliss (Triumph) kept the crowd on its toes with his first world Supersport (WorldSSP) podium after a brilliant third place. He’s the first Australan to finish top three in a WorldSSP race since Ant West at Jerez in 2017.
Tickets are still avalable for a huge Sunday of racing at Phillip Island, or they can be purchased at the gate.
Could this be the first sod turned in a changing of the SW-Motech Superbike guard?
It was a crushing victory for Voight, who checked out from the start en route to a second Superbike success at Phillip Island in just his sixth race.
While the 19-year-old was producing a masterful front-running performance, it was a bumper battle for second place with Superbike rookie and former Moto3 rider Roulstone and Dunker providing most of the heart-stopping moments as Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) kept a watching brief in his normal free-flowing manner.
Defending champion Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati), in recovery mode after running off at turn four on lap two, Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha Racing Team) and polesitter Ant West (DesmoSport Ducati) eventually latched onto the back of the group to make it a six-way freight train.
The pecking order didn’t change much, though, with Roulstone flashing across the line in second position, 2.932sec behind Voight and just a whisker ahead of Dunker, Waters, Jones and Nahlous.
For Waters, in particular, the result was semi-seismic: the first time he had finished off a Phillip Island ASBK podium since round one of the 2022 championship!
West, Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati), Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati) and Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha) completed the top 10 in the 11-lapper.
Races two and three will be held at 9:45am and 1:40pm on Sunday.
The Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen riders delivered two fiercely contested races to kickstart the 2026 season, with Simpson and evergreen Italian Tamburini the winners.
Simpson’s margin in the opening 10-lapper was a wafer thin 0.075sec over polesitter Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki), while Tamburini took maximum advantage of some late squabbling in race two to prevail by nearly a second over Tom Edwards (BCperformance Kawasaki).
With the pressure meter dialled up to maximum, the third places were shared by Edwards and Simpson under brilliant Phillip Island sunshine.
Across the two separate championships – Supersport and the fledgling Supersport Next Gen class – Tamburini (1-1) finished Saturday ahead of Valentino Knezovic (Addicted to Track, 2-2) and 2025 Supersport 300 champion Scott Nicholson (TeamBWR Yamaha, 5-5) in Supersport, and in Supersport Next Gen Simpson (1-2) enjoyed the most profitable harvest from Edwards (3-1) and Nelson (2-3).
Race three is at 11:25am on Sunday.
Another hyper Race and Road Supersport 300 race, with the leading combatants going hammer and tongs for the whole eight laps.
This time, it was King who enjoyed the Trans-Tasman bragging rights after a frenzied multi-bike lunge across the finish line, turning the tables on race one winner Nauta.
Just 0.593sec separated the top 11, with reigning No. 2 Jordy Simpson seizing the final spot on the podium ahead of Rossi McAdam, Jake Senior and Phoenix O’Brien – all on Yamahas.
Lincoln Knight (Yamaha), who finished on the tail of the 11-bike rolling scrum battling for race honours, set the fastest lap of the race – a 1:48.742.
Race three is at 9:10am on Sunday morning to complete round one of five in the 2026 championship.
For more information on the 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli:
Nicolo Bulega won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday afternoon at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Bulega started from pole position and rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to a 4.77-second margin of victory in the 22-lap race.
Yari Montella was the runner-up on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, 1.371 second ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri, who rode his Team Goeleven Ducati Panigale V4R to third.
Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line 10th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
American Garrett Gerloff finished the race 11th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 25 points, 5 ahead of Yari Montella who has 20 points. Lorenzo Baldassarri is third with 16 points.
wsbk race 1
ChampionshipStandings wsbk
More from a press release issued by Dorna:
STARTING IN STYLE: Bulega takes lights-to-flag victory at Phillip Island as Montella, Baldassarri claim maiden podiums.
The #11 continued his sensational form in Australia by taking victory ahead of two riders who stunned the field to claim their first WorldSBK podiums
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed victory in Race 1 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as he led from lights out to the chequered flag as he beat his rivals for the first 25-point haul of the season. However, there were big stories behind him as both Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) claimed their first podiums in WorldSBK as the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit once again threw up plenty of surprises during the Australian Round.
THE EARLY LAPS: Bulega leads Montella, Baldassarri climbs the order
Bulega got the holeshot when lights went out for the opening race of the year, defending his pole position before building up a lead over his rivals. Montella held on to second as Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) initially moved up to the rostrum. Baldassarri was another who made quick progress, climbing from seventh on the grid to fourth, before passing Alex for P3 at Turn 1 on Lap 5.
ON THE ROSTRUM: Bulega victorious as Montella, Baldassarri stand on the podium
As the laps progressed, Bulega opened up the gap over Montella although the #11 was able to manage the gap at just under three seconds. Baldassarri was around two seconds behind Montella as he ran in a podium place, and, despite Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) hounding him over the final two laps, was able to hold on for a maiden podium. Bulega made it his fourth consecutive Phillip Island victory, with Montella holding on to take his first WorldSBK podium. For Bulega, it was his 21st WorldSBK win as he equalled Max Biaggi’s tally, and made it his 14th consecutive rostrum, equalling a streak set by four-time Champion Carl Fogarty across 1994 and 1995.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Sam vs Alex as Lecuona makes gains
The Lowes twins battled for fifth around halfway through the race as the #14 got ahead of the #22 at Turn 1 as they looked to close the gap to Bassani in fourth and Baldassarri in third. Once Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) got ahead of his brother, he quickly closed on Bassani as they fought over P4, renewing a rivalry that ignited in the early laps. Bassani bundled his way past the Ducati rider at Turn 4, with ‘El Bocia’ ordered to give the place back. Despite Sam Lowes chasing Bassani, the #47 held before setting his target on ‘Balda’ in P3, unable to close down his compatriot. Behind, Alex Lowes had to fight with Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who methodically made his way through the field to finish in the top six, with the Bimota rider in seventh.
HISTORIC COMEBACK: Oliveira from the back of the grid to P8
Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was forced to start from the back of the grid after a crash in Tissot Superpole session meant he didn’t set a time. However, the #88 battled his way through the field to claim eighth place on his WorldSBK debut and his 13 positions gained is the best comeback at Phillip Island since Ryuichi Kiyonari climbed from 19th to sixth in Race 2 in 2008. Oliveira was a second clear of rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing), who secured a top-ten result on his debut as he claimed P9. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a rollercoaster race. He started from sixth, dropped out of the top then before battling his way back into tenth.
SCORING POINTS: Late drama for Gerloff
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) had been on for a top ten but ran wide at Turn 4 in the closing stages, dropping him to 11th although he was only 0.017s behind ‘Petrux’. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Racing Performance) secured 12th place ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), who was outside the top seven when taking the flag at Phillip Island for the first time in his career. Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC) was 14th ahead of wildcard Ryan Vickers, who raced in WorldSBK for Honda HRC for the first time. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was 16th ahead of teammate Mattia Rato, who rounded out the WorldSBK field.
CRASHING OUT: Falls for Bautista and Vierge
Alvaro Bautista’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) new adventure got off to a bad start as he crashed at Turn 11 when he lost the front of his Panigale V4 R. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) had been running inside the top ten when he had a big crash, losing it through the high-speed Turn 3 and coming to a stop on the inside of Turn 4. The #97 was taken to the medical centre for a check-up, where he was declared fit. There were two other retirements from Race 1. GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team’s Stefano Manzi retired in the first half of the race while teammate Remy Gardner came into the box with just a handful of laps to go.
The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +4.776s
3. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +6.147s
4. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +6.183s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +8.249s
6. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +12.549s
Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’29.168s
Watch all of Sunday’s action from Phillip Island from 10:30 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Jaume Masia won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati Panigale V2 on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard won the 18-lap race by 5.521 seconds.
Philip Oettl was the runner-up on his Feel Racing Ducati Panigale V2, 1.745 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Oli Bayliss who rode his PTR Triumph Factory Racing Street Triple 765 RS.
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise crashed his ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bross 820RR and finished the race 25th.
Jaume leads the championship with 25 points, 5 ahead of Philip Oettl who has 20 points. Oli Bayliss is third with 16 points.
wssp race1
ChampionshipStandings wssp
More from a press release issued by Dorna:
CLASSIC SEASON OPENER: Masia claims victory as Bayliss secures dream home podium at Phillip Island.
With his rostrum result, Bayliss becomes Australia’s youngest-ever WorldSSP podium finisher.
Lights are out at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on the 2026 FIM Supersport World Championship campaign as the field sunk their teeth into the new season in Saturday’s Race 1! The first race of 2026’s 12 rounds featured Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) taking the first 25 points on offer for his third career WorldSSP win. Joining him on the campaign’s first podium was German rider Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) for his 14th podium in the category and home hero Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) who claimed his first WorldSSP rostrum.
MASIA FLIES OUT OF THE GATE IN 2026: He closed 2025 with a win, and now opens 2026 doing the same
Oncu flew up from P4 to take the holeshot ahead of Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) and Jaume Masia. The Spaniard flexed his Ducati Panigale V2’s straight line speed as he took P1 from the #61 and built up a healthy gap of nearly a second by the outset of Lap 3. The Spaniard converted his dominant pace in testing to land the first race win of the season, as from there he pulled away for the win; finishing the contest with a gap of over five seconds. Oettl missed the 2025 Australian Round with a knee injury, but this season, he started strong with a rostrum finish in second place. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) saw his race end on Turn 4 in the second corner as the bike slid out from under him as he battled with Oettl for the second spot on the podium.
FIVE-WAY FIGHT FOR THE PODIUM: Bayliss, Arena, Oncu, Mahias, and Debise trade blows
Oncu had a healthy gap of around a second behind him on Lap 8 as he rode in P3; until a mistake on that Lap saw Oli Bayliss, Valentin, Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team), and Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) close the gap and start a fight for the final podium spot. Debise had a tough break as he fell out of the fight on Lap 8 after he entered Turn 4 with a fraction too much lean angle and crashed out of Race 1. Bayliss took the lead of the group, until he lost the lead by running wide onto the grass on Turn 6 of Lap 13, just before Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) crashed out of the race on Turn 4. The Australian recovered well to hang with the other two riders, and after the trio traded overtakes throughout the final eight laps, it was Bayliss who came out on top, earning his first WorldSSP podium of his career. The bronze-medal effort got the monkey off of his back after the longest-ever wait for a WorldSSP podium of 84 races, and claimed Australia’s first rostrum result since Anthony West back in 2017.
ARENAS HITS THE GROUND RUNNING: The Spanish rider starts his WorldSSP story in P4
Behind them, Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) rode well in his WorldSSP debut, finishing P4 with the feather in his cap of winning the final laps shootout with the title favourite Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing). Despite his incredible jump off the line, the Turk’s early mistake proved critical, erasing his gap and miring him in a wrestling match through which he fell to P5. Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) ran a clean race, taking advantage of other riders’ errors to land a strong debut result of sixth place.
VOSTATEK TIES CAREER HIGH: The Czech rider maintained his strong speed from testing
Ondrej Vostatek (Compos Racing Team) tied his career-best result of P7 in the season-opening race, emerging just +0.158 faster than 2025 MotoE Champion Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team), who took P9. Spanish riders Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) and Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) landed in the final two positions of the top ten. Alcoba’s effort landed him as the top Kawasaki, as his two-time WorldSSP Champion teammate suffered a tech issue on the last lap and finished in P23.
The top ten of the season-opening WorldSSP Race 1 at Australia: Full results here!
1. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura)
2. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +5.521s
3. Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +7.266s
4. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +7.721s
5. Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +7.743s
6. Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) +11.856s
Fastest lap: Jaume Masia, Ducati – 1’32.310s
Catch the final race of the season-opening Australian Round on Sunday LIVE with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Nicolo Bulega took pole position during World Superbike Superpole qualifying Saturday at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R on spec Pirelli tires, Bulega covered the 2.76-mile (4.45 km) track in 1:28.244 to lead the 21-rider field.
Yari Montella qualified second with a 1:28.663 on his Barni Spark Ducati Panigale V4R.
Sam Lowes did a 1:28.729 on his ELF Marc VDS Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to earn the third and final spot on the front row.
Row two starters include Bimota by Kawasaki’s Alex Lowes (1:28.943), and Axel Bassani (1:28.972), and ROKiT BMW’s Danilo Petrucci (1:29.049).
American Garrett Gerloff qualified 8th with a 1:29.237 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
superpole wsbk
More from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bulega became the first rider since Troy Bayliss to take three consecutive poles at Phillip Island, while Montella claimed his first front row start in WorldSBK.
It was a historic Tissot Superpole session for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed pole position, giving Ducati their 200th in the Championship. The #11 was 0.419s clear of his rivals, the biggest pole margin at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit since Troy Bayliss beat Troy Corser by 0.518s in 2008, as he led a Ducati front-row lockout. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) will go from the front row for the first time in WorldSBK, with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) joining them on the front row during the Australian Round.
THE FIRST RUN: Bulega lays down a gauntlet, Oliveira crashes
Bulega was the early pacesetter with a 1’28.610s to lock in a provisional pole position, with Montella and Sam Lowes completing an early top three. There was disruption to the early running of the 15-minute session when Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashed at Turn 2, with the #88 falling on his first flying lap. He was able to remount his bike and return it to the pits for repairs. However, Oliveira was unable to return to the track once he returned to the pits and he failed to set a lap time.
BULEGA MATCHES BAYLISS: Third consecutive Phillip Island pole for the #11, Montella on the front row
Despite having a 0.266s advantage over Montella heading into the second runs, Bulega found another couple of tenths to set a 1’29.392s to cement his grip on pole position, with the #11 one of the first to head out and start their second runs. On the second lap of his second run, he improved once again to a 1’28.244s. He secured his third consecutive pole on ‘The Island’, the first rider to do so since Troy Bayliss between 2006 and 2008. Montella has always been strong at Phillip Island and continued that with second, 0.419s behind Bulega, as he claimed his first front row start in WorldSBK. The front row will be completed by Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), with the #14 exchanging positions with Montella in the latter stages, as he posted a 1’28.729s.
BIMOTAS QUICK, PETRUCCI FINDS GAINS: On the second row
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) will be just one place behind his twin brother as he finished fourth after posting a 1’28.943s, 0.699s off the pole-setting time. Both Bimotas will line up alongside each other with Axel Bassani in fifth, 0.029s behind the #22. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had been a bit off the pace as he adapted to the BMW M 1000 RR machine, but he pulled out a 1’29.049s to claim a second-row start with P6.
BALDASARRI CONTINUES TO IMPRESS: P7 after shadowing Bulega
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) secured his first top-ten Superpole result in WorldSBK with seventh place. His 1’29.191s lap time came when he followed Bulega in the latter stages of the session. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) will go from eighth place with the #31 the last rider within a second of Bulega. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the lead Yamaha rider in ninth as rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) rounded out the top ten.
WORK TO DO: Bautista in P12, Lecuona P13, Locatelli P15
There are a few riders who will think they are out of position. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) is the only other rider, after Bulega, to take a pole at Phillip Island but he will go from 12th. He’s directly ahead of Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in 13th. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) has only been out of the top seven in terms of race results once at ‘The Island’, but will line up from 15th on the grid.
The top six from WorldSBK Superpole, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’28.244s
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.419s
3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.485s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.699s
5. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.728s
6. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.805s
The first race of the 2026 season is up next! Tune in to all the action from 13:00 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Nicolò Bulega led FIM Superbike World Championship Free Practice 3 (FP3) Saturday morning at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Aruba.It Racing – Ducati Panigale V4R on spec Pirelli tires, the Italian rider covered the 2.76-mile (4.45 km) track in 1:28.273 to lead the field of 21 riders.
Sam Lowes was second-best with a 1:28.575 on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.
Axel Bassani was third with a 1:28.722 on his Bimota by Kawasaki KB998 Rimini and his teammate Alex Lowes finished the session fourth with a lap tine of 1:28.742.
American Garrett Gerloff was fifth with a time of 1:28.743 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Danilo Petrucci was 9th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR with a time of 1:28.842.
wsbk fp3
More from a press release issued by Dorna:
Nicolo Bulega continued showing his pace in Australia as he topped Saturday morning’s FP3 session by more than three tenths.
The final practice session of the Australian Round concluded with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topping the times for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The #11 has topped every session from the Official Test and the three Free Practice sessions at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, as he finished ahead of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team).
Bulega made it a hat-trick of session-topping times in Free Practice 3 as he finished three tenths clear of his rivals, while also showing his consistent pace once again. His best time was a 1’28.273s as he beat Sam Lowes, with the #14 putting in a late lap to move into second ahead of Bassani. The Italian had been quick out of the blocks to set a 1’28.722s and secure a top-three spot in FP3, putting him in good stead for this afternoon’s Tissot Superpole session.
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) ensured both Bimota riders were in the top four as he lapped just 0.020s slower than his teammate. All three Kawasaki-powered teams were in the top five, and all showing relatively similar pace. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) claimed P5 with a 1’28.743s, exactly 0.001s slower than the #22 ahead. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) closed the gap to teammate Bulega in the 20-minute session as the #7 finished in sixth, less than half-a-second down on the #11.
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) set a 1’28.788s as he finished in seventh, directly ahead of teammate Alvaro Bautista who was 0.050s away from Montella’s pace. Both BMW riders featured in the top ten in FP3. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the faster of the pair as he set a 1’28.842s, but there was little to separate him from Miguel Oliveira. 0.007s was the difference, in Petrucci’s favour.
The top six from WorldSBK FP3, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’28.273s
2. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.302s
3. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.449s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.469s
5. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) +0.470s
6. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.488s
Next up, Tissot Superpole! How will the first grid of 2026 look? Find out from 13:00 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Anthony West has made a vibrant start to his new career as a Ducati rider in the Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli (ASBK), topping Friday practice in sublime conditions at Phillip Island.
Five months after the 44-year-old signed off from the last Phillip Island ASBK round with a maiden SW-Motech Superbike victory on a Yamaha, he’s continued his affinity with the 4.448km circuit – but now with more confidence than ever on the DesmoSport Ducati.
That will provide plenty of food for thought for his Superbike opposition, although he was pushed all the way in practice by Harrison Voght (McMartin Racing Ducati) with just 0.005s separating the duo after the two 30-minute sessions.
Defending five-time champion Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) was third fastest on a circuit where he’s been dominant in recent times.
Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki) and visiting Italian Roberto Tamburini (Addicted to Track Yamaha) topped qualifying in the Kawasaki-backed Supersport and Supersport Next Gen classes, while teen Riley Nauta (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki) uncorked a sizzling final lap to win a ripping Race and Road Supersport 300 opener.
The ASBK action will continue tomorrow – qualifying for Superbike and then one race apiece in all three classes – while in World Supersport Oli Bayliss (Triumph) has given himself an almighty chance to win his first race in the category after qualifying in second.
Bayliss’ fellow Aussie Remy Gardner (Yamaha) will also be front and centre in World Superbike race one, so plenty to cheer about for local fans.
Get your Phillip Island tickets here.
West certainly enjoyed his first official day in the Ducati bunker, with his best lap 1:31.492 in opening practice – one of four riders in the 91-second bracket alongside Voight, Waters and new Yamaha Racing Team signing Jonathan Nahlous.
“We had a good start to the weekend,” said West. “It’s our first time as a team working together under the pressure of a race weekend and everyone is really working together unreal.
“Track conditions changed a lot for FP2 and I was missing some rear grip to keep moving forward and missed some opportunities, but we learnt more and it gives me a lot of confidence heading into tomorrow.”
Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha) was fifth fastest in practice from Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati), rookie Jacob Roulstone (Honda), Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team), Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) and Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati).
Marcus Hamod (Honda) crashed at turn 11 in FP1 and sat out the balance of the day, but he’s expected to line up for qualifying early on Saturday morning – where milder track conditions should make for some rapid lap times.
Nelson and Tamburini will lead the 21-rider field away in the combined and Kawasaki-backed Supersport and Supersport Next Gen race, with Tom Edwards alongside them on the second BCperformance Kawasaki.
Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati) made up for lost time after electrical gremlins in practice to qualify in fourth from Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) and Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati).
Behind lurks a gaggle of young guns and experienced riders, which sets the scene for a gripping race one at 9:25am on Saturday.
If the first race ASBK race of the season – Race and Road Supersport 300 – has set the tone for the season, we’re in for a treat!
It was a beauty, with a leading pack of six constantly trading blows in the eight-lapper: Nauta, Tara Morrison (Kawasaki), Jordy Simpson (Yamaha), Tyler King (Yamaha), Phoenix O’Brien (Yamaha) and polesitter Orlando Peovitis (Kawasaki).
Nauta held the top spot for most of the time, albeit with wafer-thin margins, but then broke ranks on the final lap to win by nearly two seconds ahead of King, Simpson, O’Brien, Peovitis and Morrison.
A total of 28 riders saw the finish line, with race two at 8:50am on Saturday.
For more information on the 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli:
By Stuart Smith:
I released a new video on my YouTube channel, StumanRides, today. In this video, I provide an overview of what happened at the past CVMA Race weekend (Round 5 2025-2026 Winter Series). I also interviewed a few racers in the pits prior to the races.
The video is live now at the following link: https://youtu.be/E0GlqGphd7w?si=V_M-R2O3kQdmzHVL
The 2026 season is officially underway for Bodie Paige and Jake Paige, as the brothers opened their Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup campaign with the first official test at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
This season, the Paige brothers are racing both the Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup and the full MotoAmerica series.
Watch the Sepang Test Highlights here!
Saturday action concludes with a familiar duo on top – but plenty of stories continue to build ahead of race action.
Day 1 is in the books at the Buriram Test and it’s 2025 runner-up Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) who tops the timesheets with a 1:29.262 in Thailand. Hot on his heels despite two crashes it’s reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), 0.129 in arrears, with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) just taking third as he edged out Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi by just 0.011. It was a tight fight for that P3 as Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) lurked only another 0.005 back too.
Here’s what we saw on Saturday – on the timesheets and beyond.
BK8 GRESINI RACING MOTOGP, PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46 RACING TEAM, DUCATI LENOVO TEAM
Alex Marquez continued working out which aero package he prefers, and took that P1. His full-time teammate in the box, Fermin Aldeguer, is out injured and replaced by Michele Pirro, with the Italian completing the running 3.3s off Marquez but putting in some valuable track time.
After the highs of Sepang, Marc Marquez didn’t have it all his own way on Day 1 at Buriram. Two crashes for the reigning World Champion saw the first half of his day spent in the gravel or in the box. The first one was a fast one at the final corner as he was braking on the kerbs whilst the second was a small get-off at Turn 5, but rider ok. He also got back out there and finished the day in P2 on the combined times in somewhat classic style #93 bounce back.
Teammate Francesco Bagnaia was P12 but continued his positive pre-season form and was seen smiling throughout the day in the box. In the red corner there was more debate about the 2025 aero vs the 2024 package as well as different variations of the 2025 one itself. There’s now one day to decide…
From the blue of Gresini to the fluorescent yellow of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducatis. Fabio Di Giannantonio was up inside the top three for the majority of the day whilst Franco Morbidelli left it late to replicate what he showed in Sepang and pull off a leapfrog. The #21 jumped up the order into the top three in the closing 20 minutes, taking the chequered flag in third. Ninth at the conclusion of day one for ‘Diggia’ but with both riders strong throughout testing, there’re exciting times ahead for VR46.
APRILIA RACING & TRACKHOUSE MOTOGP TEAM
Aprilia’s pre-season has been the highlight of many within the MotoGP paddock and day one was no exception. Bezzecchi took fourth whilst teammate Jorge Martin was less than four tenths off the #72 despite riding the RS-GP at Buriram for the first time, ending the day in P13. Bezzecchi had a small crash on his way back to the pits but was perfectly OK. They had the latest spec of rear aero which was featured at Sepang as well as some new air ducts – but with a slightly different objective: to channel air to go around the riders legs.
Like in Bezzecchi and Martin’s garage, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) also had the latest spec of rear aero on his RS-GP. The 2025 Australian GP winner put in a fast run at the end of the day too, moving up into the top three originally before concluding the day in sixth. Teammate Ai Ogura likes Buriram, the place of his debut in MotoGP last year and thus his best result of the season but did struggle to match the #25. Ogura back-to-back tested the rear aero with the one seen in Valencia last season, confirming which direction he wants to go in. 15th at the flag, expect the Japanese star to make bigger moves on the final day tomorrow.
CASTROL HONDA LCR, HONDA HRC CASTROL & PRO HONDA LCR
Leading Honda’s charge, a mighty effort from Zarco saw the Frenchman climb up the order to fifth with a flying lap putting him just 0.205s away from Alex Marquez in P1. It wasn’t all smooth for Zarco – literally – though, as he said he struggled with consistent control of the bike as it evolved from one lap to another. Elsewhere, teammate Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) continued to adapt to his new MotoGP environment and said it’s all about the fast corners. A challenging day in the soaring heat, he was 20th at the end of it all but expect his time to drop significantly if all goes well on day two; he stated he has homework to do and plans to watch other riders’ lines.
Despite only having one bike available after a technical issue, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) was right in the thick of it once again, backing up Zarco’s pace and confirming Honda’s progress. He clinched seventh on the timesheets and confirmed that for him and teammate Luca Marini, there’ll be some aero-related items to try on day two before getting into the Grand Prix weekend.
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING & RED BULL KTM TECH3
KTM’s charge on Saturday was led by Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in eighth place. He was using the latest aero seen for the first time at Sepang, seemingly smaller than their previous incarnation. Teammate Enea Bastianini followed the same method of working as his teammate but struggled to match his pace as yet, finishing in P16.
There were small improvements made by Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he finished 10th at the end of play on day one, stating that his day went “great”. He also used the smaller aero from Sepang but teammate Pedro Acosta left it until later in the day to make the switch to it. The #37 was the third-best KTM though and after the highs of Sepang where he was fourth and the best in orange, he finished day one in 13th – work to do for The Shark.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP & PRIMA PRAMAC YAMAHA MOTOGP TEAM
The adaptation period is very much continuing at Yamaha as they seek to find their way forwards with the V4. Fresh from a quick trip to Adelaide to welcome the Australian city onto MotoGP’s calendar from 2027, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) was the best of the Yamahas in 17th and just over a second adrift of Alex Marquez’s top time. Teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu had a modified handlebar as well as a tweaked seat unit. Like in Sepang, there were no stegosaurus wings on the rear of the YZR-M1 due to height restrictions. Ergonomics are vital for ‘El Turco’, the tallest rider on the grid; the triple WorldSBK Champion was 21st on the opening day.
Unfortunately for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), it was not a day one to remember. He wasn’t impressed with the performance of the bike out on track, showing his anger in the box as well as a clear signal to the bike itself. ‘El Diablo’ also had chassis variations to try as well as the latest swingarm at his disposal. On the other side of his box, Alex Rins was behind the 2021 World Champion but was less than a tenth of a second away; the Spaniard had a different chassis available to him that wasn’t seen on his teammate’s side but both had the latest spec aero. They finished the day in 18th and 19th respectively with just one more day remaining to get the bike in the best of shape possible.
There’s another whole day of track action to come before pre-season concludes, but the countdown is very much on now. Join us for Sunday from Buriram as the final test day gets underway – half an hour earlier than first scheduled from 9:30am (UTC+7) local time! Check out the full RESULTS HERE.
CombinedPracticeTimes motogp
More from a press release issued by Pertamina Enduro VR46:
Positive first day of Official MotoGP test for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, which is in third place with Franco Morbidelli and in ninth with Fabio Di Giannantonio at Buriram.
At the Chang International Circuit, the last Official MotoGP winter test got underway, and the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team had a solid Day 1 despite the very high temperatures. Franco Morbidelli finished the first day in third place, while Fabio Di Giannantonio ended in ninth place.
Consistent Day 1 for Morbidelli, who continued in Buriram the work started during the Sepang test. On the Thai track, Franco also focused on the setup of his Ducati Desmosedici GP, completing 59 laps overall. The heat did not slow down the Italian-Brazilian rider, who set a 1’29”451 as his best time of the day, a lap that secured him third place in the combined classification.
A solid day as well for Di Giannantonio, who worked on the updates to his Ducati: Fabio focused on confirming the work carried out during the Sepang test also in Buriram, where the first race of the season will take place. The rider from Rome ended Day 1 in ninth place in the combined classification after completing 66 laps overall, with a best time of 1’29”643.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will return to the track tomorrow for the second and final day of MotoGP collective testing in Buriram before the start of the season, which will kick off with the Thai Grand Prix, scheduled from February 27th to March 1st.
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “I’m much happier today than in Malaysia test. Today it wasn’t an easy day, but we were able to stick to the plan and try everything we had in the plan. I’ve never been very quick on this track, but it seems we found a way to go fast here too, and it’s very important. The feeling with the bike is good, we tried many things and some of them were an improvement on the bike. The goal is to put all the things together to get the best package possible, so let’s see if we can start to prepare the race weekend already. Tomorrow we will also try the new aero once again, let’s see if we can use it for the first race.”
Franco Morbidelli: “It was a positive day, we tried to adapt the setup to this track. We went back and forth with some setting solutions in terms of electronics and chassis, and it went well. We were able to adapt very well to the track and to the different tyres as well. I like the new aero package, it’s a bit different in some areas. The plan for tomorrow is to continue working on the setup but also doing a race simulation. We will try some time attacks in the morning. I feel well, I look forward to starting the season, we are fast. The test started well, and this is giving me even more will to start and more confidence.”
More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR:
More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Marini and Mir find their rhythm at the Buriram Test.
The last chance to experiment without the pressures of a race weekend for the Honda HRC Castrol squad as the Buriram Test commences, Joan Mir and Luca Marini positive after the first day on track.
The penultimate test of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship pre-season began at the Chang International Circuit, the Honda HRC Castrol team resuming their work from the previous outing in Sepang. Time between tests gave Honda HRC’s engineers the perfect opportunity to assess the data gathered, the most successful manufacturer in Grand Prix racing arriving in Thailand with several new ideas.
Joan Mir put in a best lap of 1’29.494 on his final run of the day to go seventh overall and end within a quarter of a second of Alex Marquez, fastest of the first day. Still working on the setup of his Honda RC213V, the #36 was left content with the time he achieved but is aiming to complete more laps tomorrow.
Ending the morning session in third place, Luca Marini remained within half a second of the top times throughout the entirety of the day. A total of 60 laps produced a best time of 1’29.774 for the Italian and saw him end in 12th as 0.9s split the top 16. Improving rear grip remains Marini’s main focus for the last day of the Buriram Test.
Now just a single day of testing awaits, a final chance to gather data and prepare the plan for the opening Grand Prix of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship season.
Joan Mir: “A good day overall but maybe not as straight forward as I was expecting because we had a few things to work on between the two bikes we have here. It lost us a bit of time in the morning, but after that we focused and got through a lot for a really positive part of the day. Our package isn’t perfect, but we can make a good lap time alone with it, so this is positive for the first day here. More tomorrow as we try a few final items and then turn an eye to the race.”
Luca Marini: “Another step compared to the last test, improving a little bit more and more. Friday practice is where it matters, but I am satisfied with what we have done so far and what items we have been able to get through. Everyone worked well today as we chase our main target – more rear grip. Everything else is in a good position, especially when we compare to where we were one year ago.”
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Take P18 and P19 on Day 1 of Testing in Thailand.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins started the two-day Buriram MotoGP Official Test by getting a solid number of laps in and preparing for the upcoming Grand Prix of Thailand (27 February – 1 March). The teammates ended Day 1 in 18th and 19th place respectively in the overall rankings.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team sprung to action today at the Chang International Circuit for the two-day Buriram MotoGP Official Test. Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins completed the first day in 18th and 19th place respectively in the overall timesheets.
The Buriram Test Day 1 consisted of two riding sessions: Session 1 from 10:00-13:00 GMT +7 and Session 2 from 13:20-18:00.
The team was in high spirits having Quartararo back in the garage after he sustained a finger injury at the Sepang Test two weeks’ prior. The Frenchman was fully motivated to get back to work and ran a total of 67 laps on Day 1. His fastest lap was a 1’30.507s (Session 2), which put him in 18th place in the combined Session 1 + Session 2 timesheets, 1.245s from the top.
Rins enjoyed a productive outing. As the Chang International Circuit will be hosting the opening GP of the season next week, he and his crew are fully focused on bike set-ups. He completed 64 laps over the course of the first day. His best lap of 1’30.512s (Session 2) had him rank 19th in the Day 1 classifications, 1.250s from first.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back at the Chang track tomorrow from 09:30-13:00 GMT +7 and 13:20-17:30 to wrap up 2026 preseason testing.
Fabio Quartararo: “It was a long day. We will try to figure out something to improve a bit more tomorrow. Yamaha know the list of priorities and what they have to do. I just focus on providing feedback on what it is we need. Today we changed quite a lot on the bike. Tomorrow, I want to keep the same bike and do some runs in a row with the same base set-up.”
Alex Rins: “With the parts – chassis, swingarm, etc. – already decided on, we focused on settings today, trying to understand the bike better and to see where we can improve. It was a productive day. We need to keep working, and Yamaha will keep working to give us further updates, and like this, we can improve a bit more.”
More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP begins final two days of testing at Buriram Circuit ahead of Thailand season opener.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP completed a full testing programme on Day 1, with Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu evaluating multiple set-ups and technical solutions on their respective machines. The focus was not on single-lap performance, but on identifying the most effective base setting ahead of tomorrow‘s second test day and next week‘s season-opening round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship.
Jack Miller: “It was a decent day. We worked through different chassis options and several set-ups, and overall the bike is working reasonably well. I‘m quite happy with our base setting, especially as the chassis feels like a clear step forward compared to Malaysia. Sector 1 and Sector 2 are still our weak points at the moment, which was expected, but in Sector 3 and 4 I feel strong, particularly with the tyre allocation we have here. There‘s still work to do and we know we‘re not going to find 10 km/h overnight, but in general I‘m enjoying the bike and we have a clear direction for tomorrow.”
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: “I‘m still in a learning phase and adapting to this bike, but I can see progress in many areas. The biggest challenge at the moment is understanding the rear tyre, while I feel more comfortable with the front. That said, I don‘t yet have the confidence to fully lean on it the way I used to with the Pirelli. I‘m trying to improve corner by corner, and tomorrow I would like to attempt a sprint-style simulation and maybe also a fast lap like Jack did today — he did a very good job. Step by step, we‘re moving forward.”
Harrison Voight has landed the first major blow in the 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli (ASBK), easily winning today’s season opener at Phillip Island.
The Queenslander put his McMartin Racing Ducati into the lead from the outset, with his speed and work rate then proving to be an irresistible combination as he eased his way to victory ahead of Jacob Roulstone (Motocity Honda) and Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) – three of Australia’s young circuit racing tyros on the one SW-Motech Superbike podium.
In a spectacular day of ASBK action, Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati) and Roberto Tamburini (Addicted to Track Yamaha) shared Kawasaki Supersport victories, while New Zealander Tyler King (Kawasaki) got the job done in a manic Race and Road Supersport 300 race..
Meanwhile, Aussie Oli Bayliss (Triumph) kept the crowd on its toes with his first world Supersport (WorldSSP) podium after a brilliant third place. He’s the first Australan to finish top three in a WorldSSP race since Ant West at Jerez in 2017.
Tickets are still avalable for a huge Sunday of racing at Phillip Island, or they can be purchased at the gate.
Could this be the first sod turned in a changing of the SW-Motech Superbike guard?
It was a crushing victory for Voight, who checked out from the start en route to a second Superbike success at Phillip Island in just his sixth race.
While the 19-year-old was producing a masterful front-running performance, it was a bumper battle for second place with Superbike rookie and former Moto3 rider Roulstone and Dunker providing most of the heart-stopping moments as Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) kept a watching brief in his normal free-flowing manner.
Defending champion Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati), in recovery mode after running off at turn four on lap two, Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha Racing Team) and polesitter Ant West (DesmoSport Ducati) eventually latched onto the back of the group to make it a six-way freight train.
The pecking order didn’t change much, though, with Roulstone flashing across the line in second position, 2.932sec behind Voight and just a whisker ahead of Dunker, Waters, Jones and Nahlous.
For Waters, in particular, the result was semi-seismic: the first time he had finished off a Phillip Island ASBK podium since round one of the 2022 championship!
West, Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati), Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati) and Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha) completed the top 10 in the 11-lapper.
Races two and three will be held at 9:45am and 1:40pm on Sunday.
The Kawasaki Supersport and Supersport Next Gen riders delivered two fiercely contested races to kickstart the 2026 season, with Simpson and evergreen Italian Tamburini the winners.
Simpson’s margin in the opening 10-lapper was a wafer thin 0.075sec over polesitter Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki), while Tamburini took maximum advantage of some late squabbling in race two to prevail by nearly a second over Tom Edwards (BCperformance Kawasaki).
With the pressure meter dialled up to maximum, the third places were shared by Edwards and Simpson under brilliant Phillip Island sunshine.
Across the two separate championships – Supersport and the fledgling Supersport Next Gen class – Tamburini (1-1) finished Saturday ahead of Valentino Knezovic (Addicted to Track, 2-2) and 2025 Supersport 300 champion Scott Nicholson (TeamBWR Yamaha, 5-5) in Supersport, and in Supersport Next Gen Simpson (1-2) enjoyed the most profitable harvest from Edwards (3-1) and Nelson (2-3).
Race three is at 11:25am on Sunday.
Another hyper Race and Road Supersport 300 race, with the leading combatants going hammer and tongs for the whole eight laps.
This time, it was King who enjoyed the Trans-Tasman bragging rights after a frenzied multi-bike lunge across the finish line, turning the tables on race one winner Nauta.
Just 0.593sec separated the top 11, with reigning No. 2 Jordy Simpson seizing the final spot on the podium ahead of Rossi McAdam, Jake Senior and Phoenix O’Brien – all on Yamahas.
Lincoln Knight (Yamaha), who finished on the tail of the 11-bike rolling scrum battling for race honours, set the fastest lap of the race – a 1:48.742.
Race three is at 9:10am on Sunday morning to complete round one of five in the 2026 championship.
For more information on the 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli:
Nicolo Bulega won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday afternoon at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Bulega started from pole position and rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to a 4.77-second margin of victory in the 22-lap race.
Yari Montella was the runner-up on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, 1.371 second ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri, who rode his Team Goeleven Ducati Panigale V4R to third.
Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line 10th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
American Garrett Gerloff finished the race 11th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 25 points, 5 ahead of Yari Montella who has 20 points. Lorenzo Baldassarri is third with 16 points.
wsbk race 1
ChampionshipStandings wsbk
More from a press release issued by Dorna:
STARTING IN STYLE: Bulega takes lights-to-flag victory at Phillip Island as Montella, Baldassarri claim maiden podiums.
The #11 continued his sensational form in Australia by taking victory ahead of two riders who stunned the field to claim their first WorldSBK podiums
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed victory in Race 1 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as he led from lights out to the chequered flag as he beat his rivals for the first 25-point haul of the season. However, there were big stories behind him as both Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) claimed their first podiums in WorldSBK as the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit once again threw up plenty of surprises during the Australian Round.
THE EARLY LAPS: Bulega leads Montella, Baldassarri climbs the order
Bulega got the holeshot when lights went out for the opening race of the year, defending his pole position before building up a lead over his rivals. Montella held on to second as Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) initially moved up to the rostrum. Baldassarri was another who made quick progress, climbing from seventh on the grid to fourth, before passing Alex for P3 at Turn 1 on Lap 5.
ON THE ROSTRUM: Bulega victorious as Montella, Baldassarri stand on the podium
As the laps progressed, Bulega opened up the gap over Montella although the #11 was able to manage the gap at just under three seconds. Baldassarri was around two seconds behind Montella as he ran in a podium place, and, despite Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) hounding him over the final two laps, was able to hold on for a maiden podium. Bulega made it his fourth consecutive Phillip Island victory, with Montella holding on to take his first WorldSBK podium. For Bulega, it was his 21st WorldSBK win as he equalled Max Biaggi’s tally, and made it his 14th consecutive rostrum, equalling a streak set by four-time Champion Carl Fogarty across 1994 and 1995.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Sam vs Alex as Lecuona makes gains
The Lowes twins battled for fifth around halfway through the race as the #14 got ahead of the #22 at Turn 1 as they looked to close the gap to Bassani in fourth and Baldassarri in third. Once Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) got ahead of his brother, he quickly closed on Bassani as they fought over P4, renewing a rivalry that ignited in the early laps. Bassani bundled his way past the Ducati rider at Turn 4, with ‘El Bocia’ ordered to give the place back. Despite Sam Lowes chasing Bassani, the #47 held before setting his target on ‘Balda’ in P3, unable to close down his compatriot. Behind, Alex Lowes had to fight with Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who methodically made his way through the field to finish in the top six, with the Bimota rider in seventh.
HISTORIC COMEBACK: Oliveira from the back of the grid to P8
Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was forced to start from the back of the grid after a crash in Tissot Superpole session meant he didn’t set a time. However, the #88 battled his way through the field to claim eighth place on his WorldSBK debut and his 13 positions gained is the best comeback at Phillip Island since Ryuichi Kiyonari climbed from 19th to sixth in Race 2 in 2008. Oliveira was a second clear of rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing), who secured a top-ten result on his debut as he claimed P9. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a rollercoaster race. He started from sixth, dropped out of the top then before battling his way back into tenth.
SCORING POINTS: Late drama for Gerloff
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) had been on for a top ten but ran wide at Turn 4 in the closing stages, dropping him to 11th although he was only 0.017s behind ‘Petrux’. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Racing Performance) secured 12th place ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), who was outside the top seven when taking the flag at Phillip Island for the first time in his career. Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC) was 14th ahead of wildcard Ryan Vickers, who raced in WorldSBK for Honda HRC for the first time. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was 16th ahead of teammate Mattia Rato, who rounded out the WorldSBK field.
CRASHING OUT: Falls for Bautista and Vierge
Alvaro Bautista’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) new adventure got off to a bad start as he crashed at Turn 11 when he lost the front of his Panigale V4 R. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) had been running inside the top ten when he had a big crash, losing it through the high-speed Turn 3 and coming to a stop on the inside of Turn 4. The #97 was taken to the medical centre for a check-up, where he was declared fit. There were two other retirements from Race 1. GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team’s Stefano Manzi retired in the first half of the race while teammate Remy Gardner came into the box with just a handful of laps to go.
The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +4.776s
3. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +6.147s
4. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +6.183s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +8.249s
6. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +12.549s
Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’29.168s
Watch all of Sunday’s action from Phillip Island from 10:30 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Jaume Masia won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati Panigale V2 on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard won the 18-lap race by 5.521 seconds.
Philip Oettl was the runner-up on his Feel Racing Ducati Panigale V2, 1.745 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Oli Bayliss who rode his PTR Triumph Factory Racing Street Triple 765 RS.
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise crashed his ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bross 820RR and finished the race 25th.
Jaume leads the championship with 25 points, 5 ahead of Philip Oettl who has 20 points. Oli Bayliss is third with 16 points.
wssp race1
ChampionshipStandings wssp
More from a press release issued by Dorna:
CLASSIC SEASON OPENER: Masia claims victory as Bayliss secures dream home podium at Phillip Island.
With his rostrum result, Bayliss becomes Australia’s youngest-ever WorldSSP podium finisher.
Lights are out at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on the 2026 FIM Supersport World Championship campaign as the field sunk their teeth into the new season in Saturday’s Race 1! The first race of 2026’s 12 rounds featured Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) taking the first 25 points on offer for his third career WorldSSP win. Joining him on the campaign’s first podium was German rider Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) for his 14th podium in the category and home hero Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) who claimed his first WorldSSP rostrum.
MASIA FLIES OUT OF THE GATE IN 2026: He closed 2025 with a win, and now opens 2026 doing the same
Oncu flew up from P4 to take the holeshot ahead of Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) and Jaume Masia. The Spaniard flexed his Ducati Panigale V2’s straight line speed as he took P1 from the #61 and built up a healthy gap of nearly a second by the outset of Lap 3. The Spaniard converted his dominant pace in testing to land the first race win of the season, as from there he pulled away for the win; finishing the contest with a gap of over five seconds. Oettl missed the 2025 Australian Round with a knee injury, but this season, he started strong with a rostrum finish in second place. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) saw his race end on Turn 4 in the second corner as the bike slid out from under him as he battled with Oettl for the second spot on the podium.
FIVE-WAY FIGHT FOR THE PODIUM: Bayliss, Arena, Oncu, Mahias, and Debise trade blows
Oncu had a healthy gap of around a second behind him on Lap 8 as he rode in P3; until a mistake on that Lap saw Oli Bayliss, Valentin, Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team), and Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) close the gap and start a fight for the final podium spot. Debise had a tough break as he fell out of the fight on Lap 8 after he entered Turn 4 with a fraction too much lean angle and crashed out of Race 1. Bayliss took the lead of the group, until he lost the lead by running wide onto the grass on Turn 6 of Lap 13, just before Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) crashed out of the race on Turn 4. The Australian recovered well to hang with the other two riders, and after the trio traded overtakes throughout the final eight laps, it was Bayliss who came out on top, earning his first WorldSSP podium of his career. The bronze-medal effort got the monkey off of his back after the longest-ever wait for a WorldSSP podium of 84 races, and claimed Australia’s first rostrum result since Anthony West back in 2017.
ARENAS HITS THE GROUND RUNNING: The Spanish rider starts his WorldSSP story in P4
Behind them, Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) rode well in his WorldSSP debut, finishing P4 with the feather in his cap of winning the final laps shootout with the title favourite Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing). Despite his incredible jump off the line, the Turk’s early mistake proved critical, erasing his gap and miring him in a wrestling match through which he fell to P5. Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) ran a clean race, taking advantage of other riders’ errors to land a strong debut result of sixth place.
VOSTATEK TIES CAREER HIGH: The Czech rider maintained his strong speed from testing
Ondrej Vostatek (Compos Racing Team) tied his career-best result of P7 in the season-opening race, emerging just +0.158 faster than 2025 MotoE Champion Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team), who took P9. Spanish riders Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) and Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) landed in the final two positions of the top ten. Alcoba’s effort landed him as the top Kawasaki, as his two-time WorldSSP Champion teammate suffered a tech issue on the last lap and finished in P23.
The top ten of the season-opening WorldSSP Race 1 at Australia: Full results here!
1. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura)
2. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +5.521s
3. Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +7.266s
4. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +7.721s
5. Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +7.743s
6. Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) +11.856s
Fastest lap: Jaume Masia, Ducati – 1’32.310s
Catch the final race of the season-opening Australian Round on Sunday LIVE with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Nicolo Bulega took pole position during World Superbike Superpole qualifying Saturday at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R on spec Pirelli tires, Bulega covered the 2.76-mile (4.45 km) track in 1:28.244 to lead the 21-rider field.
Yari Montella qualified second with a 1:28.663 on his Barni Spark Ducati Panigale V4R.
Sam Lowes did a 1:28.729 on his ELF Marc VDS Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to earn the third and final spot on the front row.
Row two starters include Bimota by Kawasaki’s Alex Lowes (1:28.943), and Axel Bassani (1:28.972), and ROKiT BMW’s Danilo Petrucci (1:29.049).
American Garrett Gerloff qualified 8th with a 1:29.237 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
superpole wsbk
More from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bulega became the first rider since Troy Bayliss to take three consecutive poles at Phillip Island, while Montella claimed his first front row start in WorldSBK.
It was a historic Tissot Superpole session for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed pole position, giving Ducati their 200th in the Championship. The #11 was 0.419s clear of his rivals, the biggest pole margin at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit since Troy Bayliss beat Troy Corser by 0.518s in 2008, as he led a Ducati front-row lockout. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) will go from the front row for the first time in WorldSBK, with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) joining them on the front row during the Australian Round.
THE FIRST RUN: Bulega lays down a gauntlet, Oliveira crashes
Bulega was the early pacesetter with a 1’28.610s to lock in a provisional pole position, with Montella and Sam Lowes completing an early top three. There was disruption to the early running of the 15-minute session when Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashed at Turn 2, with the #88 falling on his first flying lap. He was able to remount his bike and return it to the pits for repairs. However, Oliveira was unable to return to the track once he returned to the pits and he failed to set a lap time.
BULEGA MATCHES BAYLISS: Third consecutive Phillip Island pole for the #11, Montella on the front row
Despite having a 0.266s advantage over Montella heading into the second runs, Bulega found another couple of tenths to set a 1’29.392s to cement his grip on pole position, with the #11 one of the first to head out and start their second runs. On the second lap of his second run, he improved once again to a 1’28.244s. He secured his third consecutive pole on ‘The Island’, the first rider to do so since Troy Bayliss between 2006 and 2008. Montella has always been strong at Phillip Island and continued that with second, 0.419s behind Bulega, as he claimed his first front row start in WorldSBK. The front row will be completed by Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), with the #14 exchanging positions with Montella in the latter stages, as he posted a 1’28.729s.
BIMOTAS QUICK, PETRUCCI FINDS GAINS: On the second row
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) will be just one place behind his twin brother as he finished fourth after posting a 1’28.943s, 0.699s off the pole-setting time. Both Bimotas will line up alongside each other with Axel Bassani in fifth, 0.029s behind the #22. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had been a bit off the pace as he adapted to the BMW M 1000 RR machine, but he pulled out a 1’29.049s to claim a second-row start with P6.
BALDASARRI CONTINUES TO IMPRESS: P7 after shadowing Bulega
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) secured his first top-ten Superpole result in WorldSBK with seventh place. His 1’29.191s lap time came when he followed Bulega in the latter stages of the session. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) will go from eighth place with the #31 the last rider within a second of Bulega. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the lead Yamaha rider in ninth as rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) rounded out the top ten.
WORK TO DO: Bautista in P12, Lecuona P13, Locatelli P15
There are a few riders who will think they are out of position. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) is the only other rider, after Bulega, to take a pole at Phillip Island but he will go from 12th. He’s directly ahead of Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in 13th. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) has only been out of the top seven in terms of race results once at ‘The Island’, but will line up from 15th on the grid.
The top six from WorldSBK Superpole, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’28.244s
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.419s
3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.485s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.699s
5. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.728s
6. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.805s
The first race of the 2026 season is up next! Tune in to all the action from 13:00 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Nicolò Bulega led FIM Superbike World Championship Free Practice 3 (FP3) Saturday morning at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Aruba.It Racing – Ducati Panigale V4R on spec Pirelli tires, the Italian rider covered the 2.76-mile (4.45 km) track in 1:28.273 to lead the field of 21 riders.
Sam Lowes was second-best with a 1:28.575 on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.
Axel Bassani was third with a 1:28.722 on his Bimota by Kawasaki KB998 Rimini and his teammate Alex Lowes finished the session fourth with a lap tine of 1:28.742.
American Garrett Gerloff was fifth with a time of 1:28.743 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Danilo Petrucci was 9th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR with a time of 1:28.842.
wsbk fp3
More from a press release issued by Dorna:
Nicolo Bulega continued showing his pace in Australia as he topped Saturday morning’s FP3 session by more than three tenths.
The final practice session of the Australian Round concluded with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topping the times for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The #11 has topped every session from the Official Test and the three Free Practice sessions at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, as he finished ahead of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team).
Bulega made it a hat-trick of session-topping times in Free Practice 3 as he finished three tenths clear of his rivals, while also showing his consistent pace once again. His best time was a 1’28.273s as he beat Sam Lowes, with the #14 putting in a late lap to move into second ahead of Bassani. The Italian had been quick out of the blocks to set a 1’28.722s and secure a top-three spot in FP3, putting him in good stead for this afternoon’s Tissot Superpole session.
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) ensured both Bimota riders were in the top four as he lapped just 0.020s slower than his teammate. All three Kawasaki-powered teams were in the top five, and all showing relatively similar pace. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) claimed P5 with a 1’28.743s, exactly 0.001s slower than the #22 ahead. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) closed the gap to teammate Bulega in the 20-minute session as the #7 finished in sixth, less than half-a-second down on the #11.
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) set a 1’28.788s as he finished in seventh, directly ahead of teammate Alvaro Bautista who was 0.050s away from Montella’s pace. Both BMW riders featured in the top ten in FP3. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the faster of the pair as he set a 1’28.842s, but there was little to separate him from Miguel Oliveira. 0.007s was the difference, in Petrucci’s favour.
The top six from WorldSBK FP3, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’28.273s
2. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.302s
3. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.449s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.469s
5. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) +0.470s
6. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.488s
Next up, Tissot Superpole! How will the first grid of 2026 look? Find out from 13:00 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Anthony West has made a vibrant start to his new career as a Ducati rider in the Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli (ASBK), topping Friday practice in sublime conditions at Phillip Island.
Five months after the 44-year-old signed off from the last Phillip Island ASBK round with a maiden SW-Motech Superbike victory on a Yamaha, he’s continued his affinity with the 4.448km circuit – but now with more confidence than ever on the DesmoSport Ducati.
That will provide plenty of food for thought for his Superbike opposition, although he was pushed all the way in practice by Harrison Voght (McMartin Racing Ducati) with just 0.005s separating the duo after the two 30-minute sessions.
Defending five-time champion Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) was third fastest on a circuit where he’s been dominant in recent times.
Hayden Nelson (BCperformance Kawasaki) and visiting Italian Roberto Tamburini (Addicted to Track Yamaha) topped qualifying in the Kawasaki-backed Supersport and Supersport Next Gen classes, while teen Riley Nauta (Champions Ride Days Kawasaki) uncorked a sizzling final lap to win a ripping Race and Road Supersport 300 opener.
The ASBK action will continue tomorrow – qualifying for Superbike and then one race apiece in all three classes – while in World Supersport Oli Bayliss (Triumph) has given himself an almighty chance to win his first race in the category after qualifying in second.
Bayliss’ fellow Aussie Remy Gardner (Yamaha) will also be front and centre in World Superbike race one, so plenty to cheer about for local fans.
Get your Phillip Island tickets here.
West certainly enjoyed his first official day in the Ducati bunker, with his best lap 1:31.492 in opening practice – one of four riders in the 91-second bracket alongside Voight, Waters and new Yamaha Racing Team signing Jonathan Nahlous.
“We had a good start to the weekend,” said West. “It’s our first time as a team working together under the pressure of a race weekend and everyone is really working together unreal.
“Track conditions changed a lot for FP2 and I was missing some rear grip to keep moving forward and missed some opportunities, but we learnt more and it gives me a lot of confidence heading into tomorrow.”
Jack Favelle (Addicted to Track Yamaha) was fifth fastest in practice from Cru Halliday (Stop and Seal Ducati), rookie Jacob Roulstone (Honda), Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team), Cameron Dunker (Blue Marlin Pools Racing Yamaha) and Glenn Allerton (Superbike Advocates Racing Ducati).
Marcus Hamod (Honda) crashed at turn 11 in FP1 and sat out the balance of the day, but he’s expected to line up for qualifying early on Saturday morning – where milder track conditions should make for some rapid lap times.
Nelson and Tamburini will lead the 21-rider field away in the combined and Kawasaki-backed Supersport and Supersport Next Gen race, with Tom Edwards alongside them on the second BCperformance Kawasaki.
Olly Simpson (DesmoSport Ducati) made up for lost time after electrical gremlins in practice to qualify in fourth from Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) and Tom Toparis (Stop and Seal Ducati).
Behind lurks a gaggle of young guns and experienced riders, which sets the scene for a gripping race one at 9:25am on Saturday.
If the first race ASBK race of the season – Race and Road Supersport 300 – has set the tone for the season, we’re in for a treat!
It was a beauty, with a leading pack of six constantly trading blows in the eight-lapper: Nauta, Tara Morrison (Kawasaki), Jordy Simpson (Yamaha), Tyler King (Yamaha), Phoenix O’Brien (Yamaha) and polesitter Orlando Peovitis (Kawasaki).
Nauta held the top spot for most of the time, albeit with wafer-thin margins, but then broke ranks on the final lap to win by nearly two seconds ahead of King, Simpson, O’Brien, Peovitis and Morrison.
A total of 28 riders saw the finish line, with race two at 8:50am on Saturday.
For more information on the 2026 Penrite Australian Superbike Championship presented by Pirelli:
By Stuart Smith:
I released a new video on my YouTube channel, StumanRides, today. In this video, I provide an overview of what happened at the past CVMA Race weekend (Round 5 2025-2026 Winter Series). I also interviewed a few racers in the pits prior to the races.
The video is live now at the following link: https://youtu.be/E0GlqGphd7w?si=V_M-R2O3kQdmzHVL
