Despite the litany of unknowns, he faced approaching his rookie season in The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship and his unfamiliarity with the Kove machine he would be riding, Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove) hit the ground running in 2025. In the first session of their first round of the season, Fernandez took pole, instantly putting the rest of the field on notice that #7 was a force to be reckoned with and followed that up with a win in Race 2 to close their first round. #7 kept that strong form all season, culminating in a hectic final corner overtake in the final race of the season to stamp his name into history as the final WorldSSP300 winner in the category’s history. At the EICMA event in Milan, his team confirmed not only that Kove will be competing next season in the new FIM Sportbike World Championship class, but their Basque talisman rider will be remaining with the team.

RUNNING IT BACK IN WorldSPB: “I’m looking forward to the test, pushing hard and doing my best like in 2025”

The #7 credited his success in part to the help put in by his mentor Efren Vazquez. Vazquez is a former rider who used his experience to counsel Fernandez, helping him get comfortable in the high-pressure, make-or-break situations riders so often find themselves in at the front. He will be able to count on the continuity rolling on with his team, aiding him in his quest for continued success in the new Championship.

Looking back on his 2025 title campaign and looking ahead to 2026 in the new Championship, Fernandez said: “It feels amazing to be a World Champion, it’s what I had been working so hard for and achieved this. It’s an honour to be in the history books as the last WorldSSP300 Champion, and it was amazing to have won it in that way, in the last corner of the final race. I can’t describe it with words, but it’s been amazing. I came into the season just focused on giving my 100%. The bike was good from the start, so I just focused on pushing hard and in the end, we did it! Efren showed me the discipline that comes with having a routine, and I think this was a key to our success. Looking ahead to next season in WorldSPB, I’ve never tried the bike, but I’m looking forward to the test, pushing hard and doing my best like in 2025.”

BENAT AT THE BUZZER: “They said to me that this was the most incredible ending to a Championship they had ever seen before, and to me it’s down to Benat’s racecraft”

Among that team sticking by Fernandez will be Team Principal Paul Tobin. The Irishman’s experience has helped bring the different parties that comprise the team together— an intercontinental collaboration combining the Irish team, their rider from Spain’s Basque Country, and their bike’s Chinese manufacturer. Despite the potential complications posed by the different factors at play, their collaboration worked out and left them with a World Championship.

Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove’s Team Principal, Paul Tobin, spoke on the thrilling conclusion to the 2025 campaign and looked ahead to 2026 in WorldSPB: “It was an absolutely incredible year, from the start of the year, when we took the Kove bike and started working with Benat. It’s an Irish team, with a young Basque rider and a Chinese manufacturer, and the company made many think we wouldn’t win the Championship didn’t think we could win a World Championship. In the first round, in his first session he took pole, so we knew he was fast. Then at Portimao, he won his first race, and we rode that momentum through the rest of the season, including the last race. Speaking to other people who watch the sport, they said to me that this was the most incredible ending to a Championship they had ever seen before, and to me it’s down to Benat’s race craft and his ability to do what he does in the final corner. Next season we will be a full factory team with Kove, so it’s a really good step for the team and it’s really exciting for the first season of WorldSPB.”

STICKING TO WINNING WAYS: “Our goal for next season is another Championship, this time in WorldSPB”

In the 2025 season, Kove was the newest of the manufacturers taking on the pack of well-established fabricators in the World Supersport 300 paddock. In 2026, they will be on equal terms in terms of experience as a part of the brand new WorldSPB paddock. Propelling Fernandez forward, Kove will use their 450RR machine.

Wang Zhen, Kove’s Race Manager, said: “The new bike will be a 450cc four-cylinder, with particular attention given to the bike’s brakes and agility. We want to prove that a Chinese manufacturer can compete with the top level of the rest of the world. Our goals for next season are another Championship, this time in WorldSPB. Our experience in BSB has given us helpful data that we can use to improve our setup next season.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The SBK Commission, composed of MM. Gregorio LAVILLA (Dorna, WorldSBK Executive Director), Paul KING (Director of the FIM Circuit Racing Commission), Biense BIERMA (General Secretary of the MSMA), in presence of Jorge VIEGAS (FIM President), Ludovic REIGNIER (FIM WorldSBK Technical Director), Roland BERGER (FIM CTI Director), Dominique HEBRARD (FIM CTI Technical Manager), Paul DUPARC (FIM CCR Manager), Svetlana NAZAROVA (FIM Circuit Racing Commission Coordinator & Secretary of the SBK Commission), in a meeting held 18 October 2025 in Circuit de Jerez – Angel Nieto, made the following decisions.

WorldSBK REGULATION CHANGES: The SBK Commission held a discussion of a Fuel Flow Meter carry-over principle and decided the following

• When a manufacturer carries over the maximum reduction limit of –1 kg/h from the previous season on the FIM season reference value, an additional penalty of up to 0.5 kg/h can be applied in the season following the MSMA Algorithm.
• When a manufacturer carries over the maximum +0.5 kg/h of concessions from the previous season, it can still gain an additional concession of +0.5 kg/h during the season following the MSMA algorithm.
• If a manufacturer continues to demonstrate a significant performance advantage, the FIM/DWO reserve the right to apply an additional reduction of up to max 0.5kg/h.

• The limitation for the entire season to a maximum two fuels certified compliant with FIM Category 1 fuel specification, introduced and used for each manufacturer or team, was discussed and approved by the SBK Commission.

WorldSPB REGULATIONS: guidelines for the Championship’s first-ever season

The SBK Commission continues its work regarding the introduction of a new entry class to the FIM Sportbike World Championship in 2026 with confirmed strong interest of the manufacturers and participants in this class. The 2026 FIM Sportbike Technical Regulations were presented and approved by the SBK Commission. The 2026 Provisional FIM Sportbike Technical Regulations which contains the detailed text of the Regulations may be viewed on the FIM website HERE.

• The minimum age is 16 years old. The maximum age is 25 for new contracted riders competing in the Sportbike category. For a smooth transition of this Championship, for “experienced” riders (i.e. those who have already participated in the WorldSSP300 and Women’s Circuit Racing World Championships), the maximum age will be set at 28 years.

As from 2026, the maximum age for riders who have participated in the Sportbike category will then be extended to 28 years.

• For WorldSSP and WorldSPB, the maximum number of participants is limited to 34 including 1 Wild Card.
• In all classes, there have been various clarifications to the WorldSBK Sporting, Disciplinary and Medical Code, which may be viewed shortly on the FIM Website

The resolutions of this Superbike Commission have been approved by the Permanent Bureau.

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Milan’s EICMA motorcycle expo gave Federico Caricasulo and his new Team Principal, Fabio Evangelista a moment to field some questions on the rider and team once again joining forces. The FIM Supersport World Championship field is alight with interest about the returning collaboration, as the team have also split ways with Yamaha after a very successful eight-year stint together. Instead of Yamaha, Chinese manufacturer ZXMOTO have entered an agreement with the team, where they will see how their 820RR-R stacks up in their first year in WorldSSP. Valentin Debise will join Caricasulo to round out their rider pairing; the Frenchman also rode with the team back in 2024, finishing fourth in the Riders’ Championship.

POSITIVE FACTORS: “The bike is made for racing, and the team is the Teams’ Champions from 2025”

Caricasulo’s 2025 season saw him finish in 18^th place behind his 2024 P7, a mark he will be eager to improve upon. His season was complicated by a midseason move from Motozoo ME Air Racing to D34G WorldSSP Racing Team, and he struggled to consistently land in the top 10 in the second half of the season after the swap. Now, however, ‘Carica’ will be returning to the Evan Bros. outfit with whom he enjoyed four years of some of his career’s best form. Among those years was 2019, where he and teammate Randy Krummenacher dominated the field to take the Teams’ Championship, with Caricasulo finishing just behind the Swiss rider in P2.

Discussing his return to the Italian team, Caricasulo said: “I’m really happy to join this project because I’m joining a new manufacturer, which is really motivated to grow quickly and be fast from the beginning, and I’ll be joining Evan Bros., the team I started with. They ‘created’ me in WorldSSP, and I had my best result with them, so I think we can do big things together. The bike is really nice. I will try tomorrow with some track specs to better understand it, but I can already feel the bike’s racing DNA. I don’t know the highs and lows yet, but the engine’s torque feels smooth and easy to ride. When I take a ride on the racing bike, I will have a better idea. The bike is made for racing, and the team is the 2025 Teams’ Champions. I know all of them very well, so I think we can have a good season.”

DETERMINED TO GROW: “We chose the riders who we felt could develop the bike; they’re young riders, but they have a lot of experience”

Evan Bros. Racing’s Team Principal Fabio Evangelista was unequivocal in his pride for what he and his team had accomplished with Yamaha. Equally as positive, however, was his view of what’s coming next for the team, as the ink dries on their deal with their returning pair of riders and ZXMOTO as the Chinese manufacturer prepares its 820RR-R for its rookie season.

At the EICMA event, Evangelista said: “It was a fantastic journey the last eight years with Yamaha. I always thank them for their support. It was an amazing journey with unbelievable results; two Riders’ titles and two Teams’ titles. We also won with Ana Carrasco on the R7, so I think it was a great journey. Our impression of the ZXMOTO project is very positive; we think the bike’s potential is where we can achieve good results in a short to medium timeframe. We’re involved in the bike’s development with the factory and our two very talented riders. We think our two riders for 2026 are very fast and very good testers. We chose the riders we felt could develop the bike; they’re young, but they have a lot of experience. We chose the best riders we and the factory believe can deliver the best results. We already worked with them, so we know they’re very good.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

With the end of the 2025 season, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) time racing in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock has come to a close. While van der Mark will remain with the team as a test rider, Razgatlioglu is making the jump to chase his dream of a MotoGP World Championship. Speaking on their past together with the team and their view of both the team’s future, and Toprak’s future in MotoGP, the pair let their takes fly.

PREPARATIONS FOR THEIR NEW RIDERS: “I’ve tried some parts, and the 2026 bike is for sure more friendly to ride”

The defending #1 and #60 rode together for BMW for the last two seasons, and now, they step away from racing with the team together as well. Replacing them are former MotoGP race winner and 2025 WorldSBK Ducati independent rider Danilo Petrucci, and fellow MotoGP race winner Miguel Oliveira, who will trade places with Toprak as he vacates the MotoGP paddock from Pramac Yamaha to join the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK squad. Both riders gave their two cents on how they thought they would fare, though they haven’t yet spoken to the new riders about the bike.

On their upcoming 2026 season, van der Mark said: “I haven’t spoken to them yet, but I think the most important thing for them is to go out and to explore the bike. I hope I did a good job on the bike for them. They need to get used to the bike, then we can talk later. They need to get the feeling first. Looking at their qualities, I don’t think they will need much time to become competitive, but the bike is definitely very different from what they are used to. I’ve tried some parts, and the 2026 bike is for sure more friendly to ride. The team’s goal was to make the bike more friendly to ride because they’re both new to the bike and I think many details are contributing to that progress”

Razgatlioglu added: “Danilo coming from Ducati and Miguel coming from GP, they will have very different feelings from the BMW. They will need to adapt, check the balance, and develop their personal setups. I hope they enjoy the challenge, and for both these guys to represent the team is a good opportunity for BMW.”

COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS: “I wish the Valencia test were tomorrow”

Razgatlioglu was asked about his recent preparations for his MotoGP debut; while the celebrations of his third Riders’ Championship have been enjoyable and aplenty, as he returned to his home country of Turkey. ‘El Turco’ is clearly already raring to get out of the press conferences and onto the track, as the upcoming Valencia MotoGP test event will provide his first real chance to see where he stacks up against the competition.

Speaking on what he’s been up to and his hopes for this season, Razgatlioglu said: “When I got back to Turkey, I don’t even know how many interviews I did. I’m just tired of interviews and celebrations, but when I am sitting on the bike, there is no problem. I’m ready for the first test. I need to see the bike; maybe we need to check a few things, but I’m ready to ride it. I wish the Valencia test were tomorrow! It won’t be an easy season; everything will be new, the tracks, the paddock, especially the bike. I’m excited, I love new challenges, for me this is the biggest challenge, but I will always do my best. I need to ride the bike in the first official test so I can see how I compare to everyone else. “I’m not worried because the Yamaha guys believe in me. We have been talking a lot, and they are working hard to improve the bike. Ok, maybe the bike isn’t the best right now, but I believe they are improving. Years ago, Yamaha and Honda were very strong; now it is Ducati, but I believe they can improve. My biggest dream is to win the MotoGP world title, maybe this is too early, but everyone has a dream, and this is mine.”

WISHING THE #11 SUCCESS: “I’m happy for Bulega, he is getting better every year, and now he has a big opportunity in MotoGP”

Razagatlioglu, however, is not the only 2025 WorldSBK rider who will be getting a taste of the MotoGP paddock, as his title rival for the past two seasons, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), will be getting a shot to ride in the final two weeks of the 2025 MotoGP season. Bulega will be filling in atop the incumbent Champion Marc Marquez’s factory Ducati bike, as the #93 suffered a crash in Indonesia with Marco Bezzecchi that left him with a right shoulder injury, ruling him out of the rest of the season after he clinched the title the round before, in Japan.

Speaking on his former rival and his hopes for the #11, Razgatlioglu said: “I’m happy for Bulega, he is getting better every year, and now he has a big opportunity in MotoGP. We will watch him in the last two races. The Ducati is very strong, and he didn’t look bad in the tests. I hope he enjoys riding the bike this weekend at Portimao and Valencia. “I hope Bulega can fight for the top 10 at Portimao, he’s very strong there. The Ducati is a very strong bike for that track. I hope he does a very good job because this is very important for WorldSBK.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

After eight seasons of fruitful collaboration, Evan Bros Racing will turn the page on their chapter, utilising Yamaha machinery, and in 2026 will compete atop Chinese manufacturer ZXMOTO in what will be the Chinese brand’s debut FIM Supersport World Championship season. With a new bike coming in, the team have also opted for an all-new line-up with familiar faces, with both Federico Caricasulo and Valentin Debise re-joining the team.

ONCU RIDES ON: The Turkish rider makes a move to Ten Kate

Can Oncu’s sole 2025 campaign with the team was the strongest of his six-year WorldSSP career so far. While it was only his first year in Yamaha blue, the Turkish rider finished in second place, earning six wins, 16 podiums, six fastest laps and four poles. With his title rival and eventual Champion Stefano Manzi now making the jump to WorldSBK to race with GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team, the Italian has left an open seat behind with the team that Oncu’s mentor, Kenan Sofouglu, rode with for five seasons and won a pair of Championships with the Dutch team.

CARICA AND DEBISE RETURN: Evan Bros chooses riders familiar with the team

With the split from Yamaha announced, Evan Bros had a pair of seats atop their bikes to fill, so they went with riders who are familiar with the team. Italian rider Caricasulo is set to join the team for 2026, a move that offers plenty of continuity, as the #64 rode with the team from 2014-2016 and in 2019. His final season with the team even included a runner-up finish in the Riders’ Championship for the Italian, outpaced only by his teammate Randy Krummenacher on their way to claiming the Teams’ Championship for Evan Bros. Debise’s stint with the Evan Bros outfit came even more recently, in 2024, where the veteran rider enjoyed a strong campaign as the team’s sole rider. He went on to finish in fourth place on the back of his seven podiums, the most he has had in a single season to date. In 2025, Debise rode with Renzi Corse and landed his first two wins of his WorldSSP career.

YAMAHA AND EVAN BROS FRUITFUL COLLABORATION: Five titles in total across their time together

It isn’t just rider market changes for the Ravenna-based team, however. The Evan Bros. outfit announced it would be ending its eight-year collaboration with Yamaha. The team first started riding with Yamaha and their contemporary R6 platform back in 2016. By 2019, they won their first titles together as Krummenacher and Caricasulo dominated the season to hoist both the Team’s Championship and the Riders’ Championship. The success from there only continued to flow, as they again won a Riders’ title with Andrea Locatelli in 2020. 2021 and 2022 brought back-to-back runner-up finishes with the skilful riding of Lorenzo Baldassari and Steven Odendaal. In the hands of Oncu, joined late in the season by Alberto Surra, the pair were fast enough to win another Teams’ Championship as well as Oncu’s Riders’ Championship P2. All in all, together with Yamaha machinery, Evan Bros. enjoyed a fruitful run, tallying 41 wins, 104 podiums, 24 poles, three Riders’ Championships and a pair of Team’s Championships.

ALL-NEW MACHINERY: ZXMOTO looks to make a splash in 2026

Going forward with their pair of new riders, Evan Bros will take on a new challenge, riding atop the new manufacturer ZXMOTO as they take on WorldSSP in their first season in the competition in 2026. The Chinese manufacturer’s all-new 820RR-R is a three-cylinder, 819cc bike designed for success on track; as well as their new rider pair, the new bike will make Evan Bros Racing a team to watch in 2026.

On the team’s new chapter, Team Principal Fabio Evangelista said: “I am very happy about this new adventure. We have taken on the challenge of collaborating with ZXMOTO to develop a new bike, which undoubtedly has potential. As for Caricasulo and Debise, I can only say welcome back: we believe in the speed and development capabilities of both of them.”

Look back through Oncu, Debise and Caricasulo’s best moments with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Source: WorldSBK.com

Can Oncu will make the switch to Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing for the 2026 FIM Supersport World Championship campaign after a stellar first season on the Yamaha R9. The #61 finished second in the standings behind Stefano Manzi, whose seat Oncu has filled after the 2025 Champion secured a move to WorldSBK with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. Oncu will aim to replicate Manzi’s success at the Dutch team, who head into the 2026 campaign looking to defend their title.

Oncu made a name for himself as a Moto3 wildcard at the 2018 Valencian Grand Prix, becoming the youngest ever Grand Prix winner with a stunning victory which came off the back of a Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup win in the same year. In 2019, he raced full-time in Moto3, but was unable to replicate the same success so moved to the WorldSBK paddock and joined the WorldSSP field in 2020.

The Turkish rider often showed flashes of brilliance in his early WorldSSP days but he was unable to string together a consistent campaign in the first two seasons. He finished 12^th in 2020 and sixth in 2021, aided by taking his first podiums at Magny-Cours and a double at San Juan in Argentina. 2022 was his best campaign on the Kawasaki ZX-6R machine as he finished in third and rarely outside of the top five.

The following year, a big crash at Assen left the #61 with arm injuries that required surgery to fix nerve damage. He made his return at Magny-Cours after missing five rounds, and secured only one top-ten finish in his return – a podium in a shortened Jerez race. However, in the same year, he took his maiden win at Mandalika. 2024 was another tough year without a rostrum finish, but a move to Yamaha re-ignited his career.

Linking up with the Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team, Oncu took six victories and 16 rostrums on his way to finishing second in the standings, behind Manzi. He put together a run of eight consecutive podiums between Donington Race 2 and Estoril Race 1 as his potential was unleashed once again, and he now has a chance to keep that form going head into 2026 as he remains on the Yamaha R9 but moves to the defending Champion’s seat.

Discussing his move to Ten Kate Racing, Oncu said: “I am so happy to join Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing and stay with Yamaha in 2026. I had a good year with the R9 this year, but the target is to achieve one place higher in the standings and I think with the Ten Kate team we can make a step forward. The team has had a lot of success in World Supersport in the past, including with Kenan Sofuoglu, so I am excited to start the new chapter. I will push hard for many podiums, and the aim is to fight for the title. Thank you to Yamaha for this incredible opportunity.”

Niccolo Canepa, Road Racing Sporting Manager in the Motorsport Division at Yamaha Motor Europe, added: “Since joining Yamaha at the start of the season, Can has shown incredible speed with the R9 and while some inconsistency hampered his Championship attack, we believe this is something he can build on in 2026 and the partnership with the vastly experienced Pata Yamaha Ten Kate team will help with this. Ten Kate are the most successful team in World Supersport history, and with Can they have one of the fastest and most promising young talents in the category. Over the past three seasons, we saw how the Ten Kate team nurtured Stefano Manzi into a World Champion, so hopefully we can see a similar story with Can.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Dominique Aegerter will join Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) for a two-rider Kawasaki assault on the 2026 FIM Supersport World Championship, with each rider competing on the podium-capable Ninja ZX-6R 636. Aegerter was a double World Champion in this class before his three-year WorldSBK career. In all, the #77 secured 27 WorldSSP race wins from 44 starts, taking the title in consecutive seasons from 2021 to 2022. In addition to his WorldSSP achievements, he landed two podiums during his recent WorldSBK seasons, was crowned the 2022 MotoE World Cup winner, and took runner-up at the famous Suzuka 8 Hours in 2015.

EXPERIENCE IN SPADES: Kawasaki is bringing in Champion pedigree and a treasure trove of experience with Aegerter

After 11 years in Moto2, where Aegerter tallied up seven podiums and a win, he moved into WorldSSP in 2021 and is now returning to the Championship after his stint in WorldSBK. He is now approaching the 2026 WorldSSP Championship with more experience than he had during his two title-winning years. He will be equipped with a Ninja ZX-6R 636 that has already taken two podiums in its first year of WorldSSP competition, in the skilled hands of Alcoba. The addition of Aegerter to the returning #52 doubles the scale of the Kawasaki WorldSSP Team for 2026 after the Spaniard ran alone in 2025.

2 SEASONS, THREE TITLES: Aegerter had some of the best riding of his career during his first stint in WorldSSP

Aegerter didn’t wait to make waves in WorldSSP, placing on the podium in his first race.  That would go on to be just the opening act of his breakout 2021 campaign, where he rode his Yamaha R6 to four poles, 16 podiums and 10 wins: enough to land him the world title in his rookie season in the class with a margin of nearly 100 points. His dominant pace that season only improved in 2022.  The #77 found an even higher gear the next season, increasing his tally to seven poles, 19 podiums and 17 wins; all while competing in MotoE where he was similarly dominant, winning three races and landing on the rostrum on 10 occasions. 2022 ended with the Swiss rider crowning himself Champion in both categories and punched his ticket to WorldSBK for 2023. Now that he is making his return to World Supersport, he hopes to pick up where he left off at the head of the pack.

MISSION FOR 2026: “I immediately realised it would be the right choice because they share the same ambition as me, which is to get Kawasaki back on top”

On his move, Aegerter stated: “I’m really pleased to be part of the Kawasaki WorldSSP Team. When I met with Manuel Puccetti and Steve Guttridge, I immediately realised it would be the right choice because they share the same ambition as me, which is to get Kawasaki back on top. The recent results of the ZX-6R 636 demonstrate this bike’s potential. I’m happy to return to WorldSSP, a category in which I’ve scored strong results in the past, with two world titles and many race wins.  I know that Manuel Puccetti’s team knows how to win races and titles, too. I can’t wait to get on my new bike, get to know my new technical team and wear green! My thanks go to Kawasaki of course, but also to my brother, who took care of all the bureaucracy and the contracts, and to all our sponsors for making this possible, of course.”

SHOOTING FOR THE ROSTRUM: “We will target many more green podiums again next season, with a formidable two-rider team back on the grid”

Manuel Puccetti, Kawasaki WorldSSP Team Principal, said: “We’re proud and honoured to be able to welcome Aegerter to our team, a three-time World Champion who is a sure thing in WorldSSP. We’re certain that we can fight for the World Title with him because Dominique is a giant of the category. We’ll do our best to give him everything he needs to express his full potential and go all out for the title. We’ll be on track for our first tests with him in late November, at Jerez.”

Steve Guttridge, Kawasaki Europe Race Planning Manager, added: “Welcoming Dominique Aegerter to our official Kawasaki WorldSSP Team for the 2026 season sends a great signal out regarding Kawasaki’s commitment to racing at the highest level. ‘Domi’ is a talented competitor and a proven Champion of the middleweight category inside the WorldSBK paddock. We decided to enter our new Ninja ZX-6R 636 this season a little cautiously, with the relevant performance balancing rules in place. We did this to consider – due to the greatly varied engine capacities and configurations of our competitors – what we needed to be able to fight against them in the races. This was not easy, but with Jeremy Alcoba doing a great job alongside his team and technical crew on a solo rider basis, we can now build on all that we have learned. We will target many more green podiums again next season, with a formidable two-rider team back on the grid.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

In light of the incumbent MotoGP Champion Marc Marquez’s shoulder injury suffered in Indonesia, the Spanish seven-time MotoGP World Champion will be replaced for the rest of the season by MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship runner up Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). The #11’s replacement ride will come as his first time back in the MotoGP paddock since 2021 when he steps on the Ducati Desmosedici GP machine at Portimao and Valencia.

‘Bulegas’ first appeared in the paddock in Moto3 back in 2015 when he featured in a single round at Valencia after he was crowned Moto3 European Champion that same season. That appearance preceded a three-season stint in Moto3 from 2016 to 2018, where he collected two poles, two podiums, and two fastest laps. Making the move up to the intermediate category in 2019, he featured for another three years among the Moto2 field until the conclusion of the 2021 season, when he then joined WorldSSP for 2022, before winning the title in 2023 and finishing as WorldSBK runner-up in both 2024 and 2025.

Marquez’s 2025 Championship celebrations were cut short at Mandalika after he clinched the title the round prior, in Japan. He was competing in the Grand Prix when he and Aprilia Racing rider Marco Bezzecchi collided on the opening lap. After a trip to the medical centre, Marquez was diagnosed with a fracture and ligament damage in his right shoulder, and opted to have surgery; forcing him out of the final part of the season. He was initially replaced by Michelle Pirro at the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix, but for Portimao and Valencia, it will be Bulega on the Ducati Desmosedici GP25 that helped the #93 to this year’s title. It comes after he tested the bike at Jerez following the conclusion of the WorldSBK campaign.

Looking ahead to his MotoGP debut, Bulega said: “I’m very happy to be able to end a season like this one with a last-minute surprise. Making the MotoGP debut is the dream of any kid who aspires to become a rider. Plus, being able to ride the World Champion bike for the final two race of the 2025 makes everything even more exciting. It’ll be a big gamble; I have no expectations. I’ll take this experience calmly, especially because, so far, I’ve only been able to test the Desmosedici GP at Jerez. That said, I’m certainly motivated to do well and give my all. Thanks to Ducati and Ducati Corse for their trust, to Claudio, Gigi, Mauro, Davide, Stefano, and Serafino for making me feel their full support and to Team Aruba.it Racing, with whom we finished a season as protagonists”.

Ducati Corse General Manager, Gigi Dall’Igna, added: “I’m very happy to see Nicolò working on the Desmosedici GP. Nicolò has been part of the Ducati Corse family since 2022, when we wanted him to ride the Supersport bike. We believed in him, and he repaid us with two seasons as an absolute protagonist in Superbike, where he came close to the title and became our reference point as a rider. Furthermore, for next year we announced his commitment, together with Michele Pirro, in the developing the Desmosedici GP with new tires, and the opportunity to race in the final two GPs is the best way to begin working in this new role as a test rider. It will certainly be demanding, but I hope he’ll be able to enjoy this experience: for a young rider, making the debut in the top category of our sport is a great satisfaction”.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Nine countries, 12 rounds and 36 races later, 2025’s four MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship rookies have earned their stripes after a hard-fought season of determined work on and off track and laying it all on the line, corner after corner. The new faces each took steps throughout the season, riding out of Jerez much more complete competitors than when they first debuted down under at Phillip Island. Here’s how each of them fared!

MONTELLA MAKES IT COUNT: The Italian takes top rookie honours

Yari Montella made his WorldSBK debut riding with the Barni Spark Racing Team, the team he rode for in WorldSSP when he mounted a title challenge, and showed real growth over the course of his rookie season while sharing the paddock with MotoGP and WorldSBK race winner Danilo Petrucci. He landed the most top tens of all the rookies with nine, seven more than any other. The strongest stretch of his season came from May to June, where he landed two P8s at Most, then followed it up with a further P8 to open Misano. DNFs, however, were an issue for #5, as his 12 races not finished were the most of any rider on the grid. In fact, while he enjoyed arguably his best form of the season from Most into Misano, he suffered three consecutive DNFs to close Misano and to open at Donington. Provided he can control the bike, his speed has been no issue for him, and he is sure to benefit from the experience of his new 2026 teammate, Alvaro Bautista to work to improve on his P18 Championship placement.

ON THE BUBBLE: Ryan Vickers showed real speed in his first season

Ryan Vickers made the jump from the British Superbike paddock in 2025 after six years of experience in that championship to ride with the Ducati independent Motocorsa Racing. He jumped into the paddock with no holds barred, moving to Italy to be closer to the team and facilitate his getting up to speed in the World Championship. That commitment was reflected in his second-place finish among all rookies and finishing the season tied with Montella for the best result among all rookies on the season with his P7 in Hungary. While Vickers was only able to crack the top ten on two occasions – at Assen and at Balaton – by the season’s midpoint onwards he only missed the points on four occasions, all due to DNFs. Vickers will rejoin BSB in 2026, but he showed his talent on the world stage in 2025.

SOFUOGLU SETTLES IN: Landed his season-high P10 at Magny-Cours

Already decently familiar with the WorldSBK paddock after his two full seasons in WorldSSP300 and three seasons in WorldSSP, Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) rode his Yamaha R1 well throughout the campaign. He finished in P21 directly behind Vickers in the Championship standings. His season’s highlight came in Magny-Cours’ Race 1. He began the race in P21, benefitting from a five-rider pileup in Lap 1 but otherwise rode well to take tenth for his sole top ten of the season. He will gain a new teammate in the form of Mattia Rato in 2026, whom the Turk will look to grow alongside in his sophomore season.

ZAIDI FINDING HIS FOOTING: The Malaysian rookie progressed to land in the points at Magny-Cours

Having competed in a single WorldSSP race at Sepang back in 2014, Zaqhwan Zaidi (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) arrived to the WorldSBK paddock as a newer face than some of his fellow rookies. He and his Honda independent teammate both had a tricky season before Tarran Mackenzie left the team to ride with the MGM BONOVO Racing squad. Zaidi continued to struggle to find form until Magny-Cours, where he earned his first WorldSBK point when he took P15 from Race 1. MIE Honda haven’t confirmed their 2026 lineup, but if Zaidi is on one of their bikes next season, he will have that baseline to improve from.

Look back through the expansive catalogue of these riders’ rookie season with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com