WorldSBK Race Two
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) splashed his way to a third PI win in three attempts, as the expected rains turned up to make the final PI WorldSBK race a fully wet affair.
The Race Two podium ranking had Axel Bassani (Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 11 seconds from Bulega, and the upwardly mobile Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) 17 seconds adrift in third.
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) was on course for a podium place but crashed out, with both Lowes brothers also not making it to the end after separate falls.
A career best fourth for Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Racing Ducati) was a vindication of his team’s desire to carry on this year with the new Ducati.
A loose five rider group was headed up by Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (GO Eleven).
Tenth was the lone Kawasaki of Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team).
In the championship points, Bulega leads with a perfect 62, Bassani is second with 42 and second race faller Montella is third with 26.
2026 Australian WorldSBK Race Two
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
- Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +11.336s
- Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +17.790s
- Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) +28.356s
- Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +30.966s
WorldSSP Race Two
The second 18-lap WorldSSP race of the PI weekend started with most riders on wets, as the circuit was damp after a small degree of rainfall had affected the track surface.
The race winner, former Moto3 champion Albert Arenas (AS Racing Yamaha), was on a rear slick, but most opted for a rear wet – as there are no ‘inters’ in WorldSSP.
In such damp but not fully wet conditions the leading positions changed with amazing regularity, but they provided another rear slick-option gambler like Aldi Satya Mahendra (AS Racing Yamaha) the chance to race for a podium position. The rains did not come back strongly at any time, and those running wets generally all changed to slick set-up when they felt it appropriate to come back into the pits.
Mahendra became the first Indonesian podium finisher in WordSSP, thanks to his second place.
Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing Ducati) was another who gambled on dry tyre was rewarded with third place and podium status.
Andrea Giombini (Motozoo By Mad Force Dubai MV Agusta) was a dry tyre fourth, some 50 seconds from Arenas.
Can Öncü (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) was well behind the fight for the win but in an important fifth place at the flag, with Roberto García (GMT94-YAMAHA) sixth and a lap down on the winner.
Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) survived a huge mid-race fishtail and slide to go seventh, with the top ten places being completed by Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA), Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team), and Race One winner on Saturday, Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura).
Dominique Aegerter (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) had a very tough race again, slowing to stop after sitting inside the top four places.
Philipp Öttl GER (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati) was 11th and Oliver Bayliss (Triumph Factory Racing) 12th. In the points, Areanas leads with 38, Masia has 31 and Ferrari 26.
2026 Australian WorldSSP Race Two
- Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team)
- Aldi Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +4.937s
- Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) +13.967s
- Andrea Giombini (Motozoo by Madforce Dubai) +50.953s
- Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +1’25.203s
WorldSBK Superpole Race
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took a race win the hard way in the ten-lap Superpole Race, as he was passed by three riders early on, before a controlled push-back saw him win by 2.752 seconds.
The best race yet for the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, since they joined the class in 2025, saw Axel Bassani take his first bimota podium in second place, ahead of his team-mate Alex Lowes, in third.
Early convincing leader Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing) was fourth, just 0.022 seconds behind Lowes’s bimota.
Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati) was also in contention for a podium and was just less than four seconds from the race winner Bulega.
A remarkable sixth place for Race One struggler Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) saw him just 4.250 seconds from a win, with Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) seventh. Just over three seconds back on Bautista, day one podium finisher Lorenzo Baldassarri (GO Eleven Ducati) was eighth, Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ninth and Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) tenth, with Independent rider Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Racing Ducati) immediately behind.
Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was on his way to a strong top ten but lost ten seconds on the final lap to place 18th.
2026 Australian WorldSBK Superpole Race
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
- Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +2.752s
- Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +3.563s
- Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +3.585s
- Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +3.985
WorldSBK Race One
The many changes and alterations of line-ups ahead of the 2026 WorldSBK season had an instant impact on the Race One results at PI. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) winning by 4.776 seconds was no surprise, but few would have had Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) on their bingo card for second place, and fewer still Lorenzo Baldassarri (GO Eleven) as a first-time podium finisher first time out on his Ducati.
Top bimota rider in the end of the 22-lap WorldSBK opener – run over its full 22-lap distance with no pit stops – was Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), who was just a couple of bike lengths away from the podium in fourth place.
Front row starter Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati) placed fifth, while Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) got the best of early top three contender, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), for sixth place in his first factory Ducati ride.
Having started absolutely last after his non-qualification in Superpole, new WorldSBK star Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) fought his way through to a remarkable eighth, even if he was 20 seconds down on Bulega. An amazing and determined introduction to WorldSBK racing.
New Motocorsa Ducati rider, Alberto Surra, scored a ninth place finish, in a race where four top names – Bautista, Manzi, Vierge and finally Gardner – either crashed out or retired.
Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) completed the top ten after a mid-race fight with his new team-mate.
Next top, a ten lap Superpole Race and a second 22-lap WorldSBK contest on Sunday 22 February.
2026 Australian WorldSBK Race One
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
- Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +4.776s
- Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +6.147s
- Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +6.183s
- Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +8.249s
WorldSSP Race One
Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) enjoyed a leading ride out front of the first race of 2026, winning from 5.521 seconds from Philipp Öttl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati) after a start-to-finish 18-laps.
After almost crashing when he ran off track onto the dirt, Oli Bayliss (Triumph Factory Racing) secured his first-ever podium in front of his home crowd, making up for his team-mate Tom Booth-Amos crashing out of a strong position.
Fourth place went to 2020 Moto3 champion and WorldSSP rookie Albert Arenas (AS Racing Yamaha), who could not get past Bayliss but managed to fend-off Can Öncü (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing).
In the chase behind the podium battlers, Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing Ducati) had an eventually lonely sixth, 11 seconds behind the winner.
The top ten was rounded out by Ondrej Vostatek (Compos Racing Triumph), Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team Ducati) Roberto García (GMT94-YAMAHA) and finally the lead Kawasaki of Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team).
A dream first podium first time out ended in a crash for front row qualifier Valentin Debise and his ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing machine.
2026 Australian WorldSSP Race One
- Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura)
- Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +5.521s
- Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +7.266s
- Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +7.721s
- Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +7.743s
Friday WorldSBK
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was expected to lead day one during the first WorldSBK weekend of the season at PI. He duly delivered, going 0.253 seconds faster than BbKRT rider, Alex Lowes, in the final FP2 session – but ending the day a more significant 0.496 seconds ahead of the bimota rider in the combined FP1 and FP2 times.
Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati) fell in the final Friday session but was still inside the top three thanks to his stronger morning pace.
Fourth quickest was the other bimota rider, Axel Bassani, continuing in strong form after the recent pre-season tests at PI.
Now a non-factory rider with a potent new V4-R package, Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) was an aggregate fifth, ahead of another Ducati independent rider, Lorenzo Baldassarri (GO Eleven Ducati) pre-Superpole qualifying on Saturday.
Bautista’s new Barni Spark Ducati team-mate, Yari Montella was seventh overall; new official Ducati rider Iker Lecuona went up to eighth on day one of ‘real’ competition in 2026.
A rejuvenated Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK team) secured a strong ninth place on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR with some aero upgrades this year.
In his first ever WorldSBK timed sessions, new WorldSBK rider Miguel Oliveira (RoKIT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) ran out tenth fastest overall. The Number 88 rider ended up 0.888 seconds from the red hot season favourite Bulega.
The top Yamaha rider of all was Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in 11th place.
Superpole qualifying will take place on Saturday 21 February, followed by Race One of the new season.
2026 Australian WorldSBK Results—Friday WorldSBK
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) | 1:28.858s |
| 2 | Sam Lowes | (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) | +0.524s |
| 3 | Axel Bassani | (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) | +0.689s |
| 4 | Yari Montella | (Barni Spark Racing Team) | +0.703s |
| 5 | Alex Lowes | (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) | +0.757s |
Friday WorldSSP
The first red flag of the season interrupted the 40-minute-long Superpole Qualifying session but it did not cramp the style of convincing PI Superpole winner Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura).
He came out on top by 0.172 seconds in a stopwatch fight with local star Oli Bayliss (Triumph Factory Racing), in dry, warm (but windy) conditions.
A sensational start to WorldSSP racing life saw the triple of ZXMOTO and Valentin Debise go third quickest, placing the all-new entry from China right in the upper echelons at its first attempt in WorldSSP.
A potential champion, Can Öncü (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), was fourth and thus the leading Yamaha rider. His finish saw four different machines inside the top four places.
Mid-session faller Tom Booth-Amos (Triumph Factory Racing) kept hold of fifth place, to make it two Triumphs inside the top five.
Philipp Öttl GER (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati) was sixth.
Albert Arenas (AS Racing Yamaha) ended his first day in seventh position, with Mattia Casadei (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team) eighth. Ondrej Vostatek (Compos Racing Triumph) was ninth and Italian rider Mattia Casadei (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team) tenth. The best MV Agusta belonged to Jacopo Cretaro (Flembbo by Racing Development MV Agusta) in 15th place. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) was 19th in the first Superpole of the year, and was top Kawasaki rider.
In an amazingly close qualifying session, there were 24 riders inside the same 1.294 second bracket. The top 16 had all been inside one second of the leader.
2026 Australian WorldSBK Results—Friday WorldSSP
| 1 | Jaume Masia | (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) | 1:32.115s |
| 2 | Oli Bayliss | (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) | +0.172s |
| 3 | Valentin Debise | (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) | +0.324s |
| 4 | Can Oncu | (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) | +0.335s |
| 5 | Tom Booth-Amos | (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) | +0.439s |
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