The Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider maintained his “imperious” form on Friday, sweeping both Free Practice sessions after a flawless pre-season test earlier in the week. Despite his 0.496-second cushion over the field, the Italian remains wary of a select group of challengers ready to disrupt his perfect record at the Australian circuit.

Phillip Island has become a spiritual home for Bulega. Since his historic debut victory here in 2024, the “Martinator of WorldSBK” has looked untouchable, culminating in a dominant triple-win sweep in 2025. This year, the script looks similar; Bulega was the only rider to dip into the 1:28s during FP1, clocking a blistering 1:28.858 on the penultimate lap of a 12-lap long run. While he noted that rising track temperatures in the afternoon made the bike harder to manage, a series of setup refinements to the updated 2026 Ducati Panigale V4 R have given him the confidence he needs heading into Saturday’s Race 1.

The Chasing Pack: Bimota and the Lowes Threat

While the timesheets suggest a comfortable gap, Bulega was quick to identify three specific riders who possess the race pace to challenge him: Alex Lowes, Axel Bassani, and Sam Lowes.

The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team has emerged as the primary threat to Ducati’s supremacy. Alex Lowes, a three-time winner at Phillip Island, finished the day second overall with a 1:29.354. Despite a late lowside crash at Turn 4 in FP2, the British rider displayed worrying consistency during a 14-lap race simulation. His teammate, Axel Bassani, silenced doubters by securing the fourth-fastest time, proving that the new Bimota KB998 Rimini is already a podium-capable machine in the hands of “El Bocia.”

Splitting the Bimota duo was Sam Lowes, who continues to excel as an independent rider for the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team. The #14 Ducati rider overcame his own tumble at the high-speed Turn 4 to finish third on the combined sheets, just 0.524 seconds adrift of Bulega. With three Ducatis and two Bimotas occupying the top five spots, the stage is set for a high-speed showdown that could see the closest opening-round battle in years.

The 2026 Ducati: Evolution over Revolution

Bulega’s performance is even more impressive considering he is still “dialing in” the heavily revamped 2026 Panigale V4 R. This year’s model marks a radical departure for the Borgo Panigale factory, most notably abandoning the signature single-sided swingarm in favor of a double-sided hollow symmetrical swingarm designed to handle the extreme lateral loads of modern Pirelli slicks.

The bike also features advanced ground-effect “Corner Sidepods” derived from Ducati’s MotoGP program, which are intended to provide extra stability at the massive lean angles required for Phillip Island’s flowing curves. While Bulega admitted there are still areas where he is “not 100% happy,” his ability to set record-challenging pace while still experimenting with settings is a ominous sign for the rest of the paddock.

The post Dominant start for Bulega: Ducati star eyes trio of rivals at Phillip Island first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

This new solution is a direct answer to the extreme thermo-mechanical stress that the “Island” layout inflicts on a tyre’s carcass, particularly through the high-speed, sustained left-hand sweepers that lead onto the main straight.

Historically, Phillip Island is notorious for “killing” tyres. The 2024 and 2025 seasons were particularly brutal due to a resurfaced asphalt that was record-breakingly grippy but exceptionally abrasive. Data from those years showed that internal tyre temperatures on the left shoulder could reach levels never before recorded, leading to mandatory mid-race pit stops because no tyre could safely complete a full race distance. The new E0829 rear utilizes the same compound as the D0922 reference tyre but introduces a revised internal structure designed to improve stability. The goal is to eliminate the performance “cliff” where lap times traditionally plummet by over a second per lap once the tyre’s structure begins to fatigue under load.

In the World Supersport (WorldSSP) category, Pirelli is implementing an even more radical technical shift. For the first time, Supersport riders will adopt the larger tyre dimensions usually reserved for the WorldSBK class, moving to a 200/65 rear and having the option of a 125/70 front. From an analytical perspective, this is a play for better thermal management. A larger footprint increases the heat exchange surface with the asphalt, effectively acting like a bigger radiator for the tyre. By spreading the load across a wider contact patch, Pirelli hopes to reduce the risk of overheating—a phenomenon that has historically seen Supersport lap times fluctuate wildly as the track temperature rises toward 50°C.

The strategic landscape for the weekend is further complicated by the inclusion of the E0125 soft development tyre, restricted exclusively to practice and Superpole. While this “qualifying” rubber allowed Nicolò Bulega to dominate pre-season testing with a blistering 1’28.630, it offers no insight into race durability. The real test will be whether the structural changes to the E0829 medium can sustain that pace over 20+ laps. As riders weigh the agile turn-in of the standard 120/70 front against the “planted” stability of the larger 125/70 option, the 2026 opener will be a definitive test of whether Pirelli has finally solved the Phillip Island puzzle.

The post Pirelli’s high-stakes gamble for the 2026 opener first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

At the start of the race, polesitter Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) was able to keep the lead of the race from his rivals but soon found himself falling down the order, although he was able to keep in the lead group throughout the first half of the race.

The lead group throughout the 14-lap race was consistently around 10 riders although in the latter stages the top three tried to break away.

The race was full of drama throughout with the lead battle between Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) and teammate Jeffrey Buis on the last lap of the race with Huertas making his move late on the final lap of the race.

Buis claimed his first podium of the 2021 campaign as he looks to kickstart his title defence on home soil but was demoted to third after the flag for a track limits infringement on the final lap, with teammate Koen Meuffels claiming second place ahead of Buis.

WorldSSP300 TT Circuit Assen – Race 1

1. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki)
2. Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) +0.959s
3. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) +0.960s
4. Samuel Di Sora (Flembbo Leader Team) +1.363
5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) +1.364
6. Kevin Sabatucci (Viñales Racing Team) +1.367s

The post Huertas heads MTM Kawasaki 1-2-3 in thrilling WorldSSP300 Race 1 at Assen first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) got the holeshot into Turn 1 to take the lead but soon found himself down in third place on the opening lap as both Aegerter and Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing). As seen before in 2021, the lead group contained plenty of riders all looking to break Aegerter’s winning streak.

After five laps, the lead trio of Aegerter, Oettl and Odendaal were the leading trio and all set fastest laps of the race to start pulling away from the chasing pack, with Aegerter continuing to lead the race despite Odendaal, in third, being the fastest rider of the three.

Oettl had been in the lead of the race before falling back behind Aegerter and Odendaal, with the pair running the SCX tyre while Oettl used the SC0.

Oettl was dropped by Aegerter and Odendaal as the race went on with Aegerter, riding a special livery for the Ten Kate Racing team, able to withstand the challenge from Odendaal as the Swiss rider extended his Championship lead over the South African, with Aegerter consistently on lap record pace including setting a new record of 1’37.688s.

After 18 laps, Aegerter finished three seconds clear of Odendaal with Oettl claiming third.

WorldSSP TT Circuit Assen – Race 1 

1. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
2. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +2.846s
3. Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +8.871s
4. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) +11.159s
5. Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) +11.276s
6. Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) +11.501s

The post Aegerter claims historic victory on Ten Kate Racing’s home soil at Assen first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Some 13 riders were covered by less than a second, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) leading the way on combined times ahead of Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), whilst Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was third, having led the way in FP1.

It was a strong day for parity across the manufacturers, with all five brands inside the top five places come the chequered flag.

It was a solid first day for Jonathan Rea, as the Ulsterman enjoyed a strong afternoon session after finishing second in the morning. Despite a major moment with around 20 minutes to go in FP2 coming into the final chicane, he finished in first in the afternoon, thus placing him top overall.

Teammate Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) didn’t have the sharpest of mornings in the Netherlands as he was only 12th but was back inside the top ten in ninth overall and did a 13-lap run, gathering data for the weekend ahead.

Top Yamaha honours went to Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), as he celebrated his Yamaha contract extension with P2 on day one, with Gerloff trading times for top spot with Rea throughout the session.

Championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) had a busy day where he was inside the top six but didn’t feature inside the top three too much, as he adapts to Assen aboard the Yamaha.

In the end, Razgatlioglu ended the session in fifth and was sixth overall, whilst teammate Andrea Locatelli had a more than dignified first WorldSBK appearance at Assen and was a firm fixture inside the top ten for the majority of the session.

The Italian finished the day in 13th overall, although his position perhaps is not indicative of the potential he has.

Bouncing back and shining bright, Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fastest in FP1 and was in contention throughout the afternoon as he worked on race pace. Although he didn’t feature inside the top six in the afternoon and was relying on his morning time, he was third overall.

WorldSBK at TT Circuit Assen – Friday

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’34.391s
2. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.121s
3. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.200s
4. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) +0.350s
5. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.362s

The post Rea vs Gerloff: Kawasaki take top honours as Day 1 at Assen turns fierce first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Steeman posted a lap time of 1’48.710s in the 30-minute Free Practice 2 session, with the Dutch rider one of only two riders to lap in the 1’48s bracket.

He was joined by Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) in that bracket, with the pair separated by almost three tenths after the day’s running. Dutchman Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) completed the top three.

WorldSSP300 has a reputation for being a close and competitive class and the start of the Dutch Round has proved no exception ahead of racing, with Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) in fourth; the 2018 WorldSSP300 Champion less than a tenth away from a place in the top three.

British rider Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) claimed fifth place, ahead of Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) in sixth; the French rider had topped Free Practice 1 in the morning in the Netherlands.

WorldSSP300 at TT Circuit Assen

1. Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) 1’48.710
2. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) +0.284s
3. Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) 0.405s
4. Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) +0.442s
5. Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) +0.513s
6. Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) +0.569s

The post Home hero Steeman claims Friday honours with lap record pace in WorldSSP300 at Assen first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

The morning Free Practice 1 session was a battle between Aegerter and Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) as the South African rider looked to get back to winning ways and close the gap to Aegerter in the Championship.

Both riders went under the lap record throughout the day, with Aegerter posting a 1’37.274s to top the times at the end of Friday by just 0.041s; the duo separated by just over a tenth but half-a-second clear of their nearest rivals.

Spanish rider Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) put in a strong last lap at the end of the disrupted Free Practice 2 session to slot into third place as he goes in search for his first WorldSSP podium at the venue he made his Moto2 debut at a few weeks ago.

Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed fourth place on his Kawasaki ZX-6R, the only rider to not improve in the afternoon Free Practice 2 session.

WorldSSP at TT Circuit Assen – Friday

1. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 1’37.274s
2. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.041s
3. Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) +0.550s
4. Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.711s
5. Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) +0.883s
6. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.910s

The post Perfect homecoming: Aegerter puts Ten Kate Racing on top after day 1 at Assen first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

To conclude a weekend full of drama at Donington Park, Race 2 delivered even more for the Prosecco DOC UK Round in the WorldSBK Championship as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) claimed a second victory of the weekend after Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) crashed out from the lead of the race just one lap after passing Razgatlioglu.

Rea was able to hold onto the lead of the race from his nearest rivals but found himself under pressure from Razgatlioglu in the early stages of the 23-lap race after the Turkish star once again made up positions from the start as he found himself in second place on the exit of Turn 1.

Razgatlioglu made his move on Rea on Lap 4 at the right-hander of Coppice, Turn 8, on Rea to move into the lead of the race as he looked for his second win of the weekend and to close the gap in the Championship down to Rea. Despite losing out to Razgatlioglu, Rea kept the pressure with Rea having a near-miss with the Turkish star under braking into the Foggy Esses.

Rea’s pressure paid off on Lap 10 when Razgatlioglu made a mistake at the same corner he passed Rea for the lead when he ran wide on his Yamaha YZF R1, allowing Rea back through into the lead of the race, but just a single lap later Rea found himself in the gravel at Coppice and tumbled out of the points, re-joining the race in 20th place on Lap 11; Rea finished the race in 20th.

America Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed his best result of the 2021 campaign with second place after taking advantage of Rea’s crash and working his way past Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to move into second place, securing Yamaha’s tenth 1-2 finish in WorldSBK history, ahead of Sykes who claimed his second consecutive podium finish.

WorldSBK at Donington Park – Race 2:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK)
2. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +2.243s
3. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +4.522s
4. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.151s
5. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +13.315s
6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +14.444s

The post Razgatlioglu claims championship lead with Donington Race 2 victory, Rea crashes out first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

A stunning first lap that was reminiscent of Ayrton Senna in 1993 at Donington Park from Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) secure his second victory of the 2021 WorldSBK Championship after starting from 13th place and found himself in the lead of the race on just the second lap of Race 1 at the UK Round at Donington Park.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) led the field away from pole position but it was Razgatlioglu who caught the eye at the start, moving from 13th to fifth by Turn 1 and up to second by the end of Lap 1. It did not take long for Razgatlioglu to take the lead of the race as he passed the six-time Champion on the second lap.

A rare error from Rea on Lap 3 allowed Razgatlioglu to build up a gap of three seconds ahead of Rea as he looked to close the gap even further in the standings; Razgatlioglu’s victory allowing him to close the gap to just 15 points in the Championship. Victory for the Turkish star means WorldSBK’s streak of wins coming in pairs continues, a run that started at the start of the 2021 campaign.

Rea had looked to close in on Razgatlioglu throughout the race after recovering from his trip through the grass on Lap 3 at Turn 2, but a save at Turn 1 meant he lost even more time to the race leader.

Behind the two leaders who had broken away, an epic battle for third was brewing between Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), teammate Tom Sykes, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team).

Van der Mark was running in third place and looked to make a move on Rea for second after his trip through the grass, but found the reigning Champion pulling way while Sykes started closing in at the front of the chasing group.

As Sykes closed in on his teammate, Lowes was on the rear of Sykes’ M 1000 RR as both he and van der Mark searched for BMW’s first podium with the new bike. Lowes made his move at Melbourne Hairpin on Sykes to move up the order, while the two BMWs were battling, with van der Mark falling down the order behind Lowes and Gerloff.

Sykes and van der Mark both gained a position when Gerloff came off his Yamaha YZF R1 at the final corner on his own, with the American able to remount his bike and fight back to finish in seventh.

It meant Lowes claimed third place after the titanic battle ahead of the BMW duo of Sykes and van der Mark; with two BMWs finishing inside the top five.

WorldSBK at Donington Park – Race 1

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK)
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.419s
3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +12.261s
4. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +14.625s
5. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +16.447s
6. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) +17.028s

The post Astounding comeback sees Razgatlioglu storm to sensational Donington Park win first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

The 2021 WorldSBK Championship’s opening day of action saw Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) hit the headlines by stunning on his debut at Donington Park for the Prosecco DOC UK Round.

He was fastest on a blissfully sunny Friday afternoon, enough to put him on top overall with a 1’27.524, ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK).

It was an Independent on top on Friday in the UK as Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) improved significantly throughout the opening day of action to go top on an SCX tyre in the closing stages.

An irrepressible Gerloff topped every single sector around the Donington Park circuit, as he made his debut at the British venue.

Impressively going about his business at a brand new circuit and less than a week after a solid substitute performance at the Dutch GP in MotoGP, Gerloff hopes to continue his form into Saturday and Sunday.

On the other side of the garage, it was a nightmare for Kohta Nozane, who was ruled unfit following his Navarra testing crash which left him with a fractured middle finger on his right hand.

The Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK duo of Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes enjoyed a positive session, as both riders hit the ground running right from the start of the session. Both riders were running 1-2 in the session in the opening 20 minutes as they continued their work at their home round.

Rea was super consistent throughout the opening day and ended the day in second place, whilst Lowes was also in fine form in the afternoon to finish fourth, leaving him on the combined.

The factory Yamaha charge was led by Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK), as he celebrated a new Yamaha Motor Europe contract that was announced prior to the first track action of the day.

Despite a massive moment in the opening moments of the session, he was able to continue on his way and cement his position in the leading positions in third, putting in a long run in his second stint. Teammate Andrea Locatelli was impressive and was as high as fourth in the afternoon session before finishing eleventh overall.

WorldSBK at Donington Park – Friday:

1. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’27.524s
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.317s
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) +0.524s
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.607s
5. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.626s
6. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.678s

The post Gerloff blitzes Day 1 of DoniGerloff blitzes Day 1 of Donington Park debut as WorldSBK returns to the UK first appeared on InsideRacing.com.