The 2026 World Superbike season is officially underway, and the final pre-season test at Phillip Island in Australia has kicked off with a bang! But here's where it gets controversial... Could this be the year that Nicolo Bulega dominates once again, or will a new challenger rise to the top? The action began on Monday morning, with the two-day test alternating track sessions between the WorldSBK and WSS classes. Let’s dive into the details and see what unfolded on Day 1.
Day 1 Schedule:
The riders hit the track for two Free Practice sessions, with the following schedule:
- 11:10-13:10 - WorldSBK Free Practice 1
- 15:40-17:40 - WorldSBK Free Practice 2
Free Practice 1 Highlights:
Nicolo Bulega, the reigning Phillip Island champion who swept all three races last season, wasted no time asserting his dominance. He secured the top spot on the timesheets just 15 minutes into the session and never looked back. And this is the part most people miss... Bulega’s final lap saw him improve his best time by nearly half a second, finishing well ahead of Yari Montella. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing—the session was punctuated by incidents, including a gravel run for Honda rookie Jake Dixon at Turn 2, a crash for Stefan Manzi at Turn 6, and another gravel excursion for Ryan Vickers just before the halfway mark. Brief red flags were also waved due to birds on the track and a technical issue for Sam Lowes, culminating in a crash for Tarran Mackenzie at Turn 10 at the session’s end.
End of Free Practice 1 Results:
Here’s how the riders stacked up after the first session:
| POS | RIDER | NAT | TEAM | TIME |
|-----|---------------|-----|-------------------------------|-----------|
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | ITA | Aruba.it - Ducati | 1:29.451s |
| 2 | Yari Montella | ITA | Barni Spark Racing Team | +0.470s |
| 3 | Axel Bassani | ITA | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team| +0.788s |
| 4 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | ITA | Team Goeleven | +0.824s |
| 5 | Garrett Gerloff| USA | Kawasaki Team | +0.833s |
| 6 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team| +0.835s |
| 7 | Alvaro Bautista| SPA | Barni Spark Racing Team | +0.882s |
| 8 | Xavi Vierge | SPA | Pata Maxus Yamaha | +0.969s |
| 9 | Sam Lowes | GBR | ELF Marc VDS Racing Team | +1.030s |
| 10 | Miguel Oliveira| POR | ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team | +1.169s |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Official Phillip Island WorldSBK Records:
- Best Lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati, 1m 27.916s (2024)
- Fastest Race Lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati, 1m 28.564s (2024)
Fastest 2025 WorldSBK Superpole Qualifying Laps by Manufacturer:
- Ducati: Nicolo Bulega, 1m 28.824s
- BMW: Toprak Razgatlioglu, 1m 28.918s
- Yamaha: Andrea Locatelli, 1m 29.783s
- Bimota: Alex Lowes, 1m 29.859s
- Honda: Xavi Vierge, 1m 29.924s
- Kawasaki: Garrett Gerloff, 1m 30.768s
Hour 1 of Free Practice 1 Results:
For those curious about the early pace, here’s how the riders fared after the first hour:
| POS | RIDER | NAT | TEAM | TIME |
|-----|---------------|-----|-------------------------------|-----------|
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | ITA | Aruba.it - Ducati | 1:29.668s |
| 2 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team| +0.618s |
| 3 | Xavi Vierge | SPA | Pata Maxus Yamaha | +0.752s |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
The Bigger Picture:
With Bulega’s early dominance, the question on everyone’s mind is: Can anyone challenge him this season? Bold prediction: Keep an eye on Yari Montella and Axel Bassani, who are showing promising pace. But don’t count out veterans like Alvaro Bautista and Alex Lowes, who could surprise us all. What do you think? Is Bulega unstoppable, or is there a dark horse in the field? Let us know in the comments below!
