Your MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field returned to the track at a sunny Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, Andalucia for the latter of their two days of offseason testing following the decisive final round at the same circuit. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) again topped the timesheets followed by his new teammate Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), and Bimota’s Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team). While many of the riders such as Yamaha’s entire cohort and American rider Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) didn’t participate in the second day of testing, those who stuck around enjoyed a day of fully dry weather. For an in-depth look at the opening day of testing, check out Day 1’s report!
PANIGALE PROGRESS: Bulega and Lecuona continue to shine as both riders look to be acclimating quickly to their new 2026 bike
Both riders improved their times in the second day of testing, with Bulega putting on a tour-de-force with his new bike with the fastest time of 1’37.587s before finishing his day early. His pace saw him set laps in the 1’38 range with ease, including frequent 1’37s efforts as the day went on and the new package underneath him began to click. Across the garage, Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continued to show notable speed as well, with his times descending lower and lower into the 1’39s as the day went on. His fastest time of 1’38.444s placed him P2, nine tenths behind his teammate.
LOWES LEADS BIMOTA ON DAY 2: The Englishman was the faster of the Rimini-based factory pair
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) returned to the Andalucian circuit after not participating in Day 1 of the test. Day 2 saw the riders make up for lost time, laying down the most laps of any manufacturer on the day for a total of 101. The team were reportedly testing new items on the suspension and engine which they will hope can improve the bike’s straight-line speed. Lowes’s 1’38.756s time sat him third-fastest on the day, ahead of Bassani who finished fifth on the order thanks to his 1’39.050s time. The pair were supported by Xavi Fores who participated as a test rider for Bimota, logging a modest 9 laps after his 58 laps on Day 1.
MORE THAN JUST COLLECTING DATA: Van der Mark hits the mark with his M 1000 RR, landing a combined P4
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team) kept the irons hot on Day 2 recording an additional 79 laps for a total of 136 in his new role with the team as a test rider. The fastest of his laps came in Day 2 when he laid down a 1’38.998s time to seat the rider from the Netherlands P4 on the combined timesheet.
HONDA’S TEST: Vickers and Honda test atop the CBR 1000 RR-R
With both of their 2026 riders still occupied with their Moto2 and MotoGP commitments, Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) returned to the track to test for the WorldSBK squad as opposed to his normal ride on the WorldSSP grid. Perolari did well at the test, running a combined 119 laps over the two days to finish tenth fastest thanks to a 1’39.607s lap. Ryan Vickers picked up where he left off on Day 1, returning to ride for Honda, running 106 laps total, and his Day 1 time of 1’39.659s placing him a combined P11.
The combined top ten from the two days of testing at Jerez!
1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’37.587s
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.857s
3. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +1.169s
4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team) +1.411s
5. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +1.463s
6. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +1.550s
7. Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +1.762s
8. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) +1.846s
9. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +1.892s
10. Corentin Perolari (Honda HRC Test Team) +2.020s
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