The biggest recent news and “silly season” developments in the World Superbike Championship (WSBK), particularly for the 2026 season, include major rider and team announcements:
Key 2026 Rider and Team Moves (Confirmed & Rumors)
- Factory Ducati Shake-up:
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has re-signed with the factory team for 2026.
- Alvaro Bautista will leave the factory Aruba.it Ducati team.
- Iker Lecuona (currently with Honda HRC) will move to the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati factory team to replace Bautista for 2026.
- Bautista will remain on Ducati machinery, moving to the Barni Spark Racing Team (an Independent Ducati outfit) for 2026.
- BMW Line-up Change:
- Toprak Razgatlioglu is confirmed to be moving to MotoGP with Pramac Racing Yamaha for 2026.
- Danilo Petrucci (currently with Barni Ducati) will move to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team to take one of the factory seats.
- Michael van der Mark has confirmed he will not be staying with the BMW factory team for 2026. A teammate for Petrucci is pending, with rumors linking MotoGP rider Miguel Oliveira to the vacant seat.
- Other Confirmed Moves:
- Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani are confirmed to remain with the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team for 2026.
- Andrea Locatelli and Remy Gardner have both re-signed with their respective Yamaha factory and satellite (GYTR GRT) teams for 2026 and beyond.
- Stefano Manzi (from WorldSSP) will step up to WorldSBK with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team.
- Sam Lowes re-signed with the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team for 2026 and 2027.
- Ryan Vickers is contracted to stay with Motocorsa Racing for 2026.
- Yari Montella will remain with Barni Spark Racing Team for 2026.
Latest Rumors/Unconfirmed Seats:
- The Team HRC (Honda) line-up for 2026 is a major focus, with rumors strongly linking Moto2 frontrunner Jake Dixon to one of the seats.
- The second BMW factory seat and the vacant seat at Team GoEleven Ducati (after Andrea Iannone’s departure) are also key unconfirmed positions. Former WSBK rider Lorenzo Baldassarri is a rumored option for GoEleven.
- There is speculation about other Moto2/MotoGP riders potentially moving to WSBK for 2026.
Sources
Official WorldSBK Website (Silly Season Feature):
- SILLY SEASON FOR 2026: Vierge replaces Rea at Yamaha, Lecuona moves to factory Ducati as Bautista secures seat for next year
- This is the official site of the championship and contains detailed confirmed information and updates on the 2026 grid.
Crash.net (WSBK Features and News):
- 2026 WorldSBK rider line-up: The grid so far, and the latest rumours
- A reliable source for in-depth analysis of rider contracts, rumors, and race reports.
Official WorldSBK News Homepage:
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