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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship wrapped up its 2025 season on Sunday, October 19th. Determined to hit the ground running in 2026, many teams will stick around at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto, Andalucia for the first offseason testing days hosted on October 21-22nd. The test will provide a first glimpse of riders with their new teams, new bikes, and a new field as new exciting riders will get their first taste of WorldSBK speed.

REINFORCEMENTS: The factory Ducati outfit will gain a new rider and a new machine for 2026

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) will be the rider to beat next season; however, replacing his veteran, two-time World Championship-winning teammate Alvaro Bautista will be former Honda HRC rider Iker Lecuona. The test will be his first look in Ducati red, and both Lecuona and Bulega will enjoy testing out Ducati’s new Panigale V4 R 2026 model as they continue to develop it for next season.

BIG BLUE BOOTS TO FILL: With Rea’s retirement, Vierge is one of several fresh faces in blue

After 18 seasons and 6 World Championships, Jonathan Rea is hanging up his helmet on his WorldSBK career two seasons after moving to Yamaha. Filling the empty seat next to Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in their garage will be Xavi Vierge, who gets ready to suit up in blue after four seasons with the Honda factory team. GYTR GRT Yamaha Racing Team will also be receiving a fresh face in the form of 2025 WorldSSP Champion Stefano Manzi who will be taking over for Dominique Aegerter. Yamaha Motoxracing will also participate at the test with a pair of test riders as their 2026 lineup is still up in the air.

A NEW CHAPTER: BMW will feature an all-new roster lineup next season

With Toprak Razgatlioglu's departure to the MotoGP paddock and Michael van der Mark stepping back from being a full-time rider for the team, BMW will welcome Miguel Oliveira and Danilo Petrucci as their full-time riders. Neither of their new riders will appear at the test, but Michael van der Mark, who has raced for them since 2021, will participate in the event for the German manufacturer.

A NEW LOOK IN RED AND BLUE: While they won’t be appearing at the test, Jake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra will ride for Honda HRC next year

Honda HRC arrives into the 2025 postseason with a completely new look for their team. After four years with their Spanish pair of Vierge and Lecuona, the Japanese Manufacturer will attack 2026 with Thai MotoGP rider Somkiat Chantra and Moto2’s Jake Dixon. HRC will use a pair of test riders as the pair are busy with their current Championships, well as a sole development rider who will be helping the team to continue their progress with the CBR 1000 RR-R.

GERLOFF LOOKING FOR GROWTH IN GREEN: Putting a mediocre end to the 2025 season behind him, Gerloff has shown sparks atop the Kawasaki Ninja

American Rider Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) will return as the lone rider atop the Kawasaki Racing Team’s Ninja ZX-6R. While he has shown speed season in and season out, and 2025 was no different, Gerloff floated on the bubble outside the top ten for most of the season, and more time atop the bike to improve his confidence with the platform will be a great opportunity for the #31 to get back on the horse

KEEPING THE BIMOTA BALL ROLLING: 2025’s pace seemed to have come as a surprise to several in the Rimini-based camp, a good omen in their first year back

Returning to WorldSBK competition for the first time in more than a decade, Bimota performed very well by the second half of the season. Despite the rhetoric of the team focusing on developing the KB998 Rimini, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) managed to land their first podium in more than 25 years. By the end of the season, Lowes was regularly fighting for the podium. While Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) similarly improved his pace as the season went on, he will look to take a step this offseason to close the gap in results between him and his English teammate.

WorldSSP: Feel Racing and EAB Racing to make an appearance

Ducati-powered teams Feel Racing and EAB Racing both will return to the drawing board early after what was a season of domination by Yamaha’s new R9 bike. While RPM limit regulations placed on Yamaha machines that took effect at Aragon helped the other riders like Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) who won his first race in the class, Ducati V2 riders like Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) will look to find something this offseason.

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