The European summer has started with a bang. Temperatures are soaring across the continent as the first heatwave of 2026 kicks off. The arid Aragon landscape is being baked at the moment and with a forecast of over 35 degrees Celsius at MotorLand Aragon, the track is going to red hot when action gets underway on Friday in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.
IMPACT OF HIGH TEMPERATURES
High temperatures mean a greasy surface. The Pirelli tyres are designed to work at their best in an operating window of 20C to 50C track temperature. Outside of those temperatures and things can get tricky for teams and riders. The tyres, which you can buy in the shop to use on track days, offer lots of grip within that range but are trickier at the extreme ends of the scale.
OPERATING WINDOW IS CRUCIAL
Having a bike with a big operating window gives you a big advantage in conditions like this. That plays to the strength of Ducati as ELF Marc VDS Racing Team rider Sam Lowes explains: “The Ducati is a great bike because it has probably the biggest operating window of any bike I’ve ever ridden. Small riders, tall riders. Smooth riders, aggressive riders can all make this bike work. That shows how good the package is.”
ADAPTABILITY IS STILL KEY
That doesn’t mean that it’s easy to jump on the Ducati and be competitive. Serafino Foti, Team Manager for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, has said as much about Iker Lecuona at the opening round of the year. As the Spaniard has gained experience, he has been able to really show his speed and talent. Twelve consecutive runner-up finishes have proved Lecuona’s ability, but Phillip Island showed that it wasn’t an immediate cure all for the ex-Honda rider.
DATA SHARING HELPS DUCATI ACROSS THE BOARD
One of the biggest strengths for Ducati has been their pooling of data resources across their teams. This was something that Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) talked about after his top ten Sunday at the last round in Czechia: “I’m definitely happy with our performance and it’s a testament to how Ducati works – Ducati’s sharing of data helps so much. I had never been to Most or Balaton Park before but after FP1 I can immediately look at the data from Yari, Iker or Nicolo and see that I’m losing time in Turn 4, 12 or 15. It allows me to see why I’m losing that time and to learn by analysing the data. We’re still behind because I have to rely on the knowledge of others, but I’m coming into this project with very little experience of these bikes and tracks.”
A VINDICATED APPROACH
Data-cati is definitely the watchword in WorldSBK at the moment. Bridewell, a rookie, is able to take advantage of that and compare himself to the other riders out there. When he was riding the Honda development bike last year, he could only compare himself to Lecuona and Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha). That meant it was difficult to improve and find the right direction with the Fireblade. With Ducati you can look at the data and see how you compare to the riders at the front. Between the leading five Ducati riders you can certainly find someone that matches your style and frame.
Data sharing isn’t a guarantee of success in WorldSBK but with the top five riders in the standings all Panigale V4R riders it’s clear that it has played a key role in maximising the package for their riders.
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