The iconic Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” hosted the action for Round 7 of the 2026 campaign, and it was an incredible affair on the Adriatic Sea in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. There were highs and lows up and down the grid as riders looked for good results during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round.
TRIPLE HOME ROSTRUM
While Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) stormed to another WorldSBK hat-trick, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was having a strong weekend on home soil as well. The #5 had looked on course for a front-row start but lost out in the final stages of the Tissot Superpole session to Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team). However, Montella made a quick start in Race 1 to get ahead of the #22 and did the same in the Tissot Superpole Race to give him P3 on the grid for Race 2. This time, it was a difficult start for Montella, who was bullied a bit on the opening lap and dropped to P6. By the end of Lap 3, he was back in fourth place, behind Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), and was promoted to third when ‘El Bocia’ crashed out at Turn 8. For the second time this year, Montella took three podiums from a single weekend, repeating his achievement from Most.
WHAT COULD’VE BEEN…
Bassani had one of his best weekends of the season at Misano, even with the crash from P3. He finished fourth in Race 1 and again in the Superpole Race for his best results since the season-opening round in Australia. A good start in Race 2 propelled him into third place on the opening lap and he was running there until Lap 17, when he lost the front of his KB998 Rimini machine. It ended the weekend on a down note for Bassani, but the reaction of his team – consoling him and applauding him as he returned to the pits – coupled with the fact he was able to show good pace should give him confidence as WorldSBK heads to Donington; a track where Bimota were quick last year.
DISAPPOINTING WEEKENDS FOR IN-FORM RIDERS
Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) headed to Misano on the back of a triple podium at Aragon, and fighting for victory in the Superpole Race. However, the #14’s Misano trip was a complete 180 on that. Third in FP1 gave him a good start to the weekend, and he backed that up with fourth in FP2, and he was fastest in FP3. However, a crash in Superpole meant he was left languishing 10th on the grid, and he then crashed out of Race 1 in the early stages. That was followed by another early crash in the Superpole Race, but he was able to salvage P10 in Race 2 from a difficult weekend. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) had a positive start to his weekend, with his 2027 contract renewal in his pocket, but Misano was tough for the Texan. A Superpole crash, before he’d set a lap time, meant he started last and that made everything that little bit harder. He left Misano with P14 in Race 1 and the Superpole Race, and P12 in Race 2. One positive for the #31: despite his lowly results compared to where he has been recently, he’s now scored 91 points this year after seven rounds – more than he managed in the whole of 2025.
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