British rider Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) and his team can pack up camp happy after landing his best-ever dry result of P5 in the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round-closing Race 2. The Independent Ducati rider has made a monumental step forward in 2026 after a demoralising start to the 2025 season, but at Misano, ‘Taz’ showed that he can pierce the top five in rain or shine.

Saturday morning’s Tissot Superpole session saw the Scotsman land a fourth-row start to Race 1, in which he would have to complete a Long Lap Penalty applied to him by FIM WorldSBK Stewards due to Irresponsible Riding during that morning’s Free Practice 3.  After gaining a position on the first lap, the #95 took his Long Lap Penalty on Lap 4, falling back to P17. From there, he rode methodically, taking the position from Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and inheriting it after Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) crashed on Turn 5 of Lap 5. His luck would only grow as he again inherited a position after Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out of the event on the subsequent Lap’s Turn 6. He would later find a way past Tommy Bridewell (Superbikes Advocates) and Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) before gaining a final position with three laps remaining as Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) saw gravel to recover to P11.

“IT’S DIFFICULT WHEN YOU’RE IN THAT GROUP THAT’S SO CLOSE FROM P8-P12, IT’S DIFFICULT TO MAKE THAT STEP”

On Sunday morning’s Tissot Superpole Race, he was determined to improve his grid position for the weekend’s final race. While he fell back to P14 at the start of Lap 1, he took two positions on Lap 2, and a position per lap until Lap 5 to send himself up into the point-scoring positions in P9. By the final lap’s charge to the chequered flag, he had nearly chased down Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) for P8, but the Italian finished the race seven hundredths quicker than him. The last two seasons for him have shown clear growth in Superpole Races. Having never scored points in one up until Assen 2025, he’s now scored in six Sunday morning races, and three out of the last four.

On his Superpole Race success, Mackenzie said: “It was good to get the top nine in the Superpole Race, it doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s difficult when you’re in that group that’s so close from P8 to P12, it’s difficult to make that step. It felt like I had good pace, I got a bit unlucky on the early laps Sunday morning, then I got a bit of luck with both of the Lowes boys having problems. Sometimes it just goes that way. It gave me P9, so I’m really happy with that; it makes Race 2 a lot easier. The Superpole Race is a bit of a burden for me right now; we’re working on that and progressing.”

“I FELT LIKE I HAD MADE A STEP IN THE TEST HERE AT MISANO”

Starting from the third row in P9, and unbridled by any penalties, ‘Taz’ hung in the group across the first laps as he benefitted from Sam Lowes's Turn 4 crash, and making his way past Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) saw him ride up in P8 in the first three laps. From there, on Lap 4, he cut inside of Locatelli for P7, later, fellow Ducati Independent Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) on Lap 9. P6 would have already been his best result since Race 2 in Australia, but the deal got even sweeter for the Scot after home rider Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out of the race. As a result, he crossed the line in fifth, his best dry-weather result in the paddock since Most Race 2 back in 2023 during his WorldSSP days.

On his Race 2 and the work that enabled his result, Mackenzie said: “I’m really happy, I felt like I had made a step at the test here in Misano, so I was excited to return this weekend to see. It was a bit more difficult than I had expected, honestly. On Friday, I thought I had pace for at least a top 10, but the Long Lap Penalty on Saturday made it a bit more difficult. On Sunday in the Superpole Race, I was a bit more motivated to get to the front three rows, which makes the last race a lot easier. I managed to come around to the top seven to eight. Then I made my way to sixth, and I got a bit lucky when Bassani unfortunately crashed out. It made me P5, so it's a good result.”

“THIS TIME LAST YEAR WAS A COMPLETE DISASTER FOR ME”

Riding in his third full season in the Championship, Mackenzie's 2026 campaign has been his most successful by far. With five rounds remaining, Tarran Mackenzie has 81 points and is currently 13th, 10 points behind Locatelli and Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team), who are tied for P12. The #95 has established himself as all but a fixture in the top 12 as of late, and if rounds like this one can continue, a top-five candidate as well.

On how the pendulum has swung back in his favour, and looking ahead to his home round, Mackenzie said: “This time last year was a complete disaster for me. It was a low point in my career. I stopped at Misano. I quit with the team after qualifying last, riding around at the back and crashing. It’s funny how a year on, a new career best result, if you had told me that last year, I would have just laughed. It’s funny how things happen, but luckily, a bit of self-belief went a long way, and I’m just really happy with everyone involved. I missed Donington last year, as by then I had already stopped. It’s a track I have great memories of, and actually the first track that I rode a motorcycle with gears, it’s 10 minutes from my hometown, so it’ll be nice to return.”

Taz will return home to the UK in July at Donington Park! Action starts with live broadcasts on July 10th with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 50% off!