The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s Round 7 pulled out all the stops and put on a show during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. Set in the Italian region steeped in motorsport history, all four categories descended on the paddock for a weekend of edge-of-your-seat action. From Italian riders flying the colours high as they found success at home, to returns to the podium, the Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli" brought thrills that won’t be soon forgotten by fans or the WorldSBK record books.
A HOME HERO AND A HEROIC RETURN
Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) continued his breakout WorldSBK rookie season at home, landing another pair of P6s and a P7 in the Tissot Superpole Race. He battled all weekend long with Bimota teammates Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Axel Bassani for spots in the top five, and while he came up short of meeting that mark this round, he looks increasingly comfortable atop his bike each round as he continues to soak up experience battling with the factory riders. Across the first three rounds, Surra had only landed one top ten race finish. Over the last three rounds, he has only missed the top ten once, at a Race 1 in Aragon, where he had to contend with a back of the grid penalty applied to him by FIM WorldSBK Stewards for a yellow flag procedure Infringement. On top of that, his ongoing streak of 12 races finishing in the points is third among 2026 riders only behind factory Ducati teammates Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) and Iker Lecuona. Joining the youngster in the top eight across two of the races, Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) made his return to the grid in style after his crash at Balaton Park, landing on the fourth row for Race 1. He improved to P8 from his P11 start, followed by climbing up to P6 in the Tissot Superpole Race. He hit the track Sunday afternoon for Race 2, where he rode in P9 until retiring himself on Lap 7 with lingering pain in his shoulder. His pair of results are promising signs for the #88, as he was candid prior to the round in that he was feeling less than 100%, yet fighting in the second group in just his second race back will be a sight for sore eyes ahead of a nearly month-long break for the Portuguese rider to continue his recovery.
MAHENDRA AND BOOTH-AMOS PUTTING PIECES TOGETHER
Aldi Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) made it back-to-back rounds, finishing a race in the top five. This time around, however, he earned his first podium since the season-opening round’s Race 2, his first tine accomplishing such a feat in dry weather. The Indonesian rider and 2024 Supersport 300 World Champion is among the youngest riders in WorldSSP, so his gritty Race 2 ride, having started from P8, is a promising sign for both his team and him. Joining him on the podium in Race 2 was British rider Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing), who landed his best results of the 2026 season so far. He took P4 from Race 1, a patience-testing first seven laps saw him stuck back in his grid start position of P7. He struck on Lap 6 on Italian riders Mattia Casadei (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team) and Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) on back-to-back laps before a clash across the final laps with title contender Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura). The pair clashed from Lap 15 to the end of the race, featuring a particularly hair-raising moment through the Turn 11-Turn 14 section of track as the Brit went bar to bar with the Spaniard. Later, in the final run to the line, the two put elbows out and came together bar to bar, leaving Masia on the tarmac and the Brit across the line in P4 with the moment ruled as a racing incident. The #69 raised the bar even further in Race 2, where he overcame ZXMOTO’s Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) for P3, before making his way past the #57 on Lap 10. Despite the Indonesian’s best efforts, holding the Brit within two tenths with two laps to go, Booth-Amos recovered to earn his third podium of the season.
A FRESH FACE MAKES A WORLD SPORTBIKE SPLASH AT HOME
World Sportbike saw a new name join the host of talented young riders in the form of wildcard rider Filippo Bianchi (Team MMP Velocita). The young Italian showed out in his home round and took a break from the Italian Sportbike championship – where he currently leads that competition – to earn himself second place in his first-ever race in the category. Starting from P2, Bianchi battled with the best of the field at the front, converting when it counted most to go from P4 to start the final lap up to P2 past Carter Thompson (Team BrCorse) and Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph). Starting Race 2 from P10, the #25 had an uphill battle in the race, dropping down to P12 early, before fighting around the top five in the frantic final laps, finishing in P5, but was promoted up a position after FIM WorldSBK Stewards applied Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) with a three-second penalty for Irresponsible Riding.
MAIDEN PODIUM FOR SARAPUECH AND THAILAND
Muklada Sarapuech (EEST NJT Racing Team) has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the WorldWCR paddock, only having missed the top ten in her first race in the category. Since then, particularly in the last two rounds, she’s fought farther at the front. She showed some of the strongest racing she’s yet shown in Race 1, in the final race at Misano, starting from P6, she had found her way to P4 by Lap 6 of 12. She battled Yvonne Cerpa (MotosCerpa-Gradara Corse), Karolina Danak (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA) and Chloe Jones (Monster Energy Crescent Yamaha) across the final laps and crossed the line in P3. Unfortunately for the Thai rider however, she was applied a three-second penalty for overtaking under a yellow flag, seeing her back to P7, and lifting Jones up onto the podium for the first time this season. While she floundered early, before a decisive Lap 6 sent her from P6 past Cerpa, Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team), and her teammate Roberta Ponziani to close out the race in P3 and at last climbed up onto the rostrum for her and Thailand’s first podium in WorldWCR.
Tune in next round on July 10th as the field prepares to fight in Great Britain! Watch Live or OnDemand with the WorldSBK VideoPass, now 50% off!