Heading into the summer break, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the first eight rounds of the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season; particularly how this campaign’s new cadre of WorldSBK rookies have performed over their first season so far. From strong results right out of the gate, to riders who have hardly been able to show their potential on-track, 2026’s new faces have been hard at in 2026 but have varying degrees of luck on their side.
OLIVEIRA’S STRONG START NIPPED IN THE BUD
Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) made headlines when it was announced that he and BMW had put pen to paper, with the MotoGP race winner set to make the jump into the WorldSBK paddock. He and teammate Danilo Petrucci were around the top ten all weekend in their first races with the team, then at his Portimao home round, the #88 gave a taste of his potential in this paddock, taking a triple podium at home. His luck turned two rounds later however as a heavy Tissot Superpole Race crash in Hungary saw him miss the rest of the round, as he was diagnosed with fractures to his collarbone and scapula. He returned at Misano, looking strong with P6 and P8 in the first two races, but, bothered by lingering effects from the injury, he retired from Race 2 from running in the top ten. Oliveira’s talent is unquestioned, but the injury has marred his rookie season. Now, in the final four rounds, he will look to end the season on a high note with a return to the podium as he gets closer to 100% fitness.
SURRA HITS HIS STRIDE
Italian Rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) has turned heads with his impressive pace in 2026. He started the season in P9 at Race 1 Down Under, but after largely fighting on the bubble of the point-scoring positions across the next two rounds, it was largely dismissed as a fluke. From there, however, Surra has become a consistent figure in the top eight and has been trending towards the top six as of the last two rounds. He currently sits in P12 in the Championship, and a top eight finish or a maiden podium is not out of the question for the #67 in 2026 if he can keep up his impressive pace.
MANZI GROWING IN CONFIDENCE
2025 WorldSSP Champion Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) had a difficult start to his maiden WorldSBK campaign as he had suffered a shoulder injury in preseason training, hampering his results over the first several rounds of the campaign. From there, at Balaton, he landed his first top-ten and followed that up at Most in Race 1. He’s been trending towards the top ten with more frequency as the season has continued, but occasional finishes outside the points continue to adle Manzi’s points hauls from a round.
RATO FEELING IT OUT IN 2026
It’s been a steeper uphill climb in 2026 for fellow Yamaha rookie Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team). The 21-year-old Italian has struggled to find footing so far this season. He’s scored points on a pair of occasions, at Balaton and later at Most, but he’s had the good luck of managing to stay healthy so far this season. He will look to find a rhythm in these final four rounds and pick up results from which to build.
HONDA HRC’S INJURY WOES
Similar to BMW’s tough luck with injury woes, Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) and his teammate Jake Dixon Honda have had it just as rough, if not worse. Chantra suffered a preseason training injury while practising on a stock bike in Malaysia, preventing him from participating in the season opener. He has scored his first points in the Championship and later earned a season-best P13 result to close out Misano. Dixon, however, has been even less lucky. The Brit arrived ready to ride to Australia; however, Complications from his wrist injury at Free Practice injury in Australia delayed his return until Round 6. While he participated in the round up until Race 1, he was later ruled unfit due to continued soreness in the damaged arm. Donington Park was his first full round appearance, and while he is yet to score points, his season is largely already a wash. Rotten luck for both of Honda HRC riders’ rookie campaigns, but similar to Oliveira, they each have four rounds to salvage a few positives from the season.
BREAKOUT SUCCESS FOR BRIDEWELL
While technically not a rookie as he has made 20 WorldSBK appearances over five seasons, Tommy Bridewell (Superbikes Advocates) was a surprise late addition to the grid, joining the field as a full-time rider on the grid for the first time one round into the 2026 season. This season has been out of this world for Bridewell, however, he scored in a Tissot Superpole Race for the first time this season at Most, and since that P8, he has been a regular in the top ten. At Donington, he finished in P5 for the second time this season, and as he continues to better understand his Ducati Panigale V4R platform, it’s impossible to rule out a maiden podium over the final rounds this season for the #46.
Catch these rookies in the final four rounds as they look to show their stuff, starting with Round 9 at Magny-Cours! Tune in on September 4th with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 70% off!