Updates are coming to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s rulebook, and various team managers around the paddock gave their two cents on how they see the inbound changes affecting the lay of the land in the Championship during the first two Free Practice sessions at Magny-Cours. The Superbike commission met at Donington Park before the summer break to lay out the proposed changes; some of which won’t be implemented until 2030, such as WorldSBK engine capacities being increased to 1200cc, while other procedural changes regarding rev limits will be implemented in 2027, and manufacturer concessions in 2028.
"THE EFFECT ON THE BIKE WILL BE QUITE BIG"
Ducati Corse Technical Coordinator Marco Zambenedetti said in an exclusive pit lane interview in FP2: “Of course, it’s quite early, but for sure they will change a lot, and the effect on the bike will be quite big. We will go back to work and try to find the best way to steer our development to get the most from our package. With the new rules, we will see our performance reduced for sure, but I trust my engineers in that they will do a good job anyway. We will see if these changes can help the other manufacturers close the gap. I think there’s still more margin between them and us, but it’s still early. We’ll see early next year. The tyres are changing as well, which is an important change. We have very good engineers and a well-structured bike. We will try to get the best no matter what.”
“BIMOTA WILL TRY TO OFFER A BIKE TO THE PUBLIC WHICH IS BETTER OPTIMISED FOR THE NEW RULES”
bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team Manager Guim Roda commented on the changes to come, he stated: “It’s difficult to evaluate right now. We need to understand the rules, then make adjustments to the bike not only depending on race speed, but also depending on how much Bimota can react in mass production. They will try to offer a bike to the public which is better optimised for the new rules in WorldSBK. We will work on that between Bimota and Kawasaki and we will try our best.”
"THE DIRECTION IS POSITIVE FOR BOTH PRIVATE AND OFFICIAL TEAMS"
During FP1, Yamaha Motor Europe’s Road Racing Sporting Manager Niccolo Canepa stated that Yamaha were looking forward to the changes, saying: “This year has been quite difficult; we’ve seen clear domination from Bulega. He has done a fantastic job, but there’s probably also a bit of imbalance in the Championship. I think the direction is positive for both private and official teams. We want to see full grandstands and people excited to see the Championship. It may take a while to see these changes, but it will be exciting for all of us. Yamaha are positive about these changes and the challenge of developing these changes in a different way; it’s going to be interesting for all of us for sure.”
“WHEN THERE ARE UPDATES LIKE THIS, YOU REFOCUS AND SEE HOW YOU CAN MAKE THE BEST PACKAGE OUT OF IT”
Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport Sven Blusch spoke on the topic in pit lane, during FP1, he said: “I think it's always the same when there are updates like this, you refocus and regroup and see how you can make the best package out of it. It’s tricky, but it's the same for all manufacturers. Looking forward, there are three more years to figure everything out, and it will definitely keep us busy.”
“IT’S VERY NICE NEWS… I THINK THE CHAMPIONSHIP IS INCREASINGLY GOING IN A NEW DIRECTION”
Kawasaki WorldSBK Team Principal Manuel Puccetti is excited for the changes, stating: “For sure, it’s very nice news; we could welcome the new manufacturers that can come with the bigger capacity engines. Next year, the new Brembo carbon-ceramic brake disks will also be subject to the new regulations. I think the Championship is increasingly going in a new direction, and we welcome this new era. Let’s see how it goes.”
Don’t miss a moment as the 2026 season builds up towards its crescendo at Cremona! Tune in on Friday, September 25th with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 70% off!