The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to Italy for the second time this season as the Cremona Circuit hosts the 2026 EICMA Italian Round. It’s set to be a historic round in this year’s record-breaking campaign with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the verge of this year’s crown as he looks to become only the second Italian in WorldSBK history to take the World Superbike title.
CHAMPIONSHIP POINT…
Bulega can win the title in Race 1 at Cremona, provided he outscores teammate Iker Lecuona by 15 points, although it seems more likely it will come on Sunday – he’ll win it in the Tissot Superpole Race as long as he outscores Lecuona by three points across Race 1 and the Superpole Race. It’s a circuit ‘Bulegas’ took a hat-trick at in 2025, and he’s been on pole in both previous visits to Cremona. For Lecuona, out of six races at Cremona, he’s been in the top six on four occasions and retired from the other two. His best is a P4 in 2024, Race 1.
THE BATTLE FOR BRONZE
Just 49 points separate Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) in the fight for third, with Montella holding a 46-point lead over Alex Lowes. Last year at Cremona, Montella was P14, P14 and P16, while Bimota rider Alex Lowes was on the podium here in 2024’s Superpole Race. However, in six races, he has only finished in the top ten twice; both in 2024. It’s a similar story for his brother, whose best result at the Italian circuit came last year: a P4 in the Superpole Race. Will the momentum shift once again in the fight for third?
HOME HEROES IN THE PODIUM BATTLE?
There are plenty of Italian riders looking for home success at Cremona. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) isn’t out of the fight for third yet but is 27 points behind Sam Lowes, and will look to close that gap. However, he has not raced at Cremona in WorldSBK or WorldSSP. ‘Balda’ sits two points clear of Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), whose best result is a P5 in Race 1 in 2024 when on the Kawasaki ZX-10RR machine. Last year, his best result was a P9 in Race 1. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) returned from injury last time out and continued where he left off, fighting in the top five. No World Championship experience for the #67 at Cremona, although he’s completed plenty of training at his home circuit, so could he perhaps cause a surprise on home soil? It’s been a tough campaign for Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), but the #55 will hope he can get back to his best at Cremona, a circuit where he’s had four top ten finishes in the past but nothing better than seventh. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed his only WorldSBK wins at Cremona when with Barni Ducati, back in 2024, and his farewell tour continues with a visit to his home track. Is there another moment of magic in the tank for ‘Petrux’? Elsewhere, rookies Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) will look to make their mark on home soil; in WorldSSP, Manzi is a three-time winner out of four races at Cremona while Rato made his debut in the Championship at the Italian circuit.
AIMING HIGH
Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) has more podiums than any other rider at Cremona, with five out of six, and the two-time World Superbike Champion will hope to be in the mix this year as well, with his future up in the air. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) has often gone well at Cremona, finishing four races in the top ten,, including a P6 last year. Likewise, Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) has had good results at Cremona before, including a P4 in Race 2 when on BMW machinery, and will be aiming to continue his excellent form so far in 2026. For Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), it’ll be his first time racing at Cremona but he, along with the majority of the WorldSBK field, did get a taste of it in a test a couple of weeks ago. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) is yet to confirm his 2027 plans, and he’ll hope to repeat his Cremona results where he’s not finished lower than eighth in six races when he raced for Honda. Speaking of Honda, both Jake Dixon (Honda HRC) and teammate Somkiat Chantra will race at Cremona for the first time.
GRID CHANGES AND FITNESS UPDATES
There’s one change on the grid, which will be effective across the final three rounds of 2026. Bahattin Sofuoglu has departed the Motoxracing WorldSBK Team to move to QJMOTOR in WorldSSP, and Dutch rider Twan Smits will replace him starting from Cremona. Smits had a wildcard appearance with the Yamaha R1 at Assen earlier this year. He currently sits third in the EuroMoto (formerly IDM) Superbike championship. Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) has a 2027 contract in his pocket and will look to bounce back from his two big crashes in France; the #46 will need to undergo a medical check on Thursday. That’s also the case for Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing), who aimed to make his return at Magny-Cours after a big crash at Donington but was ruled out after a pre-round check. He will undergo a check on Thursday to see whether he’s declared fit to race.
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