The 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was one for the history books. It came to an end at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto, Andalucia and tears started to flow after the race, almost as much as the rain came down. For some, it was their last race in WorldSBK; for others, their future still hasn’t been confirmed. Read the best debriefs from the Pirelli Spanish Round below.
“IT’S BEEN INCREDIBLE… MY BIGGEST VICTORY IS TO HAVE TOLD A STORY”
Jerez marked the end of the road for Danilo Petrucci in WorldSBK, who said: “I’m really happy to get to the end of this journey. It’s been incredible. I didn’t expect all of this. When you’re a child, you want to become a World Champion, but it’s not easy. I’m so happy with what I’ve achieved and I can be proud. Unfortunately, this year, the outcome wasn’t good, but everyone gave their best. For a guy coming from the Italian countryside, it’s something that I can be proud to have won in MotoGP, then switch to Dakar and win a stage, then go back to track racing and winning a WorldSBK race, it’s something that fulfilled my dreams. The first podium at Donington, the first win at Cremona, fighting for the top guys… there are many highlights. I’m satisfied and proud to be a factory rider with BMW. There’s a life after racing and I want to enjoy it. Since I joined BMW, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. I signed with BMW the day Iannone made a big mistake in Hungary in Race 1. We started to fight for third in the Championship, then I got injured. In my right hand now, I have three plates and 20 screws. I’ve had really bad accidents in the last three years, and operations and physiotherapy. I fought with my body. No winter testing, and when we started to get better, I got injured. I missed three rounds and two tests. Maybe I’m most proud this afternoon, when I walked down from Parc Ferme to my box, even the sky was crying! It took me 15 minutes because I had to stop at every garage, because everyone was trying to hug me. When I’m asked about my biggest victory, it’s not Mugello or Le Mans or Cremona or Dakar. My biggest victory is to have told a story. If you’re a singer, you always produce music, but it’s another thing when you’re singing a song and you see everyone start to be happy just looking at you, doing what you love the most. It’s something irreplaceable. When you wave and full grandstands go crazy, it’s something you can’t buy.”
“MATCHING TROY IS INCREDIBLE… I’VE JUST FINISHED MY THIRD YEAR AND I’M THE FIFTH BEST”
More records fell Nicolo Bulega’s way after Jerez, and he said: “The Championship was the most important thing. I’ve made a lot of records and today I equalled Bayliss. It’s very special. I can’t choose one moment, everything was special. Everything was perfect. When the rain started, I thought, ‘No, please, I don’t want my last laps in WorldSBK to have a strange end of the race’. When you’re first in those conditions, you don’t know how you can go fast. I realise I’ve finished here, but not 100%. I will stay with my team for a lot of days until the end of the season; we have a lot of things to do together. Maybe I’ll realise in December after the last dinner together. I really liked this livery; I really like when we do something special. Matching Troy is incredible. What can I say? I’ve just finished my third year in WorldSBK and I’m the fifth best of all time. I always had a fantastic bike and team. It was very special to win all these races with Ducati. It was emotional. On the grid, we were all crying. The first two or three laps weren’t easy for me. Danilo is a fantastic guy. I don’t know if he’s finished his career in WorldSBK but, if he has, I’m sorry for him. I just wanted to say hello to him because maybe it was the last race together.”
Speaking in Parc Ferme after Race 2, revealed how emotional he was after crossing the line: “I’m really happy. I want to say thanks to my team after another hat-trick in my last round in WorldSBK. I cried the whole lap after the chequered flag.”
“IT WAS LIKE A GOODBYE, BUT I DON’T FEEL LIKE I WANT TO SAY GOODBYE NOW”
A P4 finish for Bautista in Race 2, whose future is still up in the air. He said: “I missed the podium just for a little bit because when it started to rain, it wasn’t all over the track. I didn’t have any reference. Sam behind me had my reference. I slowed down a little bit in some areas, and my tyres cooled down and never recovered. In that moment, I thought it was okay, but it was worse to crash. We were strong. What happened in the last laps with the rain isn’t a usual situation, and this time I had some problems. After a difficult year with a lot of problems, not getting good confidence with the bike and a mid-season injury, it was one of the hardest seasons for me. Inside me, I was confident I was competitive. It was just for me to say that I’m able to go fast. I was quite calm during the race. I wasn’t thinking about it was being last race of the season, with Barni or whether it was my last race. I tried to be focused as if it were a normal race and use the confidence I’d built up over the last two rounds. When I arrived at the box and saw my family and friends, I was a bit emotional. It was like a goodbye, but I don’t feel like I want to say goodbye now. I have to wait a few days to see whether I have something or not. At the moment, there’s nothing clear. I don’t know if I will race and I don’t know if I’ll say goodbye. WorldSBK gave me the chance to show my potential. Honestly, I didn’t want to come, but I wanted to keep racing. I felt my potential was good enough to keep winning. I came here and discovered a different Championship and loved it.”
“ME AND SAM ARE GOING ON A GOLF TRIP; I LOST, SO I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT NOW”
A strong weekend at Jerez for Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), but not enough to beat his brother in the Championship standings. He said: “The livery was nice. It was nice to have a bit of heritage. It’s always scary to change just for the last race, but I thought it looked nice. It didn’t make the bike go any faster, unfortunately, which would’ve been nice! I’m happy for Sam. He had a bad weekend at Estoril. To ride like he did this weekend, I’m really happy and proud of him. It’s a shame he beat me in the Championship, but next year I’ll try to beat him. I think, in the last three seasons, I’ve had good seasons. I’m riding the best I’ve ridden with a great team. It’s frustrating and hard to be happy. You can be happy when you get everything from your package, but it’s hard to be happy when you’re so far away. The team’s had a great, positive attitude. Axel’s done a good job and improved a lot this season. Me and Sam are going on a golf trip in a couple of weeks, and I lost so I have to pay for it now. It’s actually cost me money, so thanks bro!”
“MAYBE I WAS A TINY BIT LUCKY WITH THE WEATHER… I FELT A BIT SORRY FOR ALVARO”
After snatching P3 from Bautista on the last lap, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) said: “I felt okay, he was pushing hard and riding well. He’s hard to race against because the riding style is very different. I tried to relax because, on Saturday, I was really struggling with the front tyre. I made a small mistake at Turn 9; he got away a little bit. I saw him struggle a bit, so I pushed to close the gap. Maybe I was a tiny bit lucky with the weather. I felt a bit sorry for Alvaro, I don’t know if he’s racing next year or not, and it would’ve been nice for him to finish on the podium. Also, I’ve had a tough year in many aspects, so to finish the year with my best weekend is nice for the team. Thanks to everyone who waited for the podium. I think everyone’s completely wet through now, so a big thanks to them. I expected some rain, but not like that!”
“I’M IN THE BEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE, PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY”
Reflecting on a P2 finish to round out 2026, Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) said: “The weather situation was difficult. I’m very happy to finish the season like this. I’m very happy with that second position. I’m in the best moment of my life, personally and professionally. I enjoyed the last lap on the track because it’s time to enjoy it. There are new brakes, new tyres, new fuel. We’ll need to work. I don’t want to put more pressure on myself. This year has been perfect. Even when I’m p****d off when I finish second, I’m happy to be second. Next year, the target is to have the same consistency; of course, I want to win more races! Riders are coming from MotoGP; there are some changes here. Xavi will be on a Ducati. We have a good relationship, he said to me, ‘Do you want to give me some tips?’. I said, ‘No!’. We’re joking. A lot of things could happen.”
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