2026’s INAUGURAL WorldSPB GRID: All of the first-ever World Sportbike field’s confirmed riders so far!
Stay up to date as riders and teams throw their hat in the ring for the first season of WorldSPB action in 2026
As 2025 came to a close, speculation about the new Championship joining the MOTUFL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock swelled. Since then, as more and more high-calibre riders announce their candidacy in the class, the hype has continued to grow. From returning faces and manufacturers, to new characters excited to earn their stripes in the new class, the following teams and names are locked in for 2026 in WorldSPB.
RIDERS IN BLUE: 2026’s riders atop Yamaha machinery
One of 2025’s brightest young WorldSSP300 stars was Australian rider Carter Thompson. After his runner-up performance in the Riders’ Championship, he is all set to join the WorldSPB field in 2026 alongside Marco Gaggi, who remains with his Team BrCorse squad. Getting the nod after winning the 2025 Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup, Alessandro Di Persio will be competing with the Arco Motor University Yamaha squad.
GREEN MACHINES: Kawasaki riders set to take on 2026
After re-joining the MTM Kawasaki crew mid-season, Loris Veneman will stay with his team as they migrate from the WorldSSP300 order to the WorldSPB order. Riding alongside him will be 2018 European Talent Cup Champion and Moto3 race winner Xavi Artigas. After their collaboration saw the pair lift the 2025 WorldSSP300 Teams’ Championship, David Salvador and Antonio Torres will run it back in 2026 in WorldSPB with Team ProDina XCI.
KOVE’S COHORT: Benat Fernandez to remain with the Chinese manufacturer
After striking gold in 2025, Benat Fernandez will stick by his Irish Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove outfit and their Chinese manufacturer . This season, however, the team are bringing in reinforcements in the form of German rider Philipp Tonn after Fernandez competed last season without a teammate in WorldSSP300.
SUZUKI MAKING A RETURN: Suzuki returns for the first time in the WorldSBK paddock in three seasons
Two-time WorldSSP300 World Champion Jeffrey Buis will ride a Suzuki in 2026, ending two seasons without the legendary manufacturer. Suzuki last competed in the paddock in a one-round appearance in 2023 at Donington Park, where Irish rider Irwin Rhys rode the bike in their only appearance since 2021, when the manufacturer was a part of the full-time grid.
Look back through seasons of drama and edge-of-your-seat moments with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
