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The FIM Supersport World Championship grid is set, and with eight different manufacturers having thrown their hat in the ring, fans now just count down the days until the fireworks begin at lights out. Two Italian, two Chinese, one British and three Japanese manufacturers comprise this year’s grid, each looking to etch their brand’s name into the World Supersport history books.

ZXMOTO’S DRAMATIC DEBUT: The Chinese manufacturer will compete in their maiden WorldSSP season in 2026

ZXMOTO will start their WorldSSP story in 2026 with the SRK 820, sporting a three-cylinder engine. Two seasoned WorldSSP riders comprise the ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing Team and will pilot the new bike this season: Valentin Debise Racing and Federico Caricasulo, bringing 49 podiums of experience to the team between them. With the limited testing opportunities available so far, the SRK 820’s predictions for Australia are hard to say, but the racing world will have to wait and see!

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: Yamaha look to defend their place at the front of the pack

The Japanese manufacturer enjoyed a dream rookie season with their new Yamaha R9 machine, as it powered Stefano Manzi to the Riders’ Championship with Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing, as well as Can Oncu and Aldi Mahendra, who rode for the Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team, which lifted the Teams’ Championship title. The R9 is now the bike to beat on the grid, and with Can Oncu's offseason move to join the venerated Ten Kate outfit taking 2025 Champion Stefano Manzi’s (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) place, they pose a tall order to any title contender.

BACK IN NUMBERS: Ducati will be the most numerous manufacturer on the 2026 grid

After placing second in the Manufacturers’ Championship in 2025, and powering Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) to a third-place finish in the Riders’ Championship, the engineers of the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer have been hard at work to improve their Ducati Panigale V2 platform for their 10 riders in 2026 to keep up with Yamaha, and by the times Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) has been posting so far this albeit limited preseason, they may have succeeded in doing just that. Joining the ‘Ducatisti’ this season are MotoE big names like Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) and 2025 Champion Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) who each join the WorldSSP field and hope to adapt to the combustion bikes quickly.

QJMOTOR BACK FOR MORE: They prepare for their third season in WorldSSP

The Zhejiang-based manufacturer will officially be joining the WorldSBK paddock this season as their QJMOTOR rolls out on track for the first time. The bike is powered by a 778cc inline 4-cylinder, delivering 95 horsepower. Raffaele de Rosa (QJMOTOR Factory Racing) returns with the team after landing their best results in WorldSSP, a P9 at Estoril. That result was part of an improved run of form to close the year, finishing top 11 in each race of the final two rounds. Marcos Ramirez will join De Rosa in the garage, aspiring to help the team push for better results.

TRIUMPHANT RETURN: The British manufacturer will see their presence doubled on the grid this season

Last season featured Tom Booth-Amos and Oli Bayliss riding for PTR Triumph Factory Racing, last year’s only permanent grid riders competing on Triumph’s Street Triple 765 RS. This year, they are joined by Ondrej Vostatek and Oliver Konig, who will ride on Triumph machinery competing with the Compos Racing Team. Booth-Amos showed that the bike can be a force to be reckoned with, taking nine podiums and his maiden race win.

YOUTH AND EXPERIENCE: Aegerter set to join Alcoba in green

Kawasaki unveiled their ZX-6R 636 Ninja bike last season, and while it and their sole rookie rider, Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team), had their share of growing pains that season, he began to get the swing of the bike in the later rounds. He took Kawasaki’s first podiums since Can Oncu back in 2023 as he closed the season with two P3s in two rounds. This season, Alcoba is joined by Dominique Aegerter, who will look to use the expanded 636 cc engine to power his way back to the top of the order. Aegerter has enjoyed lots of success in WorldSSP, winning back-to-back World titles in 2021 and 2022, his only two years in the Championship. He is second in wins in the category only to Kenan Sofuoglu, while he only has 27 compared to the Turk’s 43, ‘Domi’ has reached that tally in a quarter of the races.

LOOKING FOR REDEMPTION: MV Agusta showed their speed in 2025, but will be looking for more consistency in 2026

Despite a blazing start to the season, the Italian manufacturer MV Agusta fell to fifth in the Manufacturers’ Championship as their results in the second half of the season started to falter. Their MV Agusta F3 800 RR showed it was capable of strong single-lap pace, as Filippo Farioli demonstrated last season with his fastest lap at Misano while competing with MV Agusta Reparto Corse, and it also topped the podium, as his teammate Bo Bendsneyder did on two occasions. This season, however, the team will be represented by a pair of riders, Andrea Giombini (Motozoo by Madforce Dubai) and Jacopo Cretaro (Flembbo by Racing Development).

HONDA RETURN AS CHALLENGERS: Perolari and Carrasco look to bring 2025’s positives into the new season

The Japanese manufacturer returns once again this season, competing in a WorldSSP Challenge capacity, and the close of 2025 brought with it positive signs of growth from their CBR600RR-R. French rider Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) had a tremendous second half of the season, taking a pair of P5s at Magny-Cours, then finishing with back-to-back top eights at Aragon and Estoril, helping him to clinch the WorldSSP Challenge title at the close of the EICMA Estoril Round. He and Ana Carrasco return as teammates in 2026 to see what new heights they can climb in the category.

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