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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is ready for one of motorcycle racing’s most iconic venues. The TT Circuit Assen hosts Round 3 of the 2026 season, and it’s one that always throws up surprises. Titanic clashes, shock winners and incredible fights are often in abundance and the Pirelli Dutch Round will be no different this year, as WorldSBK gets set to take on the historic ‘Cathedral of Speed’.

DUTCH REDEMPTION: Bulega hopes to forget his double Sunday DNF from 2025

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) heads into Assen with a perfect record in 2026. Two poles from two and six wins from six. He has a chance in the Netherlands to equal Toprak Razgatlioglu’s record winning streak – 13 races – with a hat-trick but in the back of his mind, he’ll have last year’s disastrous Sunday. Two technical issues from P2 in the Tissot Superpole Race and P1 in Race 2 cost him 34 points in the title fight. Perhaps the 2025 campaign plays out differently without those retirements, but simple maths shows it cost him the title as he finished 13 points behind ‘El Turco’. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the main beneficiary in terms of results in Race 2 last year as he claimed his first WorldSBK win, but things in 2026 haven’t been going the #55’s way; what better place to turn it around for ‘Loka’? Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) heads to Assen in top form with three P2s at Portimao, and will hope to continue that in the Netherlands – which is where he took his first WorldSBK rostrum. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) is third in the standings and will aim for a rostrum at Assen, something he has not yet achieved, while Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) – like Lecuona – heads to Assen after three podiums at Portimao. Although not one of his strongest MotoGP tracks, the #88 claimed P3 in 2014 and victory in 2015 in Moto3.

PAST ASSEN SUCCESSES: More to come in the Netherlands?

Both Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) have similar history at Assen: Both claimed their first pole and podium at the historic venue, and both the #22 and the #14 will be aiming to add to their tally this year. For the Independent Ducati rider, he’ll have had a few more weeks allowing his wrist to recover after his comeback at Portimao, where he took three P5 finishes. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) has won seven races at the Dutch venue and will look for a podium return this year after a tricky visit to Portimao, while Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) is also on the grid once again. The six-time Champion continues to stand in for Jake Dixon, who is targeting Balaton Park for his return, and will be aiming to add to his 17 wins at the historic venue. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) is another who has enjoyed Assen, with both of his WorldSBK podiums coming here; in Race 2 in 2024 and Race 2 in 2025.

CONTINUING THEIR FORM: Plenty of riders aiming for strong results…

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) has enjoyed a strong start to the season but he has also crashed out of podium places twice. Assen was never his strongest circuit, in either WorldSBK or WorldSSP, but he’ll be hoping to make amends for his Portimao crash from P2. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) has been the fastest Yamaha rider so far in 2026, but perhaps without all the results his pace has shown. His best WorldSBK result at Assen is P6. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) heads to the Netherlands in good form, having fought for the top eight in two out of three races at Portimao, and will look to continue that form at a track he hasn’t secured a top-ten result at since the Tissot Superpole Race in 2022. Prior to this season, Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) had a previous best of P9 in WorldSBK which came in last year’s Tissot Superpole Race in wet conditions. It’s a circuit he knows well from both WorldSBK and British Superbikes; he finished on the podium at Assen in the latter. It’s similar for Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates), too, who has three BSB podiums at the Dutch venue. However, he has not raced there in WorldSBK. Rookies Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC), Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) and Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) will continue their adaptation to WorldSBK, while second-year rider Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) will look to build on the P15 he scored here last year.

WILDCARD RIDER: Home hero set for WorldSBK debut

There will be one wildcard on the Assen grid, as Twan Smits (Team Apreco) readies for his WorldSBK debut. The Dutch rider will compete on a Yamaha R1, as he does in Euro Moto (formerly IDM). He had a best result of P6 last year in the German domestic championship, and had two top-ten finishes at Assen as well. Smits is no stranger to the WorldSBK paddock, having taken part in winter tests with his squad in January while he has four WorldSSP starts and two WorldSSP300 starts to his name.

Catch up on the Portimao highlights show HERE, read the Official Programme for Assen HERE and don’t miss any action using the WorldSBK VideoPass!