The opening of the 2026 season in Australia turned into a show of strength. On the ultra-fast Phillip Island track, Nicolò Bulega sent a clear message to the competition by scoring a historic hat trick. Between records, thrills, and complex technical debuts, this first round lived up to all expectations.
Superbike: Nicolò Bulega's insolent domination
The tone was set on Saturday. Starting from pole position, Nicolò Bulega won Race 1 with disconcerting mastery, leaving his pursuers to fight for the crumbs. But it was on Sunday that the Italian really made his mark, winning the Superpole Race and then Race 2.
"Turning anger into riding"
When asked about his hat trick, Bulega revealed an interesting mental aspect:"I tried to turn that anger [related to the pressure of the offseason] into riding to get the win. This weekend has been incredible, the bike was perfect, and I feel completely in sync with it."
Behind the untouchable leader, the battle raged on. Race 1 saw the exploits of Yari Montella and Lorenzo Baldassarri, who climbed onto their first podium in the premier class, proving that the hierarchy is in flux.
Álvaro Bautista's return to the forefront
Álvaro Bautista's transfer to the Barni Spark Racing Team satellite team was the big question mark of the winter. The Spaniard answered on the track in Race 2. By taking a hard-fought third place, he proved that the weight of years has not diminished his speed in the slightest. "It's like a first victory for me," said the Spaniard. "Working with the Barni team is a new challenge, and this podium proves that we made the right technical choices."
Bimota and the Kawasaki engine: a winning combination?
It was the technical highlight of the weekend: the return of the legendary Italian brand Bimota with the KB998, powered by the Kawasaki ZX-10RR engine. While many feared a lack of maturity, the results were immediate.
Sunday was a historic day for the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team. In the Superpole Race, Axel Bassani and Alex Lowes climbed onto the podium together (2nd and 3rd), marking the brand's first double podium since 1988!
Axel Bassani did not hide his joy:"Putting both bikes on the podium proves that the machine is already very fast. I was born in 1999, so I didn't experience Bimota's past exploits, but this is a wonderful gift for this small factory in Rimini."
The Bimota chassis seems to provide the agility that the official Kawasaki has lacked in recent seasons, making this project a serious contender for the top spots this year.
The top 10 standings in the Superbike World Championship
WorldSSP: Youngsters shake up the hierarchy
Supersport offered races of rare intensity, marked by the emergence of new talent and the confirmation of Moto2 defectors.
- Race 1: A completely new podium with victoryfor Albert Arenas. The Spaniard had to battle until the last lap to stay ahead of Mahendra and Ferrari.
- Race 2: Jaume Masià showed his talent to take a narrow victory. The sensation came fromOli Bayliss, son of legend Troy Bayliss, who clinched a podium finish in front of his ecstatic home crowd: "To be on this podium here, at home, is a dream come true, " he said emotionally.
Focus: Valentin Debise and ZX Moto's baptism of fire
This was one of the major challenges for the Chinese manufacturer: the debut of the new ZX Moto team with Valentin Debise and Federico Caricasulo. While the pure speed is there, the reality of racing was cruel.
Fiery qualifying, grueling races
The weekend had started so promisingly. Valentin Debise achieved a real feat by putting ZX Moto on the front row in qualifying (3rd fastest time). Unfortunately, this potential did not translate into points:
- Race 1: Federico Caricasulo finished 14th, while Valentin ended up a distant 25th after a crash and a pit stop.
- Race 2: The problems persisted with 19th place for the Italian and 24th for the Frenchman.
There is a striking contrast between performance in qualifying and consistency in the race. The team seems to be suffering from premature tire degradation or an electronic management issue over distance. For Valentin and the ZX Moto staff, the work is only just beginning before the return to the European circuits.
In Supersport, Jaume Masià takes the lead in the championship, closely followed by Albert Arenas. The championship is underway, and we'll see if Bulega can maintain this relentless pace in the next round in a month's time.
Credit for information and photos: wordlsbk.com
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