Rider movement for the 2026 WorldSBK season is well underway, with eleven names already confirmed.
The most notable confirmation is the departure of two-time WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu, who will join Pramac Yamaha in MotoGP for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Earlier in August, it was announced that MotoGP and WorldSBK race winner Danilo Petrucci will join BMW as his replacement. Who will accompany the Italian remains anyone’s guess, but it’s known that BMW has a large budget to attract talent from both WorldSBK and MotoGP.
Championship contender Nicolo Bulega agreed a one-year extension with Ducati, but the Bologna marque is undecided on whether to retain two-time series champion Alvaro Bautista.
While Sam Lowes and Ryan Vickers will remain with Elf Marc VDS and Motocorsa Racing, respectively, two Ducati seats remain up for grabs at Barni Spark Racing and Team GoEleven.
It is understood that six-time champion Jonathan Rea is Barni’s preferred option to replace Petrucci, while GoEleven is assessing its options after announcing it will end its partnership with Andrea Iannone at the end of 2025.
Rea’s Yamaha team-mate, Andrea Locatelli, was the first to ink a two-year extension with the Japanese marque, while the Northern Irishman has yet to agree on a renewal. Sources reveal Rea is keen to ride a Panigale in 2026.
The Yamaha Motoxracing team has yet to announce its official lineup, but GRT Yamaha will promote Stefano Manzi from WorldSSP to join Australian Remy Gardner.
Neither factory Honda nor Petronas Honda has confirmed any of its four seats on offer, but Moto2 race winner Jake Dixon is strongly linked with a move to the Superbike paddock.
Spaniard Iker Lecuona is also on the radar of Barni Spark and the second BMW seat.
After rejoining the series this year, Bimota by Kawasaki announced earlier in the season that it will retain Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani for 2026. Kawasaki’s Garrett Gerloff will remain with the team as well.
Manufacturer | Team | Rider/s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bimota | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | Alex Lowes | Axel Bassani |
| BMW | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | Danilo Petrucci | ? |
| Ducati | Aruba.it Racing | Nicolo Bulega | ? |
| Barni Spark Racing Team | ? | Yari Montella | |
| Elf Marc VDS Racing Team | Sam Lowes | ||
| Motocorsa Racing | Ryan Vickers | ||
| Team PATA GoEleven | ? | ||
| Honda | Honda HRC | ? | ? |
| Petronas MIE Racing Honda Team | ? | ? | |
| Kawasaki | Kawasaki WorldSBK Team | Garrett Gerloff | |
| Yamaha | Pata Maxus Yamaha | Andrea Locatelli | ? |
| GYYR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team | Remy Gardner | Stefano Manzi | |
| Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team | ? | ? |
READ MORE – Danilo Petrucci explains rationale behind BMW WorldSBK switch
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