The 2026 WorldSBK Championship is on the horizon, with another year of exciting racing ahead in the production-based series.
Following multiple changes in the series, Motorsport Week has compiled the 2026 rider lineup ahead of the new season.
Three-time and defending WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu has departed BMW and the series to join Pramac Yamaha in MotoGP for 2026, effectively in a straight swap with five-time MotoGP race winner Miguel Oliveira.
BMW opted to move Michael van der Mark to its test roster, meaning the Bavarian brand will field an all-new line-up consisting of Oliveira and Danilo Petrucci.
Meanwhile in Bologna, ahead of the new evolution Panigale V4 R, factory-backed Aruba.it Ducati retains Nicolo Bulega for another year, while two-time WorldSBK champion Alvaro Bautista departs for a second time, joining Barni Spark Racing.
The Italian team poached former Honda rider Iker Lecuona, while Bautista joins the Ducati satellite squad that has won back-to-back Independent Teams’ titles with Petrucci and will receive factory support this year. Yari Montella retains his seat as he enters his sophomore year in WorldSBK.
Sam Lowes and Marc VDS have renewed for another season, meanwhile MGM Racing and Tarran Mackenzie also continue together after a positive second half of the year in the wake of Scott Redding’s switch to British Superbikes.
Alberto Surra replaces Ryan Vickers at Motocorsa Racing, while Lorenzo Baldassarri returns to WorldSBK to replace Andrea Iannone at GoEleven.
Bimota retains its 2025 roster of Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani for another year. The same applies at Kawasaki, with Garrett Gerloff remaining with the team.
Japanese giant Honda HRC will field only one team in 2026, consisting of a brand-new lineup featuring Jake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra.
Six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea announced his retirement from full-time racing before joining Honda as a test rider, with Xavi Vierge replacing him at Yamaha to partner Andrea Locatelli.
2025 World Supersport champion Stefano Manzi has been promoted to join the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team, partnering Remy Gardner for the new season. Motoxracing retains Bahattin Sofuoglu, who will be joined by a new teammate, Mattia Rato.
2026 WorldSBK line-up:
| Teams | Manufacture | Riders |
| ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | BMW | Miguel Oliveira Danilo Petrucci |
| Aruba.it Racing – Ducati | Ducati | Nicolo Bulega Iker Lecuona |
| Barni Spark Racing Team | Ducati | Alvaro Bautista Yari Montella |
| Elf Marc VDS Racing Team | Ducati | Sam Lowes |
| MGM Racing | Ducati | Tarran Mackenzie |
| Motocorsa Racing | Ducati | Alberto Surra |
| Team GoEleven | Ducati | Lorenzo Baldassarri |
| Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | Bimota | Alex Lowes Axel Bassani |
| Kawasaki WorldSBK Team | Kawasaki | Garrett Gerloff |
| Pata Maxus Yamaha | Yamaha | Andrea Locatelli Xavi Vierge |
| GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team | Yamaha | Dominique Aegerter Remy Gardner |
| Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team | Yamaha | Tito Rabat Bahattin Sofuoglu |
| Honda HRC | Honda | Jake Dixon Somkiat Chantra |
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