Triumph rider Oli Bayliss ended an 84-race wait for his first WorldSSP podium in Race 1 of the 2026 season opener at Phillip Island.
The Queenslander started second but dropped to seventh by Lap 3 before carving his way back through the field, overtaking Lucas Mahias, Alberto Arenas and Valentin Debise to reclaim three positions.
The second half of the race saw a battle between 2025 WorldSSP vice-champion Can Oncu and Arenas, before Bayliss found strong pace on Lap 14 to make the podium-sealing move and pull a gap.
“It was quite a hard race. I had a good jump at the start, but I got a bit boxed in going into Turn 1 and lost a few positions,” said Bayliss to WorldSBK post-race.
“After that, we were back a few positions, and I tried to just fight my way forward, and once I got to P3, the gap to first and second was already quite blown out, so it was a bit too hard to catch those guys.
“I made a little mistake on Turn 6 that put me back in fifth or sixth.
“Once I understood how the other guys were riding, it helped me fix up my own riding up a bit, and I started to ride faster and more comfortably and a bit faster, so we ended up on the podium!”
Despite setting the fastest lap, Bayliss finished 12th in Race 2 and enters the second round at Portimao seventh in the championship.
Bayliss reflected on the emotions after sealing his debut rostrum in Race 1 at his home round.
“It means a lot to get my first podium, especially at my home track,” he shared.
“It’s great, I have my family and friends here, everyone is here. If there was a place to get my first podium, it would be here.
“This first podium gives me confidence for sure. We’ve been fast all through testing and all weekend; this is a confidence booster for sure, and it adds a bit to finishing a race in a good position.
“We need to back it up in the rounds to come; we will see how we go.”
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