2026 WorldSBK rider line-up: The grid so far, and the latest rumours

Here is what we know about the 2026 World Superbike Championship rider line-up so far.

As WorldSBK takes its long summer break between the Hungarian and French rounds in 2025, the 2026 grid is still yet to take its full shape.

Here, we will look at the deals that have already been signed for next season, as well as the rumoured moves that could happen between now and the end of the year.

The table below shows the confirmed riders with their 2026 teams. Below that, you'll find the latest rider market moves for each manufacturer.

Ducati

The factory Ducati team tied down Nicolo Bulega to a new contract which reportedly includes MotoGP testing responsibilites.

But they also announced that Alvaro Bautista would be replaced.

Iker Lecuona was signed from Honda as Bautista's replacement. Lecuona and Bulega will be the Aruba.it Ducati duo in 2026.

Bautista will drop into the Barni Ducati team as a replacement for the outgoing Danilo Petrucci.

MGM already lost Scott Redding earlier this year, replaced by Tarran Mackenzie, who could also be off the grid in 2026 depending on how he performs in the remainder of the season on the German team’s Ducati.

Andrea Iannone seems certain to leave Go Eleven which opens a seat there.

Alessandro Delbianco, who is currently racing in the CIV Italian Superbike Championship, is also linked with Go Eleven thanks to his reportedly positive relationship with the owner of Pata, Remo Goppi, which has been the title sponsor of the Italian team since the beginning of this season. 

Current Honda rider Xavi Vierge is also thought to be in contention for this seat, as is Dominique Aegerter, although the Swiss admitted he was "struggling" to find a suitable ride for next season when speaking at Magny-Cours.

The final two Ducati seats for next season belong to Marc VDS and Motocorsa, who will retain Sam Lowes – who re-signed earlier this year for a third season in WorldSBK with Marc VDS – and Ryan Vickers who signed a two-year deal to bring him to WorldSBK with Motocorsa beginning this year and ending in 2026.

BMW

BMW seems set to maintain its two-bike effort in WorldSBK next season and could field an all-new line-up.

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s departure to MotoGP with Pramac Yamaha next year has opened the door for Danilo Petrucci to take one of the two factory M1000 RRs.

The second bike currently belongs to Michael van der Mark, and he has confirmed that he will not stay in the team next season.

That leaves BMW needing a teammate for Petrucci in 2026.

Yamaha

Jonathan Rea has confirmed that he will retire at the end of 2025.

Rea was out of contract with Yamaha and was linked to other teams but instead opted to walk away.

Yamaha is half-full already for next year, with Andrea Locatelli and Remy Gardner having re-signed to continue in their current positions in the factory and GRT teams, respectively.

Gardner’s GRT teammate has also been confirmed as Ten Kate Yamaha Supersport rider Stefano Manzi. The signing of the Italian at GRT means that Dominique Aegerter is without a ride.

Yamaha has not been strongly linked with many current WorldSBK riders as an alternative to Rea, but since the Northern Irishman announced his retirement Yamaha WorldSSP rider Can Oncu has become a possibility.

The Motoxtracing Yamaha team is also to be decided for 2026. It currently fields Bahattin Sofuoglu and Michael Ruben Rinaldi but no announcements have been made for 2026.

Honda

Honda have lost Iker Lecuona to Aruba.it Ducati for 2026.

Xavi Vierge has also been let go by Honda for next season with no confirmed destination as yet. Vierge had been most strongly linked with BMW before it announced Petrucci, but is now thought to be eyeing the Go Eleven Ducati ride. 

One rider who seems certain to make the move to HRC in 2026 is Jake Dixon. No announcement has yet been made but Dixon seems set to replace one of Vierge and Lecuona next season.

Dixon's teammate seems set to be Somkiat Chantra, the Thai rider set to lose his LCR Honda MotoGP seat to Diogo Moreira in 2026.

There is also the MIE team, but in recent seasons the line-up there has been confirmed quite late before the start of the season, so we could be waiting a while before we get confirmation of the Japanese squad’s line-up which is currently Tito Rabat and Zaqhwan Zaidi.

Bimota

Bimota will enter its second season in WorldSBK with the KB998 in the same situation as it has contested its first: one team, two bikes, with Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani on-board.

Kawasaki

There is only one Kawasaki on the grid this year and it belongs to Garrett Gerloff at the Puccetti-run Kawasaki WorldSBK Team. None of this will change in 2026, with Gerloff having re-signed earlier in 2025 to stay out for next season.