Live updates from the Friday practice sessions at the 2026 Misano WorldSBK round. FP2 is due to start this afternoon at 15:00 local time..
Nicolo Bulega enters the Emilia-Romagna Round with a comfortable points lead, 108 points over Iker Lecuona. The Italian is unbeaten this season, but has never won at Misano in WorldSBK, although he was fastest in FP1 this morning.
Lecuona is back in WorldSBK action this weekend after standing in last weekend for Alex Marquez in MotoGP, finishing seventh. The Spaniard said yesterday that he is approaching this weekend more calmly after that MotoGP fill-in ride, and was only 0.059 seconds behind Bulega this morning in FP1 as Ducati locked out the top-six.
The leading non-Ducati rider in FP1 was Yamaha's Xavi Vierge, whose only top-10 finish in the past two rounds came in the Superpole Race at Aragon when he was 10th, which of course earned him no championship points.
Miguel Oliveira is also back this weekend after missing the last two-and-a-half rounds through the injuries he picked up in the Superpole Race at Balaton just over a month ago. The Portuguese admits he's not yet at 100 per cent in terms of his physical condition, and was only 17th this morning in the opening practice.
Alongside Oliveira this weekend will be Michael van der Mark, the Dutchman maintaining his spot in the factory BMW team but switching from Oliveira's side of the garage to Danilo Petrucci's as the Italian continues to recover from the injuries he picked up in Race 1 at Most. Van der Mark was 15th in FP1.
Jake Dixon is absent once again this weekend after making his debut for HRC at Aragon. He raced Race 1 but missed both Sunday races. Ryan Vickers returns this weekend to substitute his compatriot, the Honda BSB rider making his second appearance of the season after wildcarding in Australia.
Just a few minutes away from FP2 getting started in Misano. Still perfectly dry, and not too much warmer than this morning: 24C air temperature, 49C track temperature.
As always, it's going to be a key 45 minutes to understand tyre wear and behaviour over a long run ahead of the races tomorrow and Sunday.
WorldSPB Superpole has ended with David Salvador taking pole position ahead of Filippo Bianchi and Matteo Vanucci.
20 minutes until WorldSBK FP2 gets underway at Misano.
Danilo Pertrucci also present in Misano this weekend even if he's not riding, owing to the injuries he picked up at Balaton Park.
Michael van der Mark is replacing the Italian this weekend and was 15th this morning.
A few MotoGP riders showed up earlier on as part of a presentation for World Ducati Week which will be taking place at Misano in a couple of weeks.
World Sportbike out next at Misano for their Superpole session.
Filippo Bianchi topped practice this morning ahead of Matteo Vanucci and David Salvador.
Welcome back to live coverage of today's WorldSBK practices at Misano. FP2 is due to start in just under an hour at 15:00 local time.
WorldWCR is back this weekend and just finished its Superpole session with Paola Ramos on pole ahead of Maria Herrera and Beatriz Neila.
Chequered flag is out in Misano and it's Bulega who ends fastest, by 0.059s in the end over Lecuona.
Sam Lowes third, ahead of Montella and Surra. Baldassarri, Vierge, Bassani, Gerloff, and Gardner round out the top-10.
Lecuona another late improver, gets to within 0.2s of Bulega and joins his team-mate in the 1m32s.
Surra now into the top-five. Recent improvements from Gerloff in P9 and Bassani in P8 as well.
Late push for Vierge, goes up to fifth as we approach the final five minutes of FP1.
Lecuona up to second now, but still 0.245s behind Bulega.
All-Ducati top-five at the moment. Alex Lowes the first non-Ducati in sixth.
Still a lot of riders in pit lane. Only the first seven riders within a second of Bulega's time at the moment.
A bit of a lull in the session at the moment, a lot of riders in the pits. Baldassarri just pops into the top-five with a personal best, though.
Bulega improves again, down to a 1m32.733s now and 0.3s clear of Lowes.
Bulega fastest again now and the first rider into the 1m32s.
Bulega had been briefly to the top but Lowes is now fastest again and 0.1s clear of the championship leader.
Just in terms of the reference times for this session, the best time at the recent Misano test was a 1m31.769s by Bulega on day two.
Sam Lowes to the top early on with a 1m34.017s, 0.2s clear of Bulega.
Oliveira the first rider to leave the pits as he makes his return to racing after injury.
Pit lane is open in Misano and we are underway for WorldSBK FP1.
Clear skies and 22C air temperature, 38C track temperature ahead of FP1, so already a warm day at Misano.
While Oliveira has returned this weekend, Michael van der Mark's services are still required by BMW, which remains without Danilo Petrucci in Misano after his Race 1 crash at Most.
Michael van der Mark fills in for the Italian this weekend .