Live updates from the FP1 session at the 2026 UK WorldSBK from Donington Park. FP1 is due to start at 10:20 local time, with FP2 coming up this afternoon at 15:00.
Nicolo Bulega enters the UK WorldSBK with a 120-point lead over Iker Lecuona. The Italian is unbeaten in the last 25 races, including all 21 in 2026 so far. He also was victorious at the World Ducati Week Race of Champions last week, where Lecuona didn't compete after his wife gave birth.
Bulega has never won at Donington, but was second in all three races last year to Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Lecuona's best Donington result came in his first year there, finishing seventh in 2022. He hasn't been in the top-10 since, but goes there with Ducati this year instead of Honda.
Honda themselves have Jonathan Rea back on the bike this weekend as a wildcard. The six-time champion won the Suzuka 8 Hours last weekend, and is sure of where the WorldSBK Fireblade needs to improve.
Jake Dixon is also back this weekend for Honda. His previous attempt at returning from injury, at Aragon, ended after Race 1, but he thinks it was helpful to try to race there even if he had to withdraw from Sunday.
BMW is also back to a full-strength line-up for the first time since Miguel Oliveira was injured at Balaton Park in May. Oliveira returned at Misano three weeks ago, but didn't complete the final race. Danilo Petrucci is back this weekend after a recent test, and says he is almost back to full fitness.
This weekend will also be the first since Marc van der Straten died, which Sam Lowes expects to make this an "emotional" weekend.
Nicolo Bulega ends fastest in FP1 as the chequered flag comes out for the first time this weekend at Donington.
Lecuona takes second ahead of Sam Lowes, Alex Lowes, and Baldassarri in the top-five.
Montella, Bautista, Gerloff, Rea, and Surra round out the top-10.
Into the final three minutes of FP1 now and it's still Bulega leading from Lecuona and Alex Lowes.
Baldassarri up to fourth, ahead of Montella and Sam Lowes. Gerloff having a decent session in seventh, and Rea still up there in ninth. Seven Ducatis in the top-10 with Bautista eighth and Mackenzie 10th.
Lecuona has also been able to 1m25s, but he's 0.085s behind Bulega who is down to a 1m25.870s now.
Rea making further improvements for Honda, up to eighth now and 0.6s off Bulega.
Meanwhile, a poor session for far for Yamaha so far, whose leading rider is Gardner in 11th.
Jonathan Rea currently 10th for Honda and within a second of Bulega's time. That's the best we've seen from anyone on a Fireblade at any point in 2026.
Dixon has got himself back to the pits. Seems to be physically okay but understandably frustrated.
Bulega down into the 1m25s now on a 25.940s. That puts him 0.106s clear of Lecuona.
Only Lecuona, Alex Lowes, and Gerloff are within half-a-second of Bulega now.
Crash for Jake Dixon, he's lost the front in braking over the crest for Coppice. He walked away but clutched his wrist. He's currently 13th in the session.
Ducatis to the top now, Bulega down to a 1m26.044s to be 0.026s clear of Lecuona. Lowes now 0.058s behind.
Sam Lowes is currently fourth and 0.483s behind Bulega.
Alex Lowes with the early benchmark in FP1 with a 1m26.102s. It puts him 0.142s clear of Lecuona in second and 0.799s ahead of Bulega in third.
Pit lane has opened at Donington and we are underway fro FP1.
Five minutes away from FP1 starting at Donington and it's already a warm morning. 27C of air temperature and 34C of track temperature ahead of this first practice.
Fresh off his Suzuka 8 Hours win last weekend, Jonathan Rea is back in WorldSBK action for Honda as a wildcard this weekend.
The six-time champion explained yesterday that while Honda knows where it needs to improve, a combination of factors including the rules and HRC resources mean it is not simple to action quick development to fix the problems.
Full story here.
This weekend's Donington WorldSBK is the first round since the passing of Marc van der Straten last Sunday.
It's a home round for Sam Lowes, who will be running a helmet design intended as a tribute to Rory McIlroy this weekend, and the rider currently fifth in the riders' is expecting an "emotional" weekend given the recent news regarding the team.
Full story here.
Like Petrucci, Jake Dixon is attempting to make a return to racing this weekend after several races out. The British rider tried to return to racing at Aragon, but withdrew from the weekend after Race 1.
Despite that, Dixon spoke yesterday of how he still benefitted from riding at Aragon.
Full story here.
Danilo Petrucci returns to racing this weekend at Donington. The Italian tested at the British circuit a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of the race this weekend, and passed his medical check yesterday morning.
Speaking yesterday, Petrucci admitted that neither he nor BMW are "satisfied" with his first part of the season, which featured only one top-six finish, but he feels "almost 100 per cent" ahead of Donington, a circuit that has seen multiple podiums for Petrucci in previous seasons.
Welcome to live coverage of today's WorldSBK practices from Donington. FP1 is due to start in around 35 minutes at 10:20 local time.