2026 Official Phillip Island WorldSBK Test: Day 1 - LIVE UPDATES

There was a brief red flag due, which WorldSBK reports was due to a technical issue for Sam Lowes at Turn 2, but testing has already resumed.

Bautista has also made progress, from sixth to third, splitting Alex Lowes and new Yamaha rider Xavi Vierge on the timesheets (+0.665s from former team-mate Bulega).

Jake Dixon rises up the order to 9th with a 1m 30.655s lap, that's within one-second of Bulega and puts him the same margin ahead of the next-best Honda of temporary team-mate Tetsuta Nagashima.

Halfway through the opening WorldSBK session and the order is:

1. Bulega
2. A. Lowes
3. Vierge
4. Bassani
5. Montella
6. Bautista
7. S. Lowes
8. Gerloff
9. Baldassarri
10. Oliveira
11. Lecuona
12. Mackenzie
13. Sofuoglu
14. Manzi
15. Petrucci
16. Dixon
17. Vickers
18. Locatelli
19. Surra
20. Gardner
21. Nagashima
22. Rato

Panigales now only fill 4 places in the top six, but Montella, Bautista and Lecuona have set the fastest speeds so far at 319km/h. Test leader Bulega is just one behind on 318.

The fastest Bimota is Alex Lowes on 316, matched by Petrucci's BMW. Garrett Gerloff has set a 315 for Kawasaki, followed by Yamaha on 314 and Honda on 312.

Axel Bassani is an outlier, being third on the timesheets for Bimota despite only hitting 311.

Nicolo Bulega continue to stamp his authority, and is now 0.6s clear of nearest rival Alex Lowes.

Miguel Oliveira moves into 7th places with a 1m 30s lap.

These are the fastest riders for each brand after the opening half hour of testing:

1. Nicolo Bulega, Ducati, 1m 29.844s.

2. Alex Lowes, Bimota, 1m 30.286s.

7. Miguel Oliveira, BMW, 1m 30.945s.

8. Xavi Vierge, Yamaha, 1m 31.129s.

10. Garrett Gerloff, Kawasaki, 1m 31.258s.

13. Jake Dixon, Honda, 1m 31.618s.

MotoGP race winner Miguel Oliveira in his full 2026 BMW livery.

Nicolo Bulega may have been one of the last on track, but he's completed more laps than any other rider so far (11).

Petrucci is now up to 15th for BMW, but over two-seconds from Bulega's 1m 29.8s.

Jake Dixon is holding tenth place as he pits on the factory Honda.

This is what the former BSB title runner-up and Moto2 race winner had to say ahead of his rookie WorldSBK season:

“It’s an incredible feeling to be a factory Honda HRC rider and to represent Honda in WorldSBK. Being part of this project is something I’ve always dreamed of and I’m genuinely excited to get started and begin this new chapter. 

"When you join a factory project like this, you know there will always be new things to try and learn, and you also need to be smart and use your time effectively. Having such a strong and experienced crew around me makes a huge difference. 

"Meeting the team for the first time was a little intimidating, I admit, simply due to the project’s size and scale, but everyone was extremely welcoming and that gives me confidence heading into the season. 

"I truly believe 2026 will be a year of learning and growth, and I know the team will help me develop step by step. It’s also great to work alongside a strong test team: Nagashima has already done a fantastic job, and the arrival of Jonathan Rea is a real asset for Honda. 

"We know each other quite well and exchanging ideas and feedback has been very positive. Our comments about the bike seem similar too, which is important for development. 

"As for the CBR1000RR-R, it’s a powerful machine that demands a lot of respect, so right now the focus is on really understanding it and knowing when to take risks and when not to, rather than trying to be a hero. 

"Our track time during winter testing was limited due to bad weather, but riding in the wet was useful anyway, especially for me as a Superbike rookie on a new bike, because every lap helps me to build experience. 

"The first round is at Phillip Island. It’s a fantastic track, and it will be great to go there at the beginning of the year, when the weather is warm. I’m really looking forward to it. 

"Lastly, I’d like to wish Somkiat [Chantra] all the best in his recovery. He’s a great character and having him back as soon as possible will be important for the whole team as we continue to grow and move forward together.”

Nicolo Bulega sets the first 1m 29s lap of the year to go fastest, the Italian won all three races from pole position a year ago.

WorldSBK star rookie Miguel Oliveira is currently 13th, while factory BMW team-mate Danilo Petrucci is the only rider yet to set a lap time.

Meanwhile, Lecuona's team-mate and reigning title runner-up Nicolo Bulega is climbing the timesheets, he's now into second, just 0.020s behind Alex Lowes.

New Aruba.it Ducati rider Iker Lecuona leaves the pits at Phillip Island...

Ten minutes gone, top ten so far: Alex Lowes 1m 30.286, Yari Montella, Sam Lowes, Alvaro Bautista, Axel Bassani, Nicolo Bulega, Garrett Gerloff, Bahattin Sofuoglu, Xavi Vierge, Jake Dixon.

Axel Bassani makes it a Bimota one-two by slotting into second, meanwhile Alex Lowes is down to a 1m 30.3s.

It's an early Lowes one-two with Alex 1.5s clear of Sam and into the 1m 30s on his second lap.

Reigning title runner-up Nicolo Bulega, new factory BMW rider Danilo Petrucci and Axel Bassani join the action, that's all riders on track.

The green lights are on and the first Phillip Island WorldSBK laps of the year are underway, most riders head straight out on track.

Here is a reminder of some of the lap times to look out for today...

Official Phillip Island WorldSBK Records:
Best lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati, 1m 27.916 (2024)
Fastest race lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati, 1m 28.564 (2024)

Fastest 2025 WorldSBK Superpole Qualifying laps - by manufacturer:
Ducati: Nicolo Bulega, 1m 28.824s.
BMW: Toprak Razgatlioglu, 1m 28.918s.
Yamaha: Andrea Locatelli, 1m 29.783s.
Bimota: Alex Lowes, 1m 29.859s.
Honda: Xavi Vierge, 1m 29.924s.
Kawasaki: Garrett Gerloff, 1m 30.768s.

Good morning! The first World Supersport session has just finished at the Phillip Island test, with Jaume Masia (Ducati) fastest from local star Oli Bayliss (Triumph) and Phillipp Oettl (Ducati).

The opening WorldSBK session starts in a few minutes.