“Important to ride in the dry” for one 2026 WorldSBK rookie after European washouts

WorldSBK rookie Alberto Surra faces a tough Phillip Island test after wet weather hampered his first two outings of the year.

Surra was present in both Jerez and Portimao for the World Superbike tests in January, on 21–22 and 28–29 January respectively, but all four days across the two tests were impacted by rain.

The Portimao test in particular was very wet, meaning Surra – whose Motocorsa team, like all satellite Ducati teams, did not test in Jerez at the end of 2025 – has very few dry kilometres on the Panigale V4 R he is due to race in just under three weeks in Australia on 20–22 February.

However, the 21-year-old was positive about the situation after the test in Portugal, the second day of which he ended fifth-fastest and just under two seconds behind Nicolo Bulega.

“I’m very happy,” Alberto Surra told WorldSBK.com after the second day of the Portimao test.

“The feeling with the rain condition is very good. 

“Now, the next step is the test of Phillip Island. 

“Very happy for two days in Jerez and two days in Portimao – I’m very happy.”

Having ridden for four days in the wet, Surra’s hopes for the Phillip Island test are quite simple, although also fairly optimistic given the Australian venue’s general reputation.

“It’s important to ride with the bike in the [dry] conditions and the setting,” Surra said when asked about Australia.

The Italian steps up to World Superbike this year after racing both the Moto2 European Championship and the WorldSSP class in 2025, although the latter he only joined from Magny-Cours onwards.

More experienced with the Boscoscuro Moto2 bike, which he began racing in 2024, Surra’s observations so far about the characteristics of the WorldSBK-spec Ducati are in comparison to that rather than the R9 he campaigned in WorldSSP in the second half of last year.

“It’s very different, the Moto2 and the Superbike, because the V4 is a very complete bike with engine brake, with electronics, and the Moto2 [isn’t],” Surra explained.

“My feeling is good.”