Axel Bassani: "Great to be on the front row at Misano, but we lacked engine power. In 2026 I want podiums

Wednesday, 12 November 2025 at 13:17

Axel Bassani su Bimota nel Mondiale Superbike

Alex Bassani wraps up 2025 with a smile. He never made it onto the podium, but he consistently finished in the top 10, showing plenty of room for growth on the Bimota.

The bike, in particular, proved competitive. Alex Lowes made several podiums, confirming the quality of the project, especially in terms of chassis. Clearly, it was reasonable to expect a bit more from the Venetian rider who, during his years on Motocorsa’s Ducati, had earned significant results that allowed him to land a factory team seat.

"My 2025 balance sheet is positive," Axel Bassani tells Corsedimoto. "We had various ups and downs, but I’m happy with what we did with Bimota. It was the Rimini brand’s debut, and having two riders in the top 10, given the level of the World Championship, is good. We can be satisfied."

Rating?

"If I had to rate my 2025 season, I’d give myself a seven and a half or an eight."

Top moment?

"I really enjoyed putting it on the front row at Misano; I was the first in the team to manage it. Starting from the front row at Bimota’s home race in Misano gave me even more satisfaction: truly awesome!"

And what didn’t you like?

"We were missing a bit of speed. The main issue was the engine—we know that—especially in close battles. It showed. That was a bit of the negative note of 2025."

You live in San Marino—do you often go to Misano and the Bimota factory?

"Actually, I never go to train at Misano. I only do the usual Superbike tests and I go to Misano for the race. But I often ride past the circuit on my bicycle. [laughs] Every now and then I drop by to visit the team in Cerasolo. I enjoy stopping in to say hello to the guys and have a chat when they’re free—it’s something I really like to do."

How are you spending the winter break?

"Right now I’m continuing to train as if we were still in the season. At the end of November we’ll do the last tests, then I’ll disconnect a bit to recover energy ahead of next year. Then we’ll get going again."

Predictions for 2026?

"In 2026 we’ll need to try to improve. The bike is only one year old. Kawasaki and Bimota are working to understand what to do and how to best exploit the potential. It will still be tough to try to fight for the top positions because the level is very high. Alex Lowes did better than me this year. He took some podiums—I congratulate him and his side of the garage: they were all really, really good. Now we’re working to grow and get some podiums ourselves—that’s for sure. We have to improve, and in any case something will change: we’ll see, I’m confident."

Everyone against Bulega?

"In 2026, realistically, the rider to beat is Bulega, without a doubt. He’s clearly above everyone. In testing he was giving us a second and a half, and all of us were chasing."