Bimota on Ducati’s heels with Alex Lowes: at Jerez, a brief but useful test

Alex Lowes clocked the second-fastest time at Jerez: it’s too early for judgments, but Bimota aims to be a leading contender in the 2026 Superbike World Championship.

Nicolò Bulega and Ducati topped the Jerez test, finishing just 119 thousandths ahead of Alex Lowes’ Bimota. The British rider was the only one able to keep the gap to the two-time World Superbike runner-up in check. The two days in Andalusia should be taken for what they’re worth, considering the conditions the riders had to deal with. Lowes completed only 16 laps, while his teammate Axel Bassani (seventh at +0.738 from the leader) did 29. The Italian had also ridden on a wet track on Tuesday, whereas his teammate only went out on Thursday afternoon, during the few hours when the track was semi-dry.

The 35-year-old from Lincoln, like all his colleagues, would have liked to get more laps in at Jerez: “It wasn’t a day to learn too much,” he commented, “as there were quite a few damp patches on track. We still managed to try some solutions for the front fork supplied by Showa, and I had started a long run until it began to rain quite heavily, which brought our test to an end.”

Despite the limited track time, the Superbike test at Jerez wasn’t a complete write-off for Lowes: “After 16 laps it was difficult to have a clear conclusion,” he explained, “but electronics in WorldSBK are constantly evolving now, and some of the things the guys have been working on look positive. So, from a technical standpoint, we didn’t learn too much, but the things we tried were positive. On a personal level, I was really happy to be back on the bike and start the year.”

It’s worth noting that the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team had already sent test rider Xavi Fores out on track on Tuesday, when the asphalt was dry. Honda made the same choice with Jonathan Rea. The Spaniard had the chance to try some new parts that were then supposed to be tested by the factory riders, who now await the Portimão test (January 28–29) hoping for better conditions to work more productively.