Danilo Petrucci, first real push with BMW: hot-weather testing at Phillip Island

Sunday, 15 February 2026 at 10:12

Superbike is ready to fire up the engines and build excitement for a highly anticipated 2026 World Championship full of unknowns. Tonight at Phillip Island marks the first real day of winter testing after the deluge endured on Iberian soil.

For Danilo Petrucci, making his BMW debut, this two-day test (Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 February, schedule here) is more important than for others. Between Jerez and Valencia he has so far completed only a handful of laps on the World Championship-winning M1000RR. Adding to the uncertainty is Phillip Island itself, where BMW has never won: since 2020 in Australia, only Ducati (9 times), Kawasaki (5) and Yamaha (1) have topped the podium. Last year Nicolò Bulega dominated with the Red bike; Toprak on the BMW had to settle for second in Race 1. In his last two appearances (’24–’25), Danilo Petrucci scored two podiums, one each season, but he was riding a Ducati, which is right at home here. On Saturday in Race 1 he will celebrate his 100th Superbike start.

Danilo, how are you feeling?

"First of all, the good news is the weather is beautiful, and over the two test days it’ll even be warmer than what’s forecast for the weekend," says Danilo Petrucci. "I can’t wait to get started. To avoid the bad weather in Portimão at the last minute we headed to Valencia, but it wasn’t a very useful test. Even there we found patches of damp on track, and we were circulating among amateurs.

Is the debut a big unknown?

"This will basically be my first real outing with the BMW. Also, as you know, Phillip Island is a unique track; it takes time to get everything dialed in. We’ll need to find a base setup that works for me as well. I’m coming off two podiums here in the past two seasons, but it’s not an easy circuit and it’s not very similar to the others."

Is Phillip Island tough on BMW?

"Given how the M1000RR is designed and how it’s been developed following Toprak’s input, its strong suit is braking. But at Phillip Island you don’t brake that much. We’ll need to sort ourselves out and find a solution. No, it’s not the best track for us."

What do you hope to take home from Australia?

"Considering we haven’t really gotten started yet, this first round of the Championship will be an uphill battle for us. The goal is to bring home the maximum points possible, because the season is long..."