Estoril Superbike: Tarran Mackenzie Returns to the British Superbike Championship with BMW—Is a Ducati Team Disappearing?

Tarran Mackenzie’s season is over, and in all likelihood so is his World Superbike adventure. The Scottish rider was not given medical clearance ahead of the Estoril round and will return to the British Superbike Championship in 2027. A decision that could also have repercussions for the MGM Ducati team.

Mackenzie has been sidelined since his heavy crash in FP2 at Donington Park on July 10. He will miss Estoril this weekend as well as the Jerez finale, scheduled for October 16–18: Frenchman Loris Baz will once again ride the Panigale for the German team.

During his recovery, Mackenzie planned his future together with his father Niall, who raced in the 500cc World Championship in the 1990s. The 30-year-old is returning to the British series, which he won with Yamaha in 2021, this time with Dale McElveen’s new BMW team. McElveen is Milwaukee’s managing director for the United Kingdom and Ireland, while partner Leigh Finley will also serve as technical director.

This is no ordinary team: we are talking about BMW’s number-one squad in the BSB. Mackenzie’s teammate will be Rory Skinner.

Mackenzie’s return to the BSB has major implications for the MGM team, given that the main sponsor was brought in by the rider. The future of Michael Galinski’s team is hanging by a thread. The vacant spot will be taken over by Go Eleven, doubling its commitment with Lorenzo Baldassarri confirmed and Alex Delbianco and Danilo Petrucci competing for the remaining seat. The Italian outfit is negotiating with MGM to purchase part of its technical equipment: that is more than a hint of how the story will develop.

Mackenzie spent three seasons in Superbike. After a year in Supersport, including a surprise victory in mixed conditions at Most, he was brought into the Petronas Honda team by its then team manager, Midori Moriwaki. In mid-2025, “Taz” decided to end that relationship because he had lost confidence in the team’s way of working.

Scott Redding’s move to the BSB then opened an unexpected opportunity for him: completing the season with MGM Ducati. With the German team, he recorded 13 top-ten finishes, highlighted by fourth- and fifth-place results in Race 2 at Phillip Island and Misano in 2026. Now his restart will come in the British Championship, while MGM’s future will be decided by November.

Meanwhile, during the ten-minute warm-up for Round 11 at Estoril, the official Ducatis once again showed their strength, with Iker Lecuona ahead of Nicolò Bulega by just ten thousandths of a second. It is easy to predict yet another day defined by this intra-team battle.

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