Mackenzie, the new Ducati and the new sponsor: Team MGM looks to bounce back in Superbike

MGM has confirmed its presence on the 2026 SBK grid after many doubts: with Mackenzie and the new Ducati, the goal is to grow.

The MGM Racing team ran the risk of not being on the World Superbike grid—no secret. During 2025, team boss Michael Galinski had considered walking away. After rumors of alleged financial issues, last June he announced the possibility of retiring at the end of the season. Fortunately, the withdrawal didn’t happen; the conditions came together for the German squad to continue racing in the championship, and they are duly present at Jerez for the first test of 2026.

The team was unveiled at Jerez, and in the new year it takes the name MGM Optical Express Racing. Optical Express is a leading company in the optics sector and in 2026 is the title sponsor of Galinski’s outfit. Having strong partners is essential to contest a solid season in a competitive championship like SBK.

Tarran Mackenzie has been confirmed as the rider. The Scotsman has another major opportunity in World Superbike, and with the new Ducati Panigale V4 R he hopes to achieve better results than in 2025, a year he began with the Petronas MIE Honda team and then continued with MGM. The German squad parted ways with Scott Redding, who returned to BSB, and gave Mackenzie a better chance to showcase his talent.

Mackenzie is highly motivated for 2026: “It’s fantastic to finally announce the new partnership with Optical Express and MGM Performance. Everyone has worked hard behind the scenes over the winter to prepare everything for the new season, so it’s wonderful to finally show off the new colors. I know the new Ducati RS V4R will be exceptional, and having such strong support behind me for 2026 gives me huge confidence.”

There’s great confidence in the garage, as confirmed by team principal Galinski: “We can’t wait for the new season to start. Being able to work with such a strong partner as Optical Express gives us an even bigger boost. We want to try to climb up starting from the top 10, and I believe Tarran has what it takes, and we have the technical capabilities to make it happen.”