Mackenzie, the rain transforms him: at Phillip Island, his best WorldSBK result

The Scottish rider shone on the wet Phillip Island track and secured an excellent result in Superbike Race 2.

Rain is a factor that can shuffle the deck and create opportunities for those who might struggle much more in the dry. One of the SBK riders who certainly rejoiced when he saw he would be racing in the wet is Tarran Mackenzie, who had already shown in the past that he’s a skilled interpreter of those conditions, and he confirmed it again at Phillip Island. The fourth place he took in Race 2 is his best result since moving up to the category.

The Optical Express MGM Racing team had been at risk of missing the 2026 WorldSBK grid; team boss Michael Galinski had seriously considered pulling out, and the result achieved in Australia undoubtedly generated huge satisfaction in the garage. The opportunity to shine was seized brilliantly by the 2021 BSB champion.

The 30-year-old Scot admitted that the arrival of rain was a crucial factor in finishing the opening round of the 2026 Superbike season with a great result: "I was a bit disappointed not to make the top nine in the Superpole Race, but I was close to the group with Lecuona and Petrucci. We’ve struggled since the test and throughout the weekend. We managed to improve a bit on Sunday morning, but it was still tricky. When the rain came I was happy, because I knew I had a chance to get a better result."

Mackenzie knew that his value on a wet track would be higher and he made the most of the opportunity: "In the dry my position was around tenth or eleventh and it would have been hard to do better, but the rain gave me a chance and I was confident I could make it. It was my first time racing in the wet with this bike. I managed to move forward well in the opening laps and then I got my best result".

The Optical Express MGM Racing rider can’t be satisfied with only his Race 2 performance at Phillip Island, and with the new Ducati Panigale V4 R he hopes to be competitive in the dry as well in the 2026 Superbike World Championship: "I don’t like being told I’m only fast in the rain; I’d like to be more competitive in the dry too. I don’t know why I’m so good in the wet—maybe because my riding style is quite smooth and that seems to work in those conditions. I have a lot of confidence when it rains; maybe coming from the United Kingdom helps, because it rains a lot there. We’re used to it, especially we Scots. I didn’t expect to finish fourth—a solid top six would have been great—but I’m happy with how it went".

Achieving his best result since joining SBK makes Mackenzie very proud, but also determined to keep working hard so it doesn’t remain a one-off: "I’m super proud. It wasn’t a simple pre-season, since we weren’t able to do many laps, but this result gives me and the team a lot of confidence for the future. In the dry we struggled a bit, so we need to take a step forward with the bike and I think we can do it. With more time on the bike and more laps, we can do a good job—we just need time. Portimão? I like it,I’d like to get a solid top ten in the dry, that would be a great step".