SBK, Alberto Surra dazzles at Balaton Park: Team Motocorsa smiles again

The Motocorsa team rookie was a standout in Hungary today: the goal is to confirm himself at the same level on Sunday.

Alberto Surra is one of the new faces of the 2026 Superbike World Championship and wrapped up Saturday at Balaton Park with an applause-worthy performance. Launching from seventh on the grid, he grabbed second place and held it for several laps before being overtaken by other riders and finishing Race 1 in eighth. It’s his best result in this rookie year with the Motocorsa team’s Ducati Panigale V4 R. Clearly, his aim is to keep being competitive in Sunday’s two races as well.

The 21-year-old from Turin can’t help but be pleased with his performance in SBK Race 1 at Balaton Park: "I’m really happy with this result; it’s the best I’ve achieved in Superbike. I’m happy for myself and for my team. I’m satisfied with how I started—thanks to STM for this clutch. I focused a lot before the start and in the first 8 laps I managed to stay in second place, then I had a small brake issue. I think a bit everyone had it, but I still don’t have much confidence in the second half of the race and I struggled a little."

Finding himself fighting for podium positions against riders far more experienced than him was somewhat expected, but Surra handled it well and made no mistakes: "It was difficult—he explains—"because the level is really high. Oliveira, Montella, Bautista... they’re all fast riders. I’m happy, but for Sunday I’d like to improve on the engine and electronics side to be more competitive in the second part of the race. We’ll see how it goes."

Even though being up front was extremely enjoyable, the Motocorsa rider is keeping his feet on the ground and has a clear, realistic target for Sunday: "My goal is the top 10; for me it’s important to be there, and I’m happy to have managed it today. The team is doing a great job and I’m growing. This is a track that suits me particularly well."

Already from free practice, Surra looked sharper compared to the past Superbike rounds. Today confirmed his excellent potential, and Lorenzo Mauri’s squad can only smile at the result achieved, hoping to repeat it on Sunday and to continue at a similar level for the rest of the 2026 season.