SBK, Axel Bassani raises Bimota’s hopes and then throws away a podium finish: "It hurts a bit"

The Venetian rider squandered a great opportunity he had earned: he still leaves Misano with positive feelings.

Bimota came very close to taking a podium at their home round, which would have been a huge satisfaction. Axel Bassani was running third when, with five laps to go, he crashed at Turn 8. He lost the front, ended up in the gravel, and said goodbye to what would have been a special result for him and his team. After announcing his contract renewal through 2027 and two solid fourth places in Race 1 and the Superpole Race, standing on the podium at the end of the Emilia-Romagna Superbike weekend would have been the cherry on top. He’ll try again in the coming rounds.

Even though he couldn’t grab the podium, Bassani assesses positively what he did this weekend in Italy: "I think it was a positive weekend, we were always in the top 4. I worked really well with the team and I’m happy about that. In Race 2 at Turn 8 I lost the front. I was pretty much on the limit from the start and tried to manage the situation. I saw that Montella was starting to slow down a bit and I tried to keep the same pace, but… It can happen, it’s part of the game. We know that to fight for the top 4 we always have to push to the limit. It stings a bit, but that’s racing. We have to embrace these situations and keep working."

Yari Montella benefited from Axel’s crash and admitted that without that mistake he wouldn’t have been able to take third place. The rider for the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team replied: "I’m glad he said that and it gives me even more motivation for the next race. In the last three I’ve felt very good with the team and the bike. The atmosphere is excellent and we work well together, so I’m happy when I get on the bike. I like Donington and we’ll try to achieve the same results as this weekend."

Bassani wants to see the glass as half full after his weekend in Emilia-Romagna. Finishing fourth in the first two races and coming close to the podium in the third is a good sign for the future. He had already closed the Aragón round with a promising fifth place. Considering how strong Ducati is with multiple riders, managing to stay in the top 5 is anything but a given.

Bimota is the second-best manufacturer on the 2026 Superbike grid and is working to close the gap, even if the task is difficult at the moment. It becomes crucial to seize every good chance to secure strong positions. Axel will surely have some regrets about not holding P3 in Race 2 at Misano, but this weekend will certainly give him even more motivation for the future. The next round is at Donington Park, where in 2025 he didn’t manage to score a single point: in 2026 he’s aiming for very different results with his KB998 Rimini.