SBK, Sam Lowes and Ducati’s Dominance: “Customer Panigales Aren’t the Same”

The 2026 Superbike World Championship ended with an unprecedented record for Aruba-Ducati: Nicolò Bulega won 32 races, while his teammate Iker Lecuona claimed the remaining four. In 31 of the 36 races, the two factory riders finished first and second, and Ducati scored 744 points—the maximum possible in the manufacturers' standings.

Even Ducati's satellite riders could not find an answer to this dominance. And that raises the question: how similar are the customer bikes to the factory machines, really? In an interview with Speedweek, Sam Lowes expressed doubts that the conditions on track are identical.

The Brit has no hesitation when it comes to the world champion, acknowledging that he has a riding advantage: "I would say Bulega is a step ahead, regardless of the bike." Indeed, as we reported in our article Bulega ready for his next challenge: at Jerez, his Superbike was just 40 thousandths off MotoGP pace, the Ferrara-born rider won all three races at ten of the twelve rounds.

The incident that struck him most, however, involved Lecuona. "When I was battling Iker there, it was pretty clear how easily he could get back past me after making a mistake. It was a little discouraging for me, too. I had the feeling he could overtake me so easily because he had a bit more acceleration and slightly more refined electronics," Lowes explained.

He admits that it is difficult to make a precise technical assessment from the outside. But the reassurances from the factory garage do not entirely convince him: "When you talk to them, they always tell you everything is the same. But if you look at riders who have gone from a factory bike to a customer one, things have always gone much worse. I look at Montella or Bautista: the difference is significant."

It should be said that results alone do not show how much the equipment matters: the team environment and setup work also play a role.

Lowes is keen to clarify that he is not criticizing his own bike. "I'm happy with my package. But this category isn't like MotoGP. There, all the bikes are factory machines. In the worst-case scenario, you get the previous year's factory bike. It's a completely different category."

He has no doubt that the bikes should, in principle, be identical: "In theory, they should be, yes." Ducati says customer teams can also buy the factory team's equipment if they pay for it. That is why Lowes would like to settle the matter in the simplest way possible: a direct on-track comparison, riding the Aruba bike with his number 14.

-> Follow us on Instagram too: @Corsedimoto