SBK, Team Motocorsa unveils rookie Alberto Surra's Ducati: "I'm living a dream"

On the eve of the Superbike test at Phillip Island, Lorenzo Mauri’s team unveiled the livery of its Panigale V4 R for the 2026 season.

There is no shortage of rookies on the WorldSBK grid this year, and among them is Alberto Surra, the new signing for the Motocorsa Racing team. The 21-year-old from Piedmont was called in to replace Ryan Vickers, who was not retained after a 2025 season with results deemed insufficient by team boss Lorenzo Mauri. Starting over with a rookie is never easy, but the team hopes to have drawn another ace, as happened with Axel Bassani in 2021.

On Monday and Tuesday there will be the final pre-season Superbike test of 2026; all the teams are in Australia, ready to work ahead of the opening round to be held next weekend right at Phillip Island. On the eve of the test, Motocorsa Racing officially revealed the colors of the Ducati Panigale V4 and Lorenzo Surra’s leathers.

The 21-year-old Piedmontese rider is highly motivated for his first season in the WorldSBK Championship: "I’m living a dream," he wrote in a post on his Instagram profile, "I can’t wait to get started. Thanks for everything… Head down and get to work."

Mauri’s squad is coming off two complicated years; after Bassani’s departure, it was unable to replicate the results it had achieved with the Venetian rider. We’ll see if there are improvements in 2026, although the rookie Surra should be given time to learn. In the meantime, it will be crucial to work well during the test at Phillip Island, laying solid foundations for the future.

For the Italian rider, the WorldSBK paddock is not entirely new, as in 2025 he contested the final four rounds of the Supersport World Championship. Standing in for the injured Aldi Satya Mahendra with the Evan Bros team, he performed well aboard the Yamaha R9. On his debut at Magny-Cours, he immediately climbed onto the third step of the podium in Race 1.