Superbike: Yamaha is two years behind, Andrea Locatelli is struggling

Ducati is crushing Superbike ’26 on its own merits but also because the rivals are tripping over themselves, despite regulatory concessions. The 2025–26 data comparison is ruthless.

At Balaton Park, Yamaha is struggling to match last year’s lap times, while Nicolò Bulega and all the Ducatis—not just the factory bikes—have taken off. Important note: compared to last July’s round, the tire allocation in Hungary has changed. Last year the softest option was the SC0 (code E625), whereas this time Pirelli brought the SCX, the extra-soft choice. So part of Ducati’s performance gain should also be attributed to the tire factor.

Let’s compare race 1 of this edition with race 2 from 2025, the only one run over the same 21-lap distance. Toprak Razgatlioglu had won by a margin, clocking 34'57"486. On Saturday, Bulega lowered the full-distance time by nine seconds: 34'48"413. Andrea Locatelli, the first Yamaha rider at the flag (seventh), crossed the line 21" behind Nicolò, so he covered the 21 laps in 35'09". Last year Yamaha’s lead rider finished fifth in 35'15", so he trimmed six seconds—far too little to withstand the rivals’ onslaught. Even more telling is the comparison of race fastest laps: in ’25 Toprak set a 1'39"384 (then the lap record), Locatelli a 1'40"248. This time, Bulega lapped in 1'38"783 (six tenths quicker than the Turk), while the Yamaha topped out at 1'40"058.

This string of references tells us one thing: Yamaha, despite being allowed to use prototype parts on the YZF-R1’s engine and chassis, is two years behind the competition. It’s a baffling delay considering both the regulatory assistance and the technical effort Yamaha is making. It’s also surprising that the riders’ tone remains relatively calm and optimistic, when in reality the situation is quite bleak. "The feeling in the race wasn’t bad, so overall it was a pretty good day, let’s say, but we’ll definitely try to improve for race 2," commented Locatelli. "I had some difficulty with rear grip during the race. We’re strong on the brakes, so that’s a good point we can keep, and if we can find a small improvement in rear grip to fix this issue, we can definitely do better. I feel good, but it’s not easy to push even more and be faster in the race, but now we have time to analyze everything and look ahead."

In the ten-minute morning test, riders and teams evaluated the SCQ tire—i.e., the qualifying compound—which could be an option for the Superpole Race. That’s why the lap times were so quick, with Nicolò Bulega at 1'38"215 and multiple laps in the low 1'38s. Iker Lecuona is three tenths back.

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