WorldSBK: Bimota mean business as Axel Bassani surprises at Phillip Island

The Venetian rider shone on the first of two Superbike test days in Australia: good omens for the 2026 season?

While Nicolò Bulega topping the times on the Ducati isn’t particularly surprising, today at Phillip Island the bigger headline is Axel Bassani in second. The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team rider finished 291 thousandths behind his compatriot, completing a total of 61 laps. It’s too early to get carried away, but it was a good start to the SBK test in Australia. The other KB998 Rimini, ridden by Alex Lowes, was sixth.

Considering how things went at the Jerez and Portimao tests, Bassani is decidedly pleased to have been able to log plenty of laps today in Australia: "It was quite a good day, we finally got in some laps with the bike, since in the previous tests we mostly watched because of bad weather. It was positive to get back on the bike and ride; it was very hot and physically demanding. But I felt pretty good, we tried some things on the bike and I’m happy. In the box we’re working really hard and we hope to keep going like this."

The 26-year-old from Feltre also spoke about the type of work done and what will be carried out on day two of the Superbike test at Phillip Island: "We focused on the front end, we tried several solutions. I used both bikes and the lap time was almost the same. I was quite consistent, which is positive, but we need to understand what we need for the race and for the long distance. Tomorrow we’ll do a long run to check my feeling with the bike; it’s important to be consistent for 20 laps, which isn’t easy in the heat."

Axel is also pleased that his teammate Alex Lowes finished in the top six with the other Bimota KB998 Rimini, although about nine tenths off Bulega: "It’s definitely important to have both bikes up front. We work together and grow together. It’s only the first day, but it’s important to start the right way. Now we hope to keep going like this."

Finally, Bassani discussed expectations for the 2026 Superbike season, in which he envisions growth compared to a 2025 that was mostly about learning and development: "I expect to capitalize on what we did last year, now that we have another year of experience. We need to be smart to try to make the most of everything. We shouldn’t put too much pressure on ourselves, because we only have two bikes on track. We have a lot of work to do; we have to keep believing and pushing. With Uri (Pallares, the new crew chief, ed.) everything is going well. This is really the first day we’re working together; we have a lot of work to do, but for now everything is fine."