Get ready for an adrenaline-fueled journey as we dive into the thrilling world of motorcycle racing! Today, we're bringing you live coverage of the 2026 season's opening day of on-track testing, straight from the iconic Jerez circuit in Spain.
The excitement is building as some of the fastest riders on the planet gather for their first testing event of the year. Despite the rain pouring down overnight, the enthusiasm of the teams and riders is unwavering. They're eager to hit the track and kick off this highly anticipated preseason.
But here's where it gets controversial... The weather conditions are a bit of a curveball. Will the rain impact the riders' performance and strategy? Only time will tell.
Get a full rundown of the riders participating in this two-day test here. Track action is set to begin at 10:00 local time (UTC +2) and continue until 18:00. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds!
And this is the part most people miss... Follow the test with live timings here. You won't want to miss a single lap!
Let's dive into the action:
- 13:04 - Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) takes to the track for his first lap of the day, gearing up for his inaugural season with the factory Ducati team. His teammate, Nicolo Bulega, is expected to sit out Day 1 due to the persistent rain.
- 13:00 - Xavi Fores, the test rider for Bimota, showcases the progress made by the engineers with the KB998 Rimini. After 17 laps, he's sitting fourth on the timesheet with a fast lap of 1'55.917s.
- 12:56 - 'Petrux' raises the bar once again, setting a new fastest lap of 1'52.976s on his 12th lap, extending his lead to 1.284s.
- 12:51 - Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) joins the test, becoming the second Bimota rider to participate. He's completed six laps so far, with a best time of 1'57.978s, currently placing him in P8.
- 12:37 - Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) is on his second stint, sitting in P6. He aims to get comfortable with the 2026 Panigale V4R, particularly focusing on understanding the bike's new swing arm.
- 12:33 - Oliviera jumps into P2 behind his teammate Petrucci after his third stint, narrowing the gap to just 0.558s.
- 12:11 - Jake Dixon, one half of the Honda HRC rider duo, takes his first lap of 2026 before heading back to the garage.
- 12:09 - Oliveira moves up to third fastest, while Petrucci continues his impressive run, improving to 1'54.17ss and creating a gap of over two seconds ahead of the field.
- 12:06 - Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), BMW's new signing, makes an immediate impact. With just his third lap, he tops the timesheet, displacing Manzi by nearly two tenths of a second with a time of 1'56.117s.
- 12:00 - After a pair of laps, #31 returns to the box, leaving Surra as the sole rider on track. Surra is getting up to speed with the Ducati Panigale V4R, filling the seat vacated by Ryan Vickers from the Motocorsa team in 2025.
- 11:56 - Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) kicks off his 2026 preseason, taking to the track on the team's upgraded ZX-10RR Ninja.
- 11:44 - Alberto Surra, Motocorsa's rookie rider, makes his WorldSBK debut after an impressive performance in WorldSSP last year, stepping in for the injured Aldi Mahendra.
- 11:42 - Tetsuta Nagashima, the Honda HRC test rider, has completed six laps, collecting data for the team's new riders, Jake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra. Chantra, unfortunately, won't be testing at Jerez due to an injury sustained while training in Malaysia.
- 11:36 - Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) takes the top spot on the timesheets with an impressive 1'56.307s time on his eighth lap.
- 11:33 - The rain seems to be easing up, but the track remains wet.
- 11:32 - Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) officially makes his Barni Ducati debut, joining the competition as a two-time World Champion.
- 11:30 - Xavi Fores, the Bimota test rider, showcases the potential of the KB998 Rimini with a 2'00.873s time, jumping to third-quickest on the day.
- 11:27 - Oliveira takes the lead on the timesheet with a 1'56.886s lap, closely followed by Stefano Manzi within three quarters of a second.
- 11:22 - Dominique Aegerter returns to WorldSSP, aiming to reclaim his Championship-winning form.
- 11:18 - Stefano Manzi and Yari Montella take to the track to begin their Jerez test on Day 1.
- 11:14 - Oliveira returns for his second stint, facing the challenge of filling the shoes of Michael van der Mark and three-time World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu, who have left the team.
- 10:58 - Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) completes three laps and returns to the box, currently leading the timesheet with a time of 2'01.385s, just under a second ahead of Oliveira.
- 10:50 - Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) joins the action, continuing his adaptation to the M 1000 RR after seven seasons in MotoGP.
- 10:42 - Andrea Locatelli emerges from the pits as the first rider on track for the session!
- 10:25 - Riders are yet to take to the track due to wet conditions, but the crew members around the boxes are hard at work. Stay tuned for the start of the action!
- 10:00 - And we're off! Rainy conditions in Jerez have left the track waterlogged, likely delaying the riders' appearance on track.
So, what do you think? Will the rain impact the riders' performance? Who do you think will dominate this preseason? Share your thoughts in the comments!
