First test of the season in Jerez hampered by rain. Lorenzo Baldassarri completes just a few laps as he tests his new Ducati and officially opens the season.

The first tests in Jerez de la Frontera have concluded, officially opening the 2026 season for the teams and riders of the FIM Superbike World Championship. Rain dominated the first day, affecting the entire programme and forcing Lorenzo Baldassarri to remain in the pits. This provided an unusual opportunity to work closely with the GoEleven team technicians, who focused on preparing the bike and putting the finishing touches to it ahead of its debut.

Although still characterised by unstable weather conditions, the second day allowed Lorenzo to take his Ducati Panigale V4R out on the track for around forty laps to get a first feel for the new bike, without worrying about lap times. The weather confirmed that these two days of official testing were not ideal for a more in-depth test, but they were useful for getting everyone, riders and teams alike, back into championship mode and preparing for the first round next month in Australia.

In the meantime, we will be back on track next week with the second test window in Portimão. Hoping for weather more suitable for Superbike racing, it will be an even more exciting opportunity for everyone, as after Phillip Island, the Algarve circuit will host the second round of the calendar at the end of March. A preview of what will be the start of the season in Europe, which we hope will give us more reliable and indicative sessions for this new beginning.

The rider’s first impressions:

On the first day, the rain ruined our plans. Zero laps, but there was an opportunity to experience a great atmosphere and work with the team. On the second day, I finally tried the new bike and in the few laps I did, I was able to get familiar with it, without pushing too hard, given the less than optimal track conditions.

Lorenzo Baldassarri

Just a couple more official tests and it will be time for the first race at Phillip Island. The excitement is palpable, and we want to share it as much as possible through the social media channels 7balda and Lorenzo Baldassarri, on the official website worldsbk.com, while to not miss out on the excitement of the races, you can watch them live and on demand on worldsbk.com, Sky Sport, NOWtv and TV8 on channel 8 of the DTT.