Honda HRC has officially confirmed Jonathan Rea will replace the injured Jake Dixon at the Portimao WorldSBK round on March 27 to 29, partnering Somkiat Chantra who returns from injury. The six time champion retired from full time racing at the end of 2025 before joining Honda as test rider, making Portimao his first race with Honda since 2014.

WorldSBK heads to the iconic Autodromo Internacional do Algarve for Round 2 on March 27 to 29, with Nicolo Bulega arriving as championship leader after a dominant hat trick at Phillip Island. Ducati have traditionally enjoyed strong results at Portimao, making Bulega the clear favourite heading into the Rollercoaster Round. Alex Lowes topped the pre round test for Bimota Kawasaki, hinting at a potential upset.

Honda HRC will field Jonathan Rea and Somkiat Chantra at the upcoming WorldSBK Portimao test. Chantra returns after arm surgery forced him to miss the Australian round, while Jake Dixon continues recovering from a fractured wrist. Dixon’s rehabilitation is progressing well, but the Portuguese test comes too soon for his return.

Alvaro Bautista said wet conditions turned WorldSBK Race 2 at Phillip Island into a “lottery”. Poor visibility and changing grip made the race difficult for riders, but he secured third place for Barni Ducati. Bautista added he focused on staying safe and finishing the race as teams coped with unpredictable weather.

Nicolo Bulega won Race 2 at Phillip Island to complete a clean sweep of the opening WorldSBK round. The Ducati rider mastered wet conditions to take his third victory of the weekend. Axel Bassani finished second and Alvaro Bautista secured third, giving Barni Ducati its first podium of the season.

Nicolo Bulega won Race 2 at Phillip Island to complete a clean sweep of the opening WorldSBK weekend. The Ducati rider secured victories in all three races of the round. Alvaro Bautista also reached the podium, giving the Barni Ducati team its first top-three finish of the season at the Australian circuit.

Nicolo Bulega secured pole position for the WorldSBK round at Phillip Island after leading every session before Superpole. The Italian was over 0.4 seconds faster than Yari Montella, who achieved his first front-row start in the category. Bulega’s strong pace puts him in a leading position ahead of Race 1 at the Australian circuit.

Nicolo Bulega won the opening WorldSBK Race 1 at Phillip Island, starting the 2026 season strongly for Ducati. Yari Montella finished second, with Lorenzo Baldassarri third to complete an all-Ducati podium. The race featured close battles behind the leader as riders managed tyres and pace at the fast Australian circuit.

Nicolo Bulega topped the third WorldSBK practice session at Phillip Island, continuing his strong pace ahead of the race weekend. Sam Lowes finished second while Axel Bassani stayed among the front runners. Teams used the session to refine setup and tyre choice before qualifying, with close lap times across the leading group.