Superbike: What do Tulovic, Schrötter and Reiterberger have to say at the halfway point of the 2026 season

Lukas Tulovic tops the overall standings, even though his race in Brno went rather pear-shaped due to a fault with his shock absorber that had gone unnoticed for some time. Otherwise, the Ducati rider put in a flawless performance and is clearly aiming to defend his title. His closest challenger is former World Championship rider Marcel Schrötter, who still has to test the strength of his right knee at Oschersleben – a knee he badly injured in a crash at Suzuka in Japan. Florian Alt is back on the up after a rather lacklustre start to the season and is making the most of every opportunity that comes his way, pushing his Honda to the limit. Markus Reiterberger has already secured a race win, but with his current Euro Moto package, victories aren’t coming as easily as they did in the past. Twan Smits, riding his Yamaha R1 kitted out with all manner of extras, is proving that he’s now a regular contender for the top spots.

Lukas Tulovic: “Oschersleben has always been a good track for me”

“There’s not much to say,” remarked the Ducati rider ahead of the races at Oschersleben. “Things are looking good at the moment. If you think back, the situation was quite different a year ago. We had far more problems then than we do this year. We’re wiser now and know what matters, and of course we’re trying to defend the title. To win. That’s why I’m here, that’s why Ducati is here, and that’s why my team is here. To win, quite simply. The aim isn’t just to win the title, but ideally to win every race. So, for now, the championship standings are secondary. We’re focusing on each weekend and always getting the most out of it. Then we’ll see where we stand. But of course, Oschersleben has always been a good track for us in the past.”

Marcel Schrötter: “Oschersleben will be tough”

“We’re in a good position,” says BMW rider Marcel Schrötter, assessing the situation in the overall standings. “We know how hard it is to beat the team ahead of us. In that respect, we’ve achieved almost the best possible result. But when I look at individual results, I’m not entirely satisfied. One or two things could have gone better. Based on the experience I’ve gained so far, I’d approach one or two races differently. I’ll manage that better next time. But you’ve got to go through that first year in Euro Moto Superbike to see how things play out. We know how hard it is to beat Lukas on the Ducati when everything’s going his way. So finishing second is the next biggest goal. I want to hold on to that position at the very least. But unfortunately, I’m currently struggling with an injury. Nevertheless, my aim remains to get the best possible result and to be on the podium, or rather to fight for victories. Oschersleben will be tough. But of course, the aim is to beat Lukas as often as possible or at least hold on to second place in the championship.

Florian Alt: “We’ll play it down as usual”

Florian Alt turned up for testing at Oschersleben with the HRP team on two separate occasions – first for two days, then again for a further day. “I think we’re closer now than we were last year,” Alt explained to euromoto.racing. During the tests, the bike was further developed in many areas. “As usual, we’ll be keeping our expectations very low. When I think back to Most and Brno, I was able to make up a lot of ground in the final laps. It’s not about being really fast just once – what matters is being up there at the front at the end. Tulovic’s performance in Italy shows just how high the standard in Euro Moto has become. Tulo currently has the best overall package.”

Markus Reiterberger: “Only then can we start thinking about the championship standings”

“Yes, I’m a bit further back than I’d hoped,” says the BMW rider, describing his state of mind ahead of Oschersleben. “That said, Florian Alt and Marcel Schrötter are within reach. And I need to watch out for Twan Smits behind me. Unfortunately, Lukas Tulovic is a bit further away. But nothing is impossible. We definitely need to make sure we get our bike and our set-up back under control, just like we did in Brno. Rather than how it was in Most. So that we can simply fight for wins and podium places again and close the gap on my rivals. We’ll give it our all again – that’s our main priority; only then can we start thinking about the championship standings.

Twan Smits: “Now it’s up to me”

“The speed has been there all season, but that alone isn’t enough,” says the Dutchman, riding his Yamaha. “I’m really proud of the team and the progress we’ve made since this project began in 2025. Now it’s up to me to squeeze that last bit of pace out of my race pace and fight for the top spot on the podium.”

Euro Moto Superbike standings after six of 14 races