Bimota works rider Axel Bassani acknowledges: “Ducati are in a league of their own”

It’s been a long time since Axel Bassani had such a good Friday. After a subdued FP1, the Bimota rider improved by 0.7 seconds in the afternoon session and clocked the fifth-fastest lap time of 1:35.844. The curly-haired rider from Feltre was 0.4 seconds off the day’s fastest time set by world champion Nicolò Bulega (Ducati).

The first day of practice was once again dominated by Ducati, with privateer Alberto Surra and Iker Lecuona – both on V4Rs – following Bulega. BMW rider Miguel Oliveira was also marginally faster than Bassani, finishing in fourth place. “The lap times are very close together,” emphasised Bassani. “In the afternoon I did a race simulation and, after a few laps, started having major problems with the rear end. The bike was sliding a lot, particularly under braking. After we tweaked the set-up a bit for the final run, things went much better. The feeling was good and, although I made a few mistakes, I clocked a time of 1:35.8 – those are good lap times for the first day.”

Ducati in a class of its own in the 2026 Superbike World Championship

Does Bassani see a chance at the Circuito do Estoril to challenge the leading Ducati riders? “No – just as we haven’t all season. That’s simply the reality. They’re currently in a league of their own,” the Italian says, waving the idea away in frustration. “We don’t like that, and of course we always try to get as close to them as possible. On some circuits we’re closer, on others less so. We strive in every race to finish in the top five. A podium would be nicer, but that’s not realistic for us at the moment.”

The balance system laid down in the regulations is actually intended to ensure a level playing field, but this year all Ducati’s attempts to curb their performance have proved ineffective. For next season, therefore, a rev limit will be introduced as an additional measure. “I’m praying that the new regulations for 2027 will bring about some change – everyone wants that, except Ducati,” Bassani said with a smile. “Everyone else is having enormous problems. Sometimes we’re racing the others in the midfield with small gaps, but there’s a huge gap to the front. That’s not good for us riders, the teams, or the spectators and fans. We can only hope that next year different manufacturers will be capable of winning – that would be really important.”

That’s not good for the championship.

Axel Bassani

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Paradox: although Bassani longs for more balance, he’s happy for Ducati’s success. “On that point, I agree with them: whoever works harder than anyone else deserves to win. They invest a lot, put great passion into the project, have plenty of bikes on the track and lots of people working hard for success in the teams, in the workshop and at the factory. I rode for a Ducati customer team for three years and got an insight into just how hard they work. Anyone could copy this system, though the budget required is likely to be a problem. They’re getting the most out of what they’ve got, and they’re perfectly entitled to do so,” emphasised the Italian. “At the same time, we mustn’t forget the others. If no manufacturer can close the gap, it’s not good for the championship, because nobody wants to watch that sort of thing. Of course, it’s brilliant to win every race – everyone wants that.”