We are still before the summer pause, but the WSBK grill for 2026 is already beginning to be defined. Some pilots who have renewed with their teams are already known or have a contract in force, we also know that Toprak Razgatlioglu goes to MotoGP and that two heavyweights of the category, such as Jonathan Rea and Álvaro Bautista, still do not have a accommodation for next season.
In the case of Bautista, the situation is clearer than that of Rea. The Spanish wanted to continue with Ducati making effective the possibility of extending the contract for another season, but the Italian manufacturer did not agree. From that moment, Álvaro looks for a hole in the WSBK grid for 2026, which is now defining. Meanwhile, Jonathan Rea still has no novelty about future in any way.
Fortunately for another part of the grill, there are those who have confirmed their continuity through a contract. Eight in total, which in turn implies that the vast majority are in the same situation that Jonathan Rea and Álvaro Bautista.
The WSBK grill for 2026 is full of unknowns
In fact, there are teams that do not even have a single pilot confirmed for the next campaign, with the official Honda team being the most important of them. Right now and despite the competitiveness that they show, or Xavi Vierge or Iker Lecuona have a contract with Honda for the next campaign, and the CBR1000RR-R is a motorcycle for which many could be interested.
The same goes for BMW. At the top of Toprak it must be added that Michael Van Der Mark has not renewed for now. Only the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team already knows the two pilots who will compete with them, since both Bassani and Alex Lowes have a contract.
And if things are like that as far as official teams are concerned, in private the situation is not very different. There are some pilots who have already renewed their contract and therefore have their grid hole for next year, but there are many more than not. Celebres names in the championship such as Danilo Petrucci, Andrea Iannone, Remy Gardner or Dominique Aegerter do not know their future.
So, the only pilots who have confirmed by contract their participation in the WSBK 2026 are:
- Alex Lowes: Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team
- Axel Bassani: Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team
- Ryan Vickers: Motocorsa Racing
- Andrea Locatelli: Pata Maxus Yamaha:
- Nicolo Bulega: Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
- Garrett Gerloff: Kawasaki Racing Team
- Sam Lowes: Elf Marc Vds Racing Team
- Yari Montella: Barni Spark Racing Team
