Bassani Breaks Through with Double Podium as Bimota Returns to WorldSBK Spotlight

Italian rider claims first top-three finishes on KB998 Rimini and sits second overall after Phillip Island.

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Axel Bassani turned disappointment into redemption at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, securing a pair of second-place finishes to claim his first podiums aboard the Bimota KB998 Rimini.

After narrowly missing the podium in Race 1 by just a few thousandths of a second, Bassani bounced back in style on Sunday, finishing second in both the Superpole Race and Race 2. The results mark his first top-three finishes since July 2023 and signal a major breakthrough for Bimota’s new WorldSBK project.

The strong weekend also elevates Bassani to second place in the 2026 championship standings, effectively the “best of the rest” behind a dominant Nicolò Bulega, who completed a hat-trick of wins in Australia.

Redemption in the Rain

Bassani was all smiles after Sunday’s success. 

“It was a great Sunday. We were always fast; even during the test our pace was good and we were consistently in the top five. I had a very good feeling with the bike,” he said.

Wet conditions in Race 2 made the result even more impressive. Bassani admitted he had struggled for confidence in similar conditions during pre-season testing at Jerez, making his podium finish at Phillip Island all the more satisfying.

“In wet conditions I didn’t expect this kind of result,” he explained. “I started off fairly slowly, tried to be consistent and not make mistakes. In the end, it worked. I’m happy and I thank the team.”

Historic Moment for Bimota

The Superpole Race delivered an additional milestone. Bassani and teammate Alex Lowes shared the podium, the first time since 1988 that two Bimota riders stood on the same WorldSBK podium.

Back in the championship’s inaugural season, Davide Tardozzi and Stéphane Mertens achieved the feat multiple times, most notably at Estoril. 

“I was born in 1999,” Bassani joked. “So… It’s really positive for Bimota, a small company but with good people working hard. I think it’s a nice gift for them and I hope there are more to come.”

Confidence Restored

The double podium gives Bassani a significant confidence boost after nearly two and a half years away from the rostrum. His last top-three finish came at Imola in 2023, when he was riding for Motocorsa Ducati.

“I feel very good, it’s great to be back on the podium after about two and a half years. It’s important for me, because it means I have the speed to do it. Now it’s in our hands to keep working like this.” 

With momentum building and the KB998 Rimini showing strong early promise, attention now shifts to the next round at Algarve International Circuit in March.

“We’ll have a test before racing there and we’ll be able to see where we stand,” Bassani said. “Surely that’s a completely different track, but I think we have a good base. We’ll see how it goes.”

After breaking the ice in Australia, Bassani and Bimota now look firmly in the fight, and perhaps even eyeing that first historic victory together.