Bimota Targets Strong Donington Park Performance as WorldSBK Returns from Summer Break

Alex Lowes aims for a home podium while Axel Bassani looks to continue bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team’s consistent 2026 campaign in the UK.

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The 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship returns to action this weekend as the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT) heads to the iconic Donington Park circuit in the United Kingdom for Round 8 following a short break since the previous round at Misano in mid-June.

The British round holds extra significance for Alex Lowes, who will race in front of his home crowd for the only time this season. The British rider will once again be joined by teammate Axel Bassani, with on-track action taking place from 10 to 12 July.

Donington Park occupies a special place in WorldSBK history, having hosted the championship’s inaugural race in 1988. Since then, the legendary 4.023km circuit has staged 70 WorldSBK races, becoming one of the most recognisable venues on the calendar thanks to its fast, flowing layout and challenging elevation changes.

Bimota enters the British round with growing confidence after an encouraging start to the 2026 season. The KB998 Rimini has already delivered podium finishes during the opening round at Phillip Island, highlighting the progress made in the motorcycle’s second year of competition.

Lowes currently sits fourth in the championship standings with 156 points, while Bassani occupies sixth place on 128 points, giving the Italian manufacturer a solid platform heading into the second half of the season.

The race weekend begins on Friday with two 45-minute Free Practice sessions before riders return on Saturday for FP3, Superpole qualifying and the opening 23-lap race. Sunday’s schedule includes a warm-up session, the 10-lap Superpole Race and the final 23-lap feature race.

The Donington Park round also marks an important point in the championship, as it concludes two-thirds of the 2026 WorldSBK season before the series enters an extended summer break. Racing will only resume nearly two months later at Magny-Cours, France, from 4 to 6 September.

For Lowes, the British round represents more than just another championship weekend.

“I can’t wait for the Donington weekend and obviously it is the only chance I get to race in front of the British fans all year,” said Lowes.

“It is a great track and I think from Turn One to Coppice Corner, leading onto the back straight, there are some of the best sections of racetrack anywhere that we go to. The track is good fun, and I have always enjoyed it.”

The 34-year-old added that the support from family, friends and local fans will provide extra motivation as he targets another podium finish.

“I am looking forward to working hard on Friday, seeing all the people, using some of the energy from the fans, friends, and family that are going to be there. I will do my best and try to get on the podium. That is the target. I would love to get on the podium on the bimota at Donington Park.”

Bassani is equally optimistic heading into the weekend after establishing a strong base setup for the KB998 Rimini throughout the opening seven rounds.

“We are ready to go to Donington. It is always special to go there and I like to race on that track layout,” said the Italian rider.

“It has a really fast first part, then in the last few corners we have very strong braking sections. We have a really good base on the bike and the capacity to stay consistent and have a good speed.”

Bassani added that the team’s focus remains on maintaining consistency while extracting the maximum performance throughout the weekend.

“We will check how we will start on Friday, but for sure we will try to stay calm and focused on our job. We will try to extract the maximum from the weekend and we will see what happens. The attitude is positive and we will continue to work like we have done until now.”

With both riders firmly inside the championship’s top six and the KB998 Rimini continuing to show encouraging development, bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team will be hoping to leave Donington Park with another strong points haul before the long summer break.