BbKRT Heads to Spain for Navarra Test Ahead of WorldSBK Return

Bassani, Lowes and test rider Xavi Fores will complete a one-day test at Navarra as the team prepares for the WorldSBK championship’s return at Magny-Cours.

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After more than six weeks away from competitive action, the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT) is set to return to the track for a one-day test at Spain’s Navarra Circuit on Thursday, 27 August. The session will allow riders Axel Bassani and Alex Lowes to regain their rhythm ahead of Round 9 of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) at Magny-Cours in France.

The Navarra outing marks the team’s first on-track activity since the Donington Park race weekend in early July. Joining Bassani and Lowes will be BbKRT’s official test rider, Xavi Fores, who is expected to continue evaluating technical developments for the bimota KB998 Rimini.

Navarra Chosen to Regain Race Rhythm

Rather than focusing on race-specific setup work, BbKRT selected the 3.933km Navarra Circuit to help riders and engineers ease back into their normal working routine after the lengthy summer break.

The Spanish venue previously hosted a WorldSBK race weekend in 2021, making it a familiar location while offering a neutral environment to concentrate on rebuilding confidence and race pace.

With the next championship round scheduled for 4-6 September at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in central France, the test is aimed at ensuring the riders return to race conditions with the best possible preparation.

Xavi Fores Continues Development Duties

Alongside the regular race riders, test rider Xavi Fores will complete several laps aboard the bimota KB998 Rimini. His role during the session will be to gather valuable feedback on ongoing technical developments while also maintaining his own race fitness ahead of future testing programmes that will contribute to the team’s 2027 development plans.

Alex Lowes Eager to Return to the KB998 Rimini

Alex Lowes admitted he has been counting down the days until he could get back aboard his WorldSBK machine after the extended break.

“I am looking forward to getting back out on the bimota KB998 Rimini. This is not really going to be a test; it’s more about getting back up to speed before we start racing again in Magny-Cours.

So, I am really looking forward to getting back with the guys to enjoy riding the bike, and then start to really focus on Magny-Cours next week. I have missed it.”

Lowes described the Navarra outing as more of a warm-up than a traditional development test, with the main objective being to rebuild confidence before competitive racing resumes.

Axel Bassani Ready to Get Back Racing

For Axel Bassani, the summer interval has felt unusually long, making the upcoming Navarra test an important step before returning to championship action.

“It has been a nice summer break, but it has been quite a long break. It has been like a winter break between two seasons! Next week we will go back to race, finally, but before that we will have a little test at Navarra this week.

We will get on the bike again to find the good feeling that we have had this season. We will do some laps of training and prepare the body for the next race weekend in France. We will enjoy some time with the team, then go again to focus for the next race.”

The Italian rider believes the additional track time will help both his physical preparation and riding feel before heading to France.

Team Focused on Building Momentum Before Magny-Cours

BbKRT Team Manager Guim Roda explained that the Navarra test is designed to help the team transition smoothly from the summer break rather than chase outright performance gains.

“After such a long summer break, with no action on track, we decided to organise this one-day test at Navarra to warm up the riders a little bit before Magny-Cours.

Alex and Axel have been training at home, doing some MX, Supermotard, and using some Supersport bikes to keep fit. But we were willing to give them a bit of track time with their real WorldSBK machines to get the feeling back before we race in France.”

Roda added that Navarra was deliberately selected to avoid distractions associated with preparing for a specific circuit setup.

“We decided to use Navarra to avoid the temptation of working only on a specific bike set-up. The idea is to use test engines and give the riders the necessary laps to enjoy the experience, and push the limits with not too much complexity.

Xavi Fores will make some laps too, to give him track time and stay ‘in tune’ for subsequent tests that will prepare us for the 2027 season.”

He also expressed optimism that favourable weather conditions would allow the team to maximise the one-day programme before shifting its full attention to the upcoming WorldSBK round at Magny-Cours.

BbKRT Looks Ahead to Round 9

With the summer break coming to an end, the Navarra test serves as an important stepping stone for BbKRT as it prepares for the final stages of the 2026 WorldSBK season. The additional track time is expected to help Bassani, Lowes and the entire team return to race mode before the championship resumes at Magny-Cours from 4 to 6 September.