BbKRT Wraps Up Productive Test at Navarra for Magny-Cours Round

Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani complete valuable pre-race testing in Spain as bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team prepares for the WorldSBK season restart in France.

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After a six-week summer break, the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT) returned to the track for a productive one-day test at Navarra Circuit in Spain on Thursday, 27 August.

The session gave riders Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani the opportunity to regain their rhythm before the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship resumes at Magny-Cours, France, next week.

The test marked an important step in preparing both riders and the team for the final stretch of the 2026 WorldSBK season. Joining the regular race riders was BbKRT test rider Xavi Forres, who focused on development work for the bimota KB998 Rimini throughout the day.

Navarra, a former WorldSBK venue, offers a technical mix of fast and slow corners that makes it an ideal location for testing. Since hosting the championship in 2021, the Spanish circuit has undergone several improvements, including updates to parts of its layout.

Although rain arrived around midday and reduced the amount of available track time, both Lowes and Bassani were still able to complete valuable laps. The session also allowed the team’s engineers and technical staff to settle back into race operations after the extended summer break.

With the Navarra test complete, the entire BbKRT squad will now shift its focus to Round 9 of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, scheduled to take place from 4 to 6 September.

The French round will begin a crucial run of four consecutive race weekends that will conclude the current championship campaign.

Alex Lowes was pleased to be back aboard the bimota KB998 Rimini after several weeks away from racing.

“It was good to get a few laps on the bike before we get to Magny-Cours for the next round. We had some drops of rain at midday, so we missed two hours of track time. But it was good to be back out with the guys in the team.

We had a positive day. Improvements have been made at Navarra compared to the last time we were here, which is really good. It was nice to get back to work and I am excited for next week,” said Lowes.

Axel Bassani also described the test as a positive opportunity to reconnect with the bike after the long summer interval.

“We had quite a good test and it has been great to jump onto the bike again after six weeks of not touching our WorldSBK bike. I was happy to get back to working with the team and everyone. The feeling with the bike was quite good, similar to the last time we used it.

We did a lot of laps, not trying anything unusual, as this test was only to try and find the feeling we had the last time we were on track,” Bassani explained.

Alex Lowes’ Crew Chief, Pere Riba, said the primary objective was to help the riders regain confidence before returning to competitive action.

“The target of this test was to give some time to the riders after this long summer break, to let them get used to the bike again. It rained a little bit and we lost maybe an hour-and-a-half or two hours of track time.

That was unlucky because this summer has been so hot, with no rain. Alex was happy to be on the bike and we made some laps. At the same time, I tried a couple of small things, and it was positive. We are ready to go to Magny-Cours next week.”

Axel Bassani’s Crew Chief, Uri Pallares, highlighted both the rider’s performance and the team’s readiness ahead of the championship restart.

“We had a very positive test after a very long summer break. Axel did almost 80 laps, and straight away he felt comfortable on the bike and had a good feeling, like he showed in the last rounds before the summer.

This test was good not just for him, but for all the crew, including myself, to get the feeling of being at the racetrack again, and remembering the procedures that we will put into effect at Magny-Cours next week. We will go there with a positive feeling and good expectations.”

The Navarra test has given the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team valuable preparation ahead of one of the most important phases of the season. With both riders regaining confidence and the team successfully completing its planned programme despite the weather interruption, BbKRT now heads to Magny-Cours aiming to build momentum for the final four rounds of the 2026 WorldSBK Championship.