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Superbike, 2026 opens in the sign of Nicolò Bulega

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Nicolò Bulega sets the pace on the first day of the Australian Round, opening round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship 2026. At the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, the Aruba.it Racing-Ducati rider closes ahead of everyone with a half-second lead over Alex Lowes, while Sam Lowes completes the top three.

Andrea GussoniMotoGP, the highest-paid riders: salaries World 2026

MotoGP, the highest paid riders: salaries World 2026. Source: Marca
10 Alex Rins (Yamaha): 2.2 million euros. The Spanish rider is all'last year in Yamaha
9 Enea Bastianini (KTM): 2.5 million euros. The Italian rider is expected to move up a level after a season of acclimatization in KTM
8 Joan Mir (Honda): 3 million euros. The 2020 world champion must climb back up after four difficult years
7 Jack Miller (Yamaha): 3 million euros. The Australian is in his second year at Yamaha
6 Johann Zarco (Honda): 4 million euros. The French rider is the highest paid in Honda
5 Maverick Viñales (KTM): 4 million euros. The Spanish centaur is hunting for a revival after a difficult season
4 Jorge Martin (Aprilia): 4.2 million euros. After a nightmarish 2025, the 2024 champion hopes to turn his Aprilia experience around
3 Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati): 7 million euros. The two-time MotoGP world champion is hunting for redemption after a difficult 2025
2 Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha): 12 million euros. The 2021 world champion could be in his last year at Yamaha
The excluded: Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez. Paradoxically, two of last season’s best riders are also among the lowest paid. Acosta has a salary of 1.5 million in KTM
Marc Marquez’s brother, Alex, draws less than a million euros from the Ducati Gresini team
1 Marc Marquez (Ducati): 17.2 million euros. The world champion’s base salary is 12 million euros, raised after last season’s victories

With a brilliant 1’28”858, Bulega signs the best time on Friday, confirming himself as the absolute reference of the day. In FP2 behind him is new teammate Iker Lecuona, then eighth in the combined. Sam Lowes, third at 524 thousandths from the leader, is also protagonist of a fall about twenty minutes from the end of the second session. Fifth overall for Alvaro Bautista, who is just two thousandths ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri, who returned to WorldSBK with Team GoEleven and was immediately competitive.

More complicated start for Yamaha: Xavi Vierge is 11th in 1’29.806, Andrea Locatelli 15th and Stefano Manzi 18th, ahead of Remy Gardner, still not at his best after the injury suffered at the end of 2025. Bahattin Sofuoglu, who crashed in turn 4, is 20th. Difficult day also for Honda, lacking starters Jake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra due to injury. The two CBR1000RR-R SPs on track saw Ryan Vickers 16th ahead of Tetsuta Nagashima.

The top six on Friday at Phillip Island:
Nicolo Bulega – 1’28.858
Alex Lowes – +0.496
Sam Lowes – +0.524
Axel Bassani – +0.610
Alvaro Bautista – +0.624
Lorenzo Baldassarri – +0.626

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