From 2026, the WSBK World Championship will undergo a major transformation: the introduction of the new Sportbike category, intended to become the official entry point to the SBK paddock. This reform is considered essential by many within the sport, including Davide Tardozzi, director of the Ducati MotoGP team, who believes this new pathway will correct the shortcomings of the Supersport 300 series.
Designed as a stepping stone to Supersport and Superbike, the category Sport bike will be based on motorcycles of approximately 90 channounced at Aprilia, Triumph, Kawasaki, Kove, Suzuki et Yamaha .
CFMOTO extension et Honda They have also homologated models, although no teams have yet been confirmed for these two manufacturers. The objective is clear: to rebuild a coherent program after the mixed experience of the SSP300.
Launched in 2017, the category supersport 300 It was supposed to be the natural breeding ground for future Superbike talent. If it revealed Manuel Gonzalez, now Moto2 vice-champion, and Adrian Huertas, world Supersport champion and Moto2 rider, his overall impact remains limited.
Davide Tardozzi does not mince his words: " The only problem with the Superbike World Championship as a stepping stone for young riders, The problem is that there is a critical shortage of young talent. »
He points out that, on the Grand Prix side, the category structure works much better:
« In MotoGP, many riders come from the Rookies Cup, which is an excellent stepping stone. Then come Moto3 and Moto2. »
In Superbike, he analyzes, the weakness of the training system stems from an SSP300 category that has not produced by Gonzalez in seven years ».
Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega, two exceptions that prove the rule: for years, no WSBK rider made it to MotoGP
The lack of young talent in SBK is directly reflected in the low migration to MotoGP.
However, in 2026, two pilots will make the leap: Toprak Razgatlioglu, three-time Superbike world champion, who started in MotoGP during the IRTA test in Valencia.
Nicholas Bulega, world runner-up, called upon to replace Marc Marquez injured during the Portuguese and Valencia GPs, and who will join the Ducati MotoGP development program from mid-2026, before a future factory contract in prototype.
But, as the TardozziThese trajectories are rare: for years, no SBK rider made it to MotoGP.
For Tardozzi, the integration of the category Sport bike could finally correct the systemic flaws:
« The current regulations are not working. The Supersport World Championship is average I hope the new regulations will be the right ones »
À 66 yearsThe man who won the very first Superbike race in 1988 at Donington Park sees this reform as an absolute necessity to revive the base of the WSBK pyramid and create new pathways to Grand Prix racing.
The launch of the category Sport bike 2026 marks a strategic turning point for the world Superbike championship.
With committed manufacturers, simplified regulations and a stated desire to address the shortage of young talent, WSBK hopes to regain its role as a true incubator of champions.
It remains to be seen whether this reform will succeed in producing the future Razgatlioglu, Bulega… or even the next serious candidates for MotoGP.
