Phillip Island rarely gives you clean answers. It flatters some packages, punishes others and when the final pre season WorldSBK test concluded in Australia, the British riders left with very different outcomes. One rider firmly in contention. One exactly where experience says he should be. One ruled out before the season has even begun. And two still quietly building.
Sam Lowes finished second overall in the combined classification, 0.666 seconds off Nicolo Bulega’s 1’28.630 benchmark and comfortably inside the 1’29 bracket.
Phillip Island demands stability and tyre management. You do not accidentally run at the front here across multiple sessions. Lowes was not hanging onto a one lap spike either. He set his best time on the second run of the tyre, which is exactly what you want at this circuit.
“I had a really good day. We improved the bike this afternoon and I started to find a good rhythm after doing a longer run this morning to understand my feeling with the bike. I did my best lap on the second run of the tyre which is positive at Phillip Island. I feel competitive. With the hard tyre I think we’ll be a bit closer and that’s the tyre that we’ll have for the race. The team has done a great job to improve the bike session by session. I still have areas we can work on but we’re in the mix.”
After seasons of adaptation in WorldSBK, this felt like his most convincing pre season showing yet.
Alex Lowes ended the test sixth overall with Bimota by Kawasaki.
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Both the Bimota riders, after a year on the package hit the ground running at Phillip Island, speaking about testing Lowes had this to say”
“It is easy to get crazy and over excited especially this year with everything that happened in the winter and not getting that many laps in. We finished the Australian test with a bit more of an understanding of the bike. During the test we worked on the pace of the bike, a bit of electronics, and did some longer runs. The consistency was good but we are missing some things in a few areas. I think we are in an OK position going into the weekend.”
Jake Dixon’s Test Ends Before It Begins
Jake Dixon’s story split cleanly in two. Day one was productive. Sixty one laps completed. Positive adaptation to the CBR1000RR R. A clear sense of progress.
Then Turn 11 intervened on the opening laps of day two.
A crash early on Tuesday resulted in wrist fractures and elbow contusions, ruling him out of the opening round before the season has even started.
For a rookie stepping into Superbikes, lost mileage is everything. The early pace had been credible. The setback is significant because development time is limited and Jake cannot afford to loose to much traction on this new project.
The season now begins without him.
Tarran Mackenzie finished thirteenth overall, 1.327 seconds off the benchmark. On paper that reads midfield. In context it reads development on the new V4R package and the MGM team.
From his own reflections across the test, the emphasis has been on understanding and feeling rather than headline laps. Phillip Island punishes impatience. Mackenzie appears to be avoiding that trap.
Ryan Vickers’ appearance at Phillip Island needs to be viewed through the correct lens.
He is not lining up for a full WorldSBK campaign in 2026. His primary focus this season is the British Superbike Championship with Honda Racing UK, with this outing coming as a wildcard opportunity rather than the start of a long term programme. That said, with both contracted Honda World Superbike riders out of action due to injury, Vickers will be pivotal in the Honda development for 2026. No pressure!
