A month after the previous round at Misano World Circuit, the Kawasaki WorldSBK and WorldSSP Teams travel to the UK, and the historic circuit of Donington Park, for the eighth round of the 2026 season.
For Garrett Gerloff, the seventh round in Italy was not an easy one, conditioned by a crash in Superpole that meant the Texan rider had to start the races from the back of the grid. Despite that, Gerloff was able to reach the points zone in both long races, confirming both the Ninja ZX-10RR’s competitiveness and the level of feeling he has found with his bike.
Last year, riding the Ninja at the English track for the first time, Garrett scored his best result of the season: sixth in Race 2, and so it is fair to expect strong results from the American this weekend, with the updated ZX-10RR.
Jeremy Alcoba and Dominique Aegerter recently spent two days testing at Cremona Circuit and are keen to get out on track at Donington to evaluate the progress made and the new settings tested in Italy. In 2025, the Spaniard placed seventh and eighth respectively in Race 1 and Race 2.
The WorldSBK championship debuted at this same English track in 1988. The Donington Park circuit was constructed in 1931 but was closed during WW2, with activity only resuming in 1977. Significant extension work was carried out in 1985, with the addition of a new section behind the paddock (Melbourne Loop) which increased the length of the track from 3.149 kilometres to its current 4.023 kilometres. The track, which runs in a clockwise direction, comprises twelve turns, seven of which right-turns and five left. It stands out for its undulation and fast corners, which oblige the riders to brake and accelerate hard. A natural amphitheatre, it offers spectators great views.
The full schedule for the UK round is available at the following link:
Manuel Puccetti
“We’re pleased to be back racing at Donington, an historic track that has brought us strong results in all the categories in which we’ve competed, with race wins in Stock600, Stock1000 and Supersport and podiums in Superbike. As for Supersport, we’re eager to try out everything we tested during the recent session at Cremona, while in Superbike, we think the track can be a good one for our Ninja”.
Garrett Gerloff
“The previous Misano round didn’t go as we’d hoped and so I can’t wait to get back out at Donington and get back to our previous level. It’s an historic track and reminds me of some of the tracks in America, with all the undulation. I hope to work well with the team and find a good setup already on Friday, so that we can show our full potential in the races.”
Jeremy Alcoba
“Donington Park is a unique track; one I really like riding. We easily reached the top ten in both races last year, but I hope to do more this time, thanks also to the hard work we put in during the Cremona test and the improvements made to our bike. It will be important to qualify well to then give it our all in the races.”
Dominique Aegerter
“I know the Donington track very well, having raced there in different categories. It’s an old style track with a lot of ups and downs, chicanes and both very fast and slow turns. I hope the weather helps us out and stays dry. There are always a lot of passionate fans who come to support us too. The Cremona test helped us to improve our bike, and I hope we can demonstrate that during this eighth round. We need to reach the top ten in qualifying and then run two strong races.”
