The opening day of Round 8 of the 2026 WorldSBK Championship got underway at Donington Park for Team Motocorsa Racing and Alberto Surra. At the end of Friday’s two free practice sessions, the Italian rider finished 12th in the combined standings, just nine tenths of a second off the fastest lap.
For Surra, it was his first-ever experience at the iconic British circuit aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 RS. Throughout the day, the team focused primarily on refining the bike’s setup and helping the rider build confidence with the track, collecting valuable data ahead of the weekend’s decisive sessions.
The timesheets remain extremely close, with minimal gaps separating the riders, and the work will continue in Saturday morning’s FP3 with the aim of making another step forward before Superpole and Race 1, which will officially kick off the most crucial phase of the British weekend.
ALBERTO SURRA – RIDER
“It was a positive first day of the weekend on a circuit I’d never ridden before, so it was definitely a challenge. We managed to keep the gap to the fastest rider down to nine tenths, and we’re all very close together. We’ll keep working to improve even further, but I’m really happy with the work we’ve done today. I think we’re on the right track and I can’t wait for Race 1 tomorrow afternoon.”
LORENZO MAURI – TEAM MANAGER
“We finished Friday’s FP2 in 12th position and we’re fairly happy with that. We still have a lot of work to do and, of course, the British riders are very competitive here, so we need to improve in every area, both in terms of the rider and the bike. Tomorrow morning, during FP3, we’ll make some further adjustments to try and take another small step forward.”
LINK TO OUR DROPBOX WITH HD PHOTOS: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/x18wryyl3g3dftaqtz3ur/AHTlIbSY-4ZRuffAGJp_9f4?rlkey=qyrwbwjhgwnrtc671raj0n0wc&st=sf0hl48x&dl=0
