AMCNews has written that the DesmoSport Ducati team will be present at the start of the 2026 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) with a three-rider line-up: Luca Durning, Olly Simpson, and Anthony West. The season debut will take place at the traditional opening round at Phillip Island, scheduled for February 20th to 22nd, in conjunction with the WorldSBK World Championship. A full line-up between the Superbike and Supersport.
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New Zealander Luca Durning will continue the course he started in 2025, returning to ride the DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R in the Superbike class. South Australian Olly Simpson, on the other hand, will face a new challenge, moving up to the Next Gen Supersport category with the Ducati Panigale V2. Rounding out the line-up will be Queensland veteran Anthony West, who'll be riding the ER Motorsport DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R, bringing to the team a wealth of international experience at the highest level.
"When Deon contacted me, I was definitely interested. I rode around the track a lot last year next to the DesmoSport bikes and, after a very open and honest conversation with Ben, I had no qualms about joining the team. I just recently started riding the bike and, as we work on electronics and mutual adaptation between me and the Panigale, I already see many positive aspects, and know I can be competitive with this package. I'm looking forward to working with Ben, Charlie, Ed, Robin, and the whole ER Motorsport DesmoSport team, and to sharing the pit box with Olly and Luca this season," West said.
Tests and upcoming commitments
The team is currently engaged in a two-day test at Phillip Island with Senna Agius, Olly Simpson, and Anthony West. Once terminated, the team will travel to Sydney for the second round of the St. George Summer Series, scheduled for Friday night, before focusing on the official opening of the 2026 ASBK.
2026 Australian Superbike Championship
- Round 1: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC Feb 20th-22nd (WorldSBK)
- Round 2: Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW Mar 27th-28th
- Round 3: The Bend Motorsport Park, SA, May 1st-3rd
- Round 4: Morgan Park Raceway, QLD May 29th-31st
- Round 5: Queensland Raceway, QLD June 26th-28th