Sam Lowes set the pace on the opening day of the 2026 WorldSBK test at Jerez, steering his machine to the top of the timesheets during a heavily reduced track session dominated by HRC.
Many riders and teams opted not to stay in Jerez following last weekend’s season-finale, although Honda’s factory team elected to remain in Andalucia with Jake Dixon, Somkiat Chantra, and test rider Jonathan Rea all in action on the circuit.
Riding a camo-themed CBR1000RR-R, Rea set the third quickest time ahead of both factory riders, with Chantra narrowly out-pacing Dixon to secure fourth position in the provisional standings.
However, it was Lowes who ultimately ended the day fastest with a benchmark time of 1m 38.790s, finishing over half a second clear of BMW’s Miguel Oliveira in second place.
Rounding out the top six was BMW test rider Michael van der Mark, who closed out day one with a deficit of 1.790s down on Lowes’ leading pace.
This week’s test represents an important chance for all competitors involved, but particularly those with full-time race seats next season, to thoroughly evaluate Michelin’s new WorldSBK tyres.
The landmark switch from Pirelli to Michelin brings an official end to WorldSBK’s 23-year partnership with the Italian tyre manufacturer, which in turn is replacing Michelin in MotoGP next season.
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