Misano Adriatico, June 15, 2026 – A perfect weekend, both on and off the track. The recent WorldSBK Emilia-Romagna Round re-emphasized, once again, the central role of the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” and the entire Motor Valley on the international motorsport scene.

The big news of the weekend is not just about sporting triumphs, but also about the future: WorldSBK will race at Misano until at least 2031.

The future is secured: WorldSBK in the Motor Valley until 2031

Sealing the event’s success was the signing of the contract extension between Santa Monica SpA and WorldSBK management. This confirmation consolidates a love story that began in 1991 and has already seen 33 rounds held on the Romagna track.

The renewal is a fundamental milestone for the entire Motor Valley ecosystem, backed by the extraordinary numbers generated by the event: a 2024 Trademark Italia study highlights over 154,000 tourist attendances linked to the round, generating an economic impact of over 28 million euros, alongside a global television audience of around 10 million viewers.

There is great satisfaction among regional institutions. Michele de Pascale, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, emphasized that the agreement is:

“A milestone that rewards the work done over the years and confirms our Motor Valley as an international point of reference for motorsports.”

Sports Councilor Roberta Frisoni shared the same view, reaffirming the event’s value for the economy and appeal of the entire region. This success was made possible by the continuous development of the circuit, praised by both WorldSBK Executive Director Gregorio Lavilla and the track’s top management, Luca Colaiacovo (President of Santa Monica SpA) and Andrea Albani (Managing Director of MWC).

Ducati dominance: Nicolò Bulega is the record breaker

On the asphalt of the Misano World Circuit, the show was entirely painted in the Italian tricolor. Sunday saw the completion of the absolute dominance of Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). With victories in the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2, Bulega extended his streak of consecutive wins to 25, also becoming the Italian with the highest number of podiums (77) in Superbike history. Making the celebration even bigger was a podium monopolized across all races, completed by Iker Lecuona and Yari Montella.

Applauding the champions was a true human tide: 76,160 total attendees over the weekend (13,774 on Friday, 26,931 on Saturday, and a whopping 35,465 on Sunday). It was a highly international crowd, with large representations from all over Europe (led by Switzerland, Germany, and the UK) and spectators even from the United States and China.

Entertainment across all categories and in the paddock

Beyond the premier class, the weekend delivered immense excitement in the other categories as well. In the Women’s World Championship (WorldWCR), Maria Herrera took a double win in Race 2, securing her fifth victory of the season, ahead of record-hunter Beatriz Neila (22nd consecutive second-place finish) and Thailand’s Muklada Sarapuech. In the Sportbike World Championship, a heart-pounding triumph saw David Salvador win by just 39 thousandths of a second over Carter Thompson, while in Supersport, the victory went to Spain’s Albert Arenas.

The immersive WorldSBK format also rewarded off-track initiatives. The excitement began on the grid with the Italian national anthem sung by Giada Maragno, before moving to the MWC Square — the 1,000-square-meter area that saw a full house across commercial stands, merchandising, and entertainment.

Finally, racing passion joined hands with solidarity: as part of the Misano Green Circuit project, the valuable Food Collection initiative returned, collecting surplus food from the weekend to distribute to local communities in collaboration with the Papa Giovanni XXIII Association. This is yet another demonstration of how the Motor Valley successfully combines sporting excellence, economic impact, and social responsibility.

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