Axel Bassani makes bold target for Bimota World Superbike return

Bimota’s return to the World Superbike Championship for 2025 complicates expectations because it is a new chassis and new aerodynamics but an established team and a well-known engine – a combination that Axel Bassani hopes can see him achieve a maiden WorldSBK race win.

The Italian seemed to be getting closer to a first win in World Superbike during the 2023 season when he rode the Motocorsa Ducati, but the switch to the factory Kawasaki team last year didn’t result in a step up to victory contention.

With the new Bimota KB998, though, Bassani is hopeful that he can return to contending for podiums and possibly victories.

“I want to come back to fight for the top positions, with the top riders,” Bassani told WorldSBK.com at the recent Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team launch.

“It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible.

“So, I hope to be part of the game, to have fun with my mates on track, and we’ll see.

“Sure, we will fight every weekend to be our best, we will try to have a victory if it’s possible, and try to take again Bimota to the top of the world.”

Bassani found himself immediately comfortable with the KB998, as did his teammate Alex Lowes, during the winter tests, but the Italian is aware there is still work to do and progress to be made.

“The feeling with the bike was immediately good,” he said.

“Sure, we have a lot of work to do. Unfortunately, we did only three days of testing, also because we don’t have a lot of days to test, especially also for the weather because it was not really nice.

“But I think we found quite a good base, but we have a lot to try and a lot to work, and I think during the season we can improve a lot.”

The switch from Kawasaki to Bimota also means that Bassani is back to representing an Italian brand after spending his first years in WorldSBK on the Ducati Panigale V4 R.

“I feel really proud,” he said. “To race again with an Italian bike in World Superbike is always special, also because this is a really special bike because the engine is from Japan and the rest of the bike is from Italy.

“So, I think it will be a really good mix, and I hope to give to Bimota and Kawasaki the results they deserve.”