Solid points for Desmosport Ducati as ASBK Summer Series era begins

Desmosport Ducati has ushered in a new Summer Championship era in the Australian Superbike Championship at the famed Phillip Island circuit with the opening round held alongside MotoGP from October 23-25. Josh Waters brought home a sixth and ninth in the two races that were completed to sit seventh in the standings. The weather played havoc with the MotoGP farewell to the illustrious venue with rain and fog so heavy on Sunday that all racing had to be cancelled. With only one session prior to qualifying, Waters managed a second row start and in the opening race the #21 held station for the majority of the eleven laps for an eventual sixth place result. The threat of rain made setup choices difficult for the second event later in the afternoon but after a promising start to the race, Waters found himself shuffled back in the pack. Ninth place was the best that could be salvaged in the sketchy conditions, with the focus firmly shifting to testing prior to the second round at Tailem Bend over November 13-15 where the goal will be to debut the new model Ducati Panigale V4 R 7G.  

Joshua Waters #21 

Qualified: 6th (1:32.086)
Fastest Lap: 1:32.086 (Q2)
Results: 6-9, 7th Overall 

Championship Standing: 7th 

DesmoSport Ducati Team Owner, Ben Henry: "Round one of the 2027 Summer Series wasn't so summery! Sunday being rained out was a shame for us because we had worked pretty hard on the bike overnight and we felt like we had come up with something to solve the issues leading up to the third race. While we're obviously not happy with the results, the team is working together really well and the dynamic is really good. Now, we move on and get ready for the next test with the new bike. I'm pretty confident we will debut the new V4 R 7G at Tailem Bend for round two.” 

DesmoSport Ducati Rider, Joshua Waters: "This wasn't the send off for Phillip Island that any of us were hoping for. The weather was a challenge, for sure, and it was so disappointing for all the fans to miss out on the Sunday races. We were especially hoping for the third race because the team worked hard overnight and I feel like we might have found something to get us up where we need to be. I'm really looking forward to some testing before the second round at Tailem Bend, and hopefully the new 7G V4 R will be ready by then." 

For full results head to www.computime.com.au 

Make sure you follow the team’s social media to stay up to date. 

Image Credit: RBMotoLens  

2025 Australian Superbike Championship 

• Round 1: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC Oct 23-25​ 
• Round 2: The Bend Motorsport Park, SA Nov 13-15 
• Round 3: One Raceway, NSW Dec 4-6 
• Round 4: Queensland Raceway, QLD Jan 15-17 
• Round 5: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC Feb 26-28 (TBC) 
• Round 6: Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW Mar 19-21​ 

Joshua Waters #21
Championship Standing: 7th 

Round 1: Phillip Island
6-9, 7th Overall 

Round 2: The Bend
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