The Portimao WorldSBK test concluded the European part of the 2026 preseason, but did so in “hurricane-force” conditions, as described by Garrett Gerloff.

The Kawasaki rider was hoping to spend this year’s winter testing campaign dialling in his new ZX-10RR, and understanding the technical updates made to the Akashi brand’s product compared to the bike he rode in 2025.

However, as it was for other teams and factories introducing new or updated technical packages in 2026, the weather for the WorldSBK preseason tests presented almost the worst possible conditions, with rain affecting all four days of European testing, two in Jerez and two in Portimao.

For Gerloff, the conditions were a shame, and he only rode the first day of the Portimao test.

“I feel bad for my team and all the teams here, and also in Jerez, because we’ve just had the worst luck with weather,” said Gerloff, speaking to WorldSBK.com after the first day of the Portimao test; the American didn’t ride on day two.

“Today [Thursday] started out with hurricane-force winds in the morning and a tonne of rain. We finally got a little bit of dry track, but it was really half-wet, half-dry with a tonne of rivers across the track. 

“I mean, I wish I could say that I’ve learnt something, but honestly no. 

“I did 18 laps today, 20 laps in Jerez, both in mixed conditions and just trying to survive. I feel like a lot of people are going to Australia completely blind.”

The limited amount of running Gerloff did get meant he was at least able to develop some idea of the positive changes caused by the new ZX-10RR’s fairing, which brings wings to the flagship Kawasaki superbike for the first time.

“I was able to tell, I think, a little bit with the different aero packages,” he said.

“I feel like with the wings on the new bodywork, I could feel – like over the rise on the front straight, and also in the back part of the track where the wind was a bit stronger – that the front was a bit more planted. 

“But I’m still way off the pace of a normal race time, so I hope that [the feeling] keeps getting exaggerated more and more the faster I go, but at the minute I’m just trying not to crash on the water.”