DesmoSport Ducati sign Ant West for 2026 ASBK

In what will be a pivotal year for the mi-bike motorcycle insurance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK), DesmoSport Ducati are combining experience with youth. Veteran rider Anthony ‘Ant’ West will join incumbent young New Zealander, Luca Durning for what will be a two-part 2026 season. Third in last year’s ASBK Championship, 44-year-old West replaces Broc Pearson, who finished seventh on the DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R last year.

“It's hard to argue with Westy's experience, but it's his determination and adaptation skills that really has me excited to work with him this year,” said team owner, Ben Henry. “He's ridden almost every race bike there is, and he's adapted his style every time. He's fast, consistent and had some great results last season, and I'm certain we can support him for even better results."

West and Durning will ride the MY25-spec Panigale V4 R in the shortened 2026 championship season, then switch to the MY26 version for the all-new 2026-2027 ASBK summer series that gets underway this October.

West’s addition to DesmoSport Ducati this year, after three seasons with the Addicted to Track Yamaha privateer team, comes thanks to ER Motorsport’s Deon Coote. After fielding a Penrite Oil-sponsored Yamaha squad in 2024, ER Motorsport sat out last year’s ASBK season, but have tasted success in the championship, with their most recent title achieved with Troy Herfoss and Honda in 2023.

"When Deon reached out, I was definitely interested,” West explained. “I spent a lot of my [2025] season on track near the DesmoSport bikes last year, and after a pretty open and honest conversation with Ben, I had no hesitation in joining the team.

“I know I can be competitive with the package around me. I'm looking forward to working with Ben, Charlie, Ed, Robin and the rest of the ER Motorsport DesmoSport crew."

Desmosport Ducati also welcomes Olly Simpson, who will ride a Panigale V2 in the Next Gen Supersport that runs within ASBK as a sub-class. The 28-year-old from South Australia steps up from the Australian Supersport Championship, where he finished third overall last year with BCPerformance Kawasaki.

"I've had a short ride on the DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V2, and felt really comfortable pretty quick,” Simpson said. “There's a strong group of people in the team and I'm looking forward to the challenge of a new bike and class to race in this season."

The 2026 mi-bike motorcycle insurance Australian Superbike Championship gets underway at Phillip Island, supporting the FIM Superbike Superbike World Championship season opener, on 20-22 February.