A New Direction for Gerloff in WorldSBK
Garrett Gerloff has described his upcoming crew change as “my last chance to make it happen” in World Superbike (WorldSBK). After a year with the Puccetti-run Kawasaki team, Gerloff has opted for a new crew chief for the 2026 season.
In 2026, Gerloff will team up with Les Pearson as his crew chief, a familiar face from his past experience. Gerloff expressed that this decision marks a crucial moment in his WorldSBK journey, especially after a challenging 2025 season where he struggled to secure top-10 finishes in his first year with Kawasaki, deviating from his prior status as a consistent podium contender with Yamaha.
Gerloff mentioned, “Everyone agreed that a change might be beneficial,” while commenting on the first day of testing at Jerez on October 21. He noted that progress was noticeable with the previous crew chief until Donington, after which performance deteriorated, leaving him uncertain about the reasons behind it.
“This feels like my last chance to make it work; otherwise, I might find myself out of the paddock,” he admitted. “I want to explore everything that could help me get faster, or I might have to reconsider my position here.”
Having previously collaborated with Pearson at the Bonovo BMW team, Gerloff highlighted the need for the initial tests to help Pearson acclimatize to the Kawasaki’s dynamics. “The first day went smoothly. The focus was mainly on bringing Les up to speed with the bike and our year’s setups,” he explained.
He shared insights into experimenting with various setups to aid both Pearson’s understanding and his own grasp of how changes affect the bike’s performance. “It got a bit complicated, and I felt lost at times, but overall, we were relatively pleased with how it went,” he acknowledged.
Frustrations with Performance
A notable frustration for Gerloff during the Jerez test was the continuation of a season-long pattern: modifications to the Kawasaki ZX-10RR did not invariably lead to improved performance, often only changing its dynamics in various ways. “This bike can be tricky; there are always positives and negatives,” he remarked.
While he expressed disappointment that the day’s trials did not yield a clear breakthrough, he affirmed that the work done wouldn’t deter him from seeking the right setup moving forward. “I just need to find that comfort level; it’s taken a year, but I’m determined to achieve it.”
