Gerloff Re-Signs With Kawasaki WorldSBK Through 2027

Garrett Gerloff is staying green. The Kawasaki WorldSBK Team confirmed at its home round in Misano that the Texan will return aboard the Ninja ZX-10RR for a third consecutive FIM Superbike World Championship season in 2027, locking in the partnership with half of the current 2026 campaign still to run.

The announcement comes after Gerloff openly admitted to WorldSBK.com his future in the paddock was hanging in the balance at the end of last year. Speaking after the Jerez post-season test in October, the 30-year-old framed his 2026 crew-chief swap — bringing in British engineer Les Pearson, his old ally from the Bonovo BMW days — as his last resort.

"This is like my last chance to make it happen, otherwise I'll probably be out of this paddock, to be honest," Gerloff said at the time. "I want to put everything on the table that's going to help me figure out how to get faster, otherwise I'm going to be out of here."

The gamble has paid off. Gerloff, the Puccetti-run squad and the Ninja ZX-10RR have made visible progress through the first half of 2026, headlined by a fourth-place finish at the recent Autodrom Most round — the team's best result of the year and a marker that the package can now run inside the top five on its day.

"I am just super-happy to have another opportunity to stay with Kawasaki and race the Ninja ZX-10RR in WorldSBK for another year," Gerloff said. "I feel that we have made so much progress this year, and we have been able to fight closer to the top five positions more consistently. Top five, at the minimum, is where I want to be, so it is nice that Kawasaki helped me to keep getting faster with the bike and the team. I hope next year we can do even more. I'm happy that they have confidence in me and I have confidence in them and that we can keep going. It is also very nice to announce that we are continuing together during the team's home round at Misano."

Team Principal Manuel Puccetti said locking Gerloff in for a third year was a straightforward call. "We are really delighted to announce the renewal of Garrett Gerloff's contract for what will be the third consecutive year," Puccetti said. "I have always considered him a rider of great talent and an exceptional person. Together we can continue to believe in our WorldSBK project with Kawasaki, continuing our objective of aiming ever higher."

From the factory side, Kawasaki Motorsports Project Manager Zhenyu Cui pointed to Gerloff's growing fluency with the Ninja ZX-10RR as the reason the manufacturer wanted to keep building with him. "Although Garrett faced some initial challenges last season, we are now witnessing demonstrable progress thanks to his growing familiarity with the Ninja ZX-10RR plus ongoing fine-tuning," Cui said. "He has shown a commendably strong sporting attitude and commitment. We are confident he will flourish within the Team Green environment and deliver positive results."

For Gerloff — the lone American flying the flag full-time in World Superbike — the deal is more than a contract renewal. It's confirmation that the bet he made over the winter, the one he openly called his last chance, was the right one.