WorldSPB’s success opened the door to WorldSSP for Salvador
David Salvador’s rapid progression through Kawasaki’s racing ranks will continue in 2027, with the Spaniard confirmed to join the official Kawasaki WorldSP Team.
The 23-year-old is currently leading the inaugural WorldSPB Championship aboard the Prodina Kawasaki XCI Ninja ZX-6R 636, and his performances have seen him move up to the significantly more competitive WorldSPB category next season.
Salvador has emerged as one of the early success stories of Kawasaki’s rider-development structure, progressing from the WorldSSP300 to the new sportbike category before securing its place within the manufacturer’s official supersport programme.
After five rounds and ten races of the 2026 WorldSPB season, Salvador has already recorded seven podium finishes, including two wins.
This form follows an encouraging WorldSSP300 career in which he claimed two race wins and seven podiums.
While Salvador will remain on Kawasaki’s middleweight Ninja platform in 2027, he will step up to a WorldSSP-specification machine designed for the significantly higher performance levels of the supersport category.
Kawasaki selected the Ninja ZX-6R 636 for the new WorldSPB class partly to provide its developing riders with experience on some of the specialty machinery they would encounter when moving to WorldSPB.
Salvador’s promotion now provides an early indication that the pathway is working as intended.
david salvador
“I’m really happy to have this amazing opportunity for the next season. I’m sure it will be a winning project, based on the Ninja ZX-6R 636, a very competitive bike with great potential.
“I want to thank everyone who believed in me and made all this possible, starting with Kawasaki, who I will do my best to bring to the top.
“I know this is a big step in my career. On the one hand, I want the time to pass quickly so I can start working on this exciting new project, but on the other hand, my effort and focus remains on the Sportbike Championship.
“I’m leading the standings right now and want to stay there, as well as a way to thank everyone who has helped me and believed in me.”
Salvador will join Manuel Pucetti’s Kawasaki WorldSSP operation, with the experienced team principal highlighting the Spaniard’s maturity and race management as key factors behind the decision.
Manuel Pucchetti – Kawasaki WorldSP Team Principal
“We are delighted to welcome David Salvador to our Supersport team next year. We are very proud to provide such important opportunities to young riders in the Kawasaki class.
“This season, David has proven real skill, his performances on the track have highlighted his talent, maturity and race-management abilities.
“These are characteristics that will serve him well in a higher and more challenging category like Supersport.
“I also want to underline the great work that Kawasaki teams are doing across the sportbike categories, supporting and developing young riders who can become part of official Kawasaki teams in the future – not only in Supersport, but also in Superbike.”
Kawasaki Motors Europe Race Planning Manager Steve Guttridge also credited the Prodina Kawasaki XCI team for providing the platform for Salvador to establish himself in the new championship.
Steve Guttridge – Kawasaki Motors Europe Race Planning Manager
“First of all, I would like to thank the Prodina Kawasaki XCI Team, our trusted partner in the World Sportbike Championship.
“They have provided their riders with such a strong platform to advance in this highly competitive championship, even in its first season.
“We chose to use the Ninja ZX-6R 636 for the new Sportbike category to help our young racers understand the demands of the next big step up in the WorldSP category and become familiar with the main features of the motorcycle.
“David clearly meshes well with our Ninja and has the mentality of a pure racer. We look forward to supporting him in the next phase of his career with Kawasaki.”
Salvador’s immediate priority remains converting his current WorldSPB Championship lead into an inaugural title before beginning preparations for his WorldSPB debut in 2027.
