Bruno Ieraci: Falls, comebacks and goals of a WorldSPB "veteran"

One of the most experienced riders in the championship, Ieraci secured a second place in Race 2 at Most and he then won Race 1 at Misano with the CM Triumph Factory Racing Team, also becoming the first rider to achieve such a result for the British manufacturer in WorldSPB. Despite inconsistency, due to an injury and some unfortunate circumstances, the rider born in 2000 in Giulianova (Abruzzi) showed great speed on several occasions and he finished the championship in tenth place despite not scoring any point in six out of 16 races. All this happened in a season that, for him, came after two Italian CIV Championship titles and many years competing at international level, in World Supersport 300 and before that in the Moto3 Junior World Championship.

Palmen in Motorradsport interviewed Bruno Ieraci to discuss both the 2026 season and some of the key points from the past few seasons, including his double win as a wildcard at the 2023 WorldSSP300 round at Misano.

Bruno, are you overall happy with your 2026 season?

Yes. If you compete in a world championship, it means you are one of the best, and it's always nice to be in this position. We had plenty of ups and downs, but we still managed to score a race win, one more podium finish and a few more good results. Sometimes we struggled to find those few tenths that were missing to fight for the win, and I also suffered a shoulder injury at Motorland Aragon (following a crash in Race 1, ed). Two weeks later I won at Misano, but the injury still had an impact. Overall, though, I am quite happy: the Triumph machine is a good one, the team is a good one...I really can't complain too much!

Now let's look back and revisit some of the milestones in your career. First of all, in 2018 you left the Moto3 Junior World Championship to move to World Supersport 300 and, consequently, production-based racing. What can you say about that change?

In 2018 I had a negative end to the season, due to various circumstances, but moving to Supersport 300, and therefore to a new category for me, made me feel enthusiastic again. Then, in my opinion, one of the mistakes of my career, although only to a certain extent, was staying in the Supersport 300 class for so long. I spent a total of six years racing on a SSP300 bike, in the World Championship and in CIV. Even though I was in a world championship, I still feel that I lost some time, also because the 300 class was not particularly propedeutical. In this respect, for example, Sportbike is much better: the bikes are more competitive, the rider can make a difference, racing there is more exciting...It's an interesting category!

What are your best memories from the years you spent in the Supersport 300 World Championship?

Definitely my first podium in Qatar in 2019, during my first experience outside Europe. But the double victory at Misano in 2023, as a wildcard, was especially great. That year I had taken a step backwards by returning to the CIV, and winning the Italian title as well as those two races in the world championship was an incredible achievement. I just wish I could experience those moments more often. Unfortunately, I was always missing a bit of consistency...

During that period, you went through several difficult moments: not scoring the results you aimed for, being left without a ride halfway through 2021, returning to the CIV in 2023... Was there one in particular that had a greater impact on you?

When I lost my ride in 2021. Although the Prodina team subsequently called me up for the final races of the season, I spent some months without racing. The real issue for me was staying at home, because I have been racing motorcycles since I was four years old and I had never been without a ride until that point. It was partly my own decision, because I was not happy with the team (Machado CAME SBK, ed), but it was still an unpleasant experience.

How did you deal with that?

Not very well. I worked as a lifeguard and tried to keep myself busy and do other things. I didn't want to hear anything about motorcycle racing. In fact, I did everything I could to avoid watching races. On the other hand, though, I knew that sooner or later I would get another opportunity, because I had always shown that I had the speed. I can't bring much budget, but on track I always give my best to make my talent, dedication and hunger count. It was thanks to what I achieved previously that the Prodina team signed me from the end of 2021 onwards (he raced with them until 2024, ed).

Aside from the world championship, you have won two titles in CIV, first in Supersport 300 in 2023 with Prodina and then in Sportbike in 2025 with CM Racing. Which of them means more to you?

The one in Supersport 300, because it was my first ever title in CIV. I was already strong in PreMoto3 and Moto3, and in the latter I was unable to fight for the title because of a wrist injury (in 2016, ed), but I finally managed to win in 2023. When I did, I felt an explosion of emotions, because of everything I had gone through in the previous years. That title made me believe in myself more and gave an extra boost to my career. The 2025 title was also fantastic, and I really enjoyed it, but perhaps I enjoyed the one in Supersport 300 a little more.

Describe that wildcard double victory at Misano in three words.

Emotion, happiness and redemption.

At this stage of your career, what's your goal for the future?

Generally speaking, my biggest goal would be to remain in the Sportbike World Championship. If I were to return to the CIV, I would then want to make it back to the world championship in a higher category. I am 26 years old, so I should be able to race in WorldSPB until I am 28, as that is the age limit for riders who previously competed in World Supersport 300. If I were not to continue in WorldSPB, I would like to race in the CIV Supersport, for example, and then return to the world championship, but in Supersport.

When you think about your journey up to 2026, do you have any particular regrets?

Not many, because I have always tried to give my best. I have raced against many riders who are now in MotoGP, so sometimes I find myself thinking that I could have been there too, but life can give you different paths. Apart from that, I always try to do my best and behave as professionally as possible at every race. Once I have given my maximum, I am happy. I could have plenty of regrets, but I don't even want that, because in the end life goes the way it's supposed to and many things are out of my control. As far as I am concerned, I do my best in the things I can control.

Finally, the "Thank You Moment.

I would like to thank the CM Triumph Factory Racing Team and everyone who helps me give my 100% every day. Above all, I want to thank my family, because they are always by my side during both the good times and the tough ones.

Palmen in Motorradsport would like to thank Bruno Ieraci for his time, as well as Ryan Lilly (Triumph Racing) and Sara Lo Pinto (CM Triumph Factory Racing Team) for making the interview possible. Best wishes to both Bruno and the team for the next chapters of their stories.