Fenton Seabright: Bouncing back, winning and dreaming in the name of Jaine

The 2026 season of the FIM Sportbike World Championship, the inaugural one for this series, boasts in its field plenty of riders who are able to fight for top positions. One of them is Fenton Seabright.

After scoring few points at the first three rounds (Portimão, Assen and Most), due to some crashes and an injury, Seabright managed to completely turn the 2026 campaign around. From finishing third in Race 1 at the fourth round (Motorland Aragon), the Brit went on to score two more podium finishes and even Race 1 at Magny-Cours. Such results enable Seabright to be fighting to finish the championship in the overall top 5, in an incredible season for both him and the debutant PHR Performance Triumph Team, owned by British racing star Peter Hickman.

Palmen in Motorradsport had the chance to sit with Fenton Seabright to talk about his 2026 campaign, and especially to walk through his career so far. This includes an emotional moment, remembering Fenton's mum five years after her passing.

Fenton, what do you think about the 2026 season?

It's going really good, to be honest. The start of the season was a bit difficult after missing the first round due to injury and not scoring points due to crashes, but then we managed to bounce back to the front and score several podiums. We're building on what's a new team, and it's more than positive to be in the top ten of the world championship despite missing a few races. It all looks good for next year.

You also got your first victory in World Sportbike, by winning Race 1 at Magny-Cours.

It was an amazing weekend. We had a few electrical problems that put us back a little bit, but to come out as a World Championship race winner and as the only rider to do a double podium on that weekend, and it was my third double podium in the season, was simply great. We hope to score more podiums and race wins in what remains of 2026.

Before talking about your time in World Supersport 300 and motorcycle racing in general, let's begin from the very start of your career. How did you end up racing motorbikes?

It's a very strange story, to be honest. As a kid, I always wanted to race bikes. And I grew up in Spain, which is together with Italy one of the biggest countries in motorsport. I've always been around bikes, always wanted to ride. However, my mum was too scared to let me ride, which is understandable. When I was about 10 or 11, I begged my dad to get me a little 50cc pitbike. It caused a bit of an argument, because my mum really didn't want me to ride a bike, but I finally got one. It was just a little 50cc on a bit of flat ground in a little car park. I jumped on it, and never wanted to get off. It was just an obsession: every weekend and every day, I wanted to be on a bike.

When I was about 11, I did my first ever pitbike race and, from that point on, it was a continuous growth towards where I am today.

What can you say about your first seasons as a motorcycle racer?

The first time I raced, I only did one race that year. Just a local little go-kart track race on a pit bike. We ended up entering the MiniGP class of the Cuna de Campeones, on a 140cc and we did one season there. I was the oldest rider of that category and I was a bit big for the bike, so we shortly moved up to the following year. We moved up to the PreMoto4, again with the Cuna de Campeones, and we finished second in the national championship there. After that, in 2017, we decided to go to the KTM RC390 Cup in the British Championship. And we won.

From there on, in 2018 we decided to go on to the British Championship on the Moto3 (known as British Motostar, ed). At the same time, we were doing the British Talent Cup and the Moto3, so two championships in one season. In 2019 we stayed another season in the British Talent Cup and we also moved over to the European Talent Cup with Wilson Racing, a very small English team. It was a budget season for racing to get into the European Talent Cup. The start of 2019 was great, since we got on the podium at the first round at Estoril, but towards the end of the season funds were getting shorter, so we ended up missing the last two races.

And then you moved to production-based bikes in 2020.

In 2020, our plan was to race with the Fau55-Tey Racing on a Stock 600, within the Moto2 European Championship back then (it moved on to race separately in 2023, ed). Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic came, we lost a few sponsors and we ended up not doing any races that season until the end of the year. The team called me to propose that, since I had already paid the deposit to race in that season, we could use that money to be able to race the final round of the season, at Valencia. That weekend was a special one for the team: on one side, they won the championship with Fermín Aldeguer, and on the other side they won Race 1 and finished third in Race 2 with me.

Having spent the whole season on the sidelines, it was good to turn up and win the first race. That gave me a lot of positivity and a lot more thought about working harder for the following season, to try and get sponsorship. But then, the beginning of 2021 was very tough. I lost one of my main sponsors due to cancer, and then my mum passed away as well...

I remember you also raced in 2021 with a tribute helmet for her, in the Yamaha R3 BLU CRU European Cup.

Actually, getting me a seat there was one of the last things my mum had done for me, before passing away. And I think that's what set me up on this career, that I'm currently chasing right now. 

I later realised that she was in talks with the cup to get me a seat there. About a month and a half after her death, I got a phone call from the management of the European Cup, saying that they had been speaking to my mum about me joining them, and they hadn't heard back from their emails, because it was my mum who was dealing with it. And I got invited to race there.

That's an unbelievable story, Fenton. And then how was the season?

It was a very positive one. We got invited to Rossi's Ranch, which was great, and on the weekend of my first double win, at Magny-Cours, I was wearing a helmet with a tribute to my mum. It was a great season, finishing third, and then we got the opportunity to move to the Supersport 300 World Championship with the Viñales Racing Team (run by Maverick Viñales' father, Ángel, ed) for 2022.

How was the step to the World Championship?

It was very difficult. I struggled with the Yamaha, the team and everything else, but I couldn't fault them. In 2023 we moved to the Kawasaki (with the GP Project team, ed) because it suited me better. I think the Supersport 300 never really suited my riding style, but after changing manufacturer we were inside the top ten in the World Championship and we also won the Pirelli Best Lap Award (going to the rider with the highest number of Fastest Laps throughout the season, ed)

In 2024 we stayed with the same team. The year was not so bad, but I was getting a bit bigger and things weren't suiting me as much as they did the year before. They wanted me to stay for another season, but I knew I was done with the 300cc and needed to be on a bigger bike. I needed to prepare myself for the step to Supersport, therefore I went racing again in the UK.

In 2025 you raced in the British Sportbike. It was with your own team, wasn't it?

I ended up having my dad, my fiancé, and my fiancé's dad as my team. We ran the whole season out of the back of my own van in a little tent. I built the bike myself, I maintained the bike myself...I did everything off my own back. It's definitely something I needed in my career, to understand more about myself and about how things work. And the season was great, because finishing third with a pure family team is an incredible achievement.

You later achieved your goal: coming back to the world stage!

We had a few talks about 2026. We had a few laughs and jokes about PHR and the team manager, Leon. Things like: "Saying about next year, maybe I should join them to go to the World Championship". Towards the second to last round, they came to me and asked if I actually wanted to give it a go. I said I wanted too, but also that the budget wasn't there. They told me: "Don't worry about that. We'll work around what we can". I couldn't thank PHR and Leon enough for giving me this opportunity. They a re bunch of people doing this not as a business, but because it's what they enjoy and what they love. This is what I think is bringing all the good results: the atmosphere in the team and how comfortable they make you feel.

Going back to your mum, at first she didn't want you to race, but then things changed...

My dad plays a big part in my career, being always there with me and working as a mechanic. My mom didn't want to do it and didn't want me to race, but she ended up managing me and talking to all my sponsors. You don't realize how much a person does for you until that person is gone, as they say. For sure, it was a big hit for myself and my family. But at the end of the day, I always say it could be worse. We had to just get on with it and deal with what we had. I think as a family, we've learned a lot more and understood a lot more about life.

I carry her with me no matter where I go. Every time I go on that bike, that's who I do it for.

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

We want to stay here and climb the ladder towards WorldSBK. Nothing is confirmed yet for 2027, but we have a plan and an idea. Let's hope it works.

And what's the ultimate goal for your career?

For sure, I'd like to be in World Superbike. If I'm honest, I'm not fussed about going to MotoGP or anything like that. I'd be quite content to stay in the WorldSBK paddock for the rest of my career, if that's possible.

Even though, initially, you were on the path towards MotoGP and also raced in the British Talent Cup. Do you think sometimes of the direction you took and the direction you left?

Yes. As a kid, especially when you're 13 or 14, you watch MotoGP and it's everything you dream of as a kid. It's the dreamland of motorcycle racing and that's why there are millions of people watching it. You have to chase that dream, because if you don't chase it, you'll never understand or never know if you could have gone that way. For me, financial backing was the biggest problem in chasing that dream. That's why we moved towards production-based racing. You get to a point in your career where you have to understand the possibilities and reality. The reality for me was that I was never going to have the budget to chase the road to MotoGP.

What are your main activities outside of racing?

I have a full-time job as a ground worker. Mondays to Fridays, I work in construction. That's my full-time job.

How hard is it to manage everything? A full-time job, a career as a motorcycle racer, training...

It's one of the most difficult parts of racing. When you turn up for the weekend, it's a relief for me. When you're at home, you have to manage the sponsors, work and everything else about life. As long as you're racing, you're trying to keep people happy, understand them and keep them in the loop. It's a difficult part. But when I arrive to the circuit on a Thursday, that's the real fun part for me.

Who's your favorite rider?

One person I've always looked up to is Casey Stoner. I love what he's done in racing, and I agree on a lot of the comments he makes.

But as well, there is someone that I have to thank massively and I do look up to now: Peter Hickman, for giving this opportunity to me and other young riders. He's still in his prime in his career, and he's doing a great job of what he does on the roads and the TT. To still give back to the young riders, and giving young riders like me and Harrison the opportunity to be here in the World Championship, even getting podiums and race wins, I'm sure it's an eye-opener.

Peter Hickman, as we know, is one of the main riders in the British Superbikes and also in road racing. Have you ever thought about road racing for the future?

No. It was definitely one of those bucket-list things to do, but my mum always said that it would be the last thing on earth that I would do if she was around. I'll take my mum's wishes and stay away from road racing.

In conclusion, the "Thank You Moment".

I would start with Peter Hickman, for giving me all this opportunity, and all the team. I also thank my fiancé for always supporting me and all the people you don't see, but play a crucial role for me: my dad, my sister, my brother and more. They're the people who stay in the background, but help you deal with the down days mentally and physically. I can't thank them enough to always keep me positive and always being around for me. Then, at the end of the day, I wouldn't be here without all my sponsors as well: if it weren't for them putting their trust and everything else they put into me, it wouldn't be possible.

Hopefully, with all these people around me, we can make many more memories. It would be amazing to keep this journey rolling and keep winning races.

Palmen in Motorradsport thanks Fenton Seabright for his time and Ryan Lilly and Harrison Dessoy for coordinating the interview. Best wishes to both the rider and the PHR Performance Triumph Team for the upcoming races and seasons.