A perfect weekend for Nicolo Bulega and a great weekend for Bimota. After claiming Superpole and winning the Superpole Race earlier in the day, the Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider completed the clean sweep by dominating Race 2 of the 2026 WorldSBK season opener. Photos: WorldSBK

Nicolo Bulega celebrates over the line, “The track became quite slippery but I managed to win again. I’m really happy.”

TISSOT SUPERPOLE RACE

Sunday morning’s Tissot Superpole Race proved unpredictable as light rain fell shortly before the start, creating mixed grip conditions and forcing riders to adapt on slick tyres.

Starting from the middle of the front row, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) quickly asserted control, stalking early leader Yari Montella before making a decisive move at Turn 10 once the rain intensified. From there, Bulega managed the conditions superbly to secure his second win of the day and maximum points heading into Race 2. Montella made a dream start, claiming the holeshot into Turn 1 and leading his first-ever WorldSBK laps.

The Barni Spark Racing Team rider held firm in the early stages but gradually slipped back as the rain increased, eventually finishing just outside the podium in fourth. The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team enjoyed a breakthrough result, with Axel Bassani and Alex Lowes delivering a double podium for the Italian manufacturer. Bassani’s second place marked his first WorldSBK podium since 2023, while Lowes successfully defended third under pressure from Montella in the closing laps.

 

Behind the podium fight, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) ran closely together throughout, while Alvaro Bautista and Iker Lecuona capitalised on the conditions to recover from deep grid positions and secure valuable points and improved starting positions for Race 2.

TISSOT SUPERPOLE RACE – Top 10 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +2.752s
3. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +3.563s
4.  Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team)
6. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team)
7. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team)
8. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha)
9. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
10. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)

A torrential downpour made Race 2 treacherous, but Bulega converted pole into the lead and controlled the race throughout. He was over a second clear after one lap, five seconds ahead at half distance and 11 seconds in front at the flag in a masterclass of wet-weather riding.

Read our race news and WorldSBK features here…

Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) started from the front row and battled the Lowes brothers early on before settling into third for much of the race. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) showed strong pace and passed Bassani on Lap 2, but crashed heavily at Turn 9 on Lap 16. His misfortune promoted teammate Alvaro Bautista to his first podium of the season.

A torrential downpour made Race 2 treacherous, but Bulega converted pole into the lead and controlled the race.

Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) capitalised on the wet to secure a career-best fourth, while Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed later in the race, easing Mackenzie’s run to the finish. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) led the Yamaha charge in fifth, ahead of Danilo Petrucci and Miguel Oliveira from the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.

Having spent the early stages of the race in podium contention, Sam Lowes suffered a high-speed crash at Turn 3. The ELF Marc VDS Racing Team rider was diagnosed with a left wrist fracture and contusions to his right hand and left ankle. Bulega leaves the opener with a 20-point lead over Bassani, while Montella remains third despite his Race 2 crash. Ducati tops the Manufacturers’ Standings by 20 points, with all six manufacturers scoring during the weekend.

 

 

Nicolo Bulega – “It was an amazing weekend. Honestly, it was incredible. The Superpole Race this morning was a bit tricky because it started to rain and we were on slick tyres. I had to be very careful but we won and I really enjoyed the race. I was a bit angry before Race 2 because I knew I had a very good feeling and strong pace in the dry but it started to rain. I tried to turn that frustration into positive energy to win in the wet as well. I started well and had a good feeling from the start. The track became quite slippery but I managed to win again. I’m really happy.”

Axel Bassani – “It’s been a really nice Sunday. We’ve been fast all week and had good, consistent pace. We were always inside the top five and I felt good with the bike. In the wet conditions I didn’t expect this result because during testing in the wet the feeling wasn’t great. I was cautious at the start and focused on being consistent and not making mistakes. In the end it worked. I want to thank the whole team for their hard work. We showed this morning, with both bikes on the podium, that the team is working very well. Alex is also fast and it’s been a really strong Sunday for us.”

 

 

Alvaro Bautista – “We tried a new setup and it helped me a lot. I felt more comfortable with the bike. During the Superpole Race, I was positive because I started from P12 and finished seventh. Our pace was good enough to fight for the podium, as I caught the front group, but the race was too short. In any case, I was happy with the feeling and the speed. In the wet for Race 2 it was a lottery. Finishing third was a good way to end the weekend. We’ll keep working to improve.”

WorldSBK – Race 2 Top 10 (Full results here…)
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +11.336s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +17.790s
4. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) +28.356s
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +30.966s
6. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +31.901s
7. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
8. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
9. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team)
10. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team)

WorldSBK – Championship Standings (after Round 1)
1. Nicolo Bulega – 62 points
2. Axel Bassani – 42
3. Yari Montella – 26
4. Lorenzo Baldassarri – 25
5. Alvaro Bautista – 19
6. Iker Lecuona – 19
7. Tarran Mackenzie – 17
8. Miguel Oliveira – 17
9. Sam Lowes – 16
10. Danilo Petrucci – 16

WorldSSP 600

A heavy rain shower before Race 2 left the grid gambling between wet tyres and slicks. The top riders who opted for slicks were rewarded, with Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) claiming victory in his debut WorldSSP weekend. From last on the grid, Aldi Satya Mahendra completed a stunning one-two for the team.

Jaume Masia, winner on Saturday for Orelac Racing Verdnatura, started from pole but chose wets and was forced to pit for a tyre change, finishing inside the top ten. Title rival Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) rebounded after pitting to take fifth at the flag.

Oli Bayliss was one of the riders who had to pit and change to slicks, stopping any chance of another podium.

Aussie Oli Bayliss was one caught up in the tyre issue, having to pit and change to slicks, stopping any chance of a second podium finish for the weekend, however, his race one form is a sign that the NSW rider is going to be a great one to watch for Australian fans this season…

Albert Arenas – “It feels great to win again! This has been a very special weekend. It’s been difficult though because we had some issues. We overcame them and to take the win was very satisfying. We tried both rain tyres and slicks in the warm-up and that helped us make our decision for the race. It was raining when I went to the grid but I could feel the bike was still rideable. I checked several weather forecasts and decided to take the gamble. In the end, it worked. It’s nice when the risk pays off.”

WorldSSP – Race 2 Top 10 (Full results here…)
1. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team)
2. Aldi Satya Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +4.937s
3. Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) +13.967s
4. Alessandro Giombini (Motozoo by Puccetti Racing) +50.953s
5. Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +1’25.203s
6. Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) +1 lap
7. Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) +1 lap
8. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) +1 lap
9. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +1 lap
10. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) +1 lap

WorldSSP Championship Standings (after Round 1)
1. Albert Arenas – 38 points
2. Jaume Masia – 31
3. Matteo Ferrari – 26
4. Philipp Oettl – 25
5. Aldi Satya Mahendra – 23
6. Can Oncu – 22
7. Oli Bayliss – 20
8. Roberto Garcia – 17
9. Alessandro Zaccone – 17
10. Andrea Giombini – 13

 

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