Bulega Extends Perfect Season at Assen | Nicolo Bulega maintained his flawless 2026 WorldSBK campaign at Assen, completing another perfect weekend as Ducati locked out every podium across all three races in an unprecedented display of dominance. Photos: WorldSBK Press

Nicolo Bulega’s incredible start to the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship shows no signs of slowing after the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider completed a third consecutive clean sweep at the TT Circuit Assen. The Italian claimed victory in Race 1, the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2 to extend his remarkable winning streak to 13 races and establish a commanding championship lead after just three rounds.

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While Bulega’s perfect season continued, it was Ducati’s complete domination that stole the headlines in the Netherlands. For the first time in WorldSBK history, a single manufacturer filled every podium position across all three races of a championship round, underlining the strength of the Panigale V4 R package and the depth of Ducati’s rider line-up.

Race 2 produced one of the few moments where Bulega looked genuinely challenged. Marc VDS Ducati rider Sam Lowes launched brilliantly from the outside of the front row, beating both Bulega and Aruba.it teammate Iker Lecuona into Turn 1 before taking the lead through the opening laps. Lowes controlled the race early, but Bulega remained patient, studying his rivals before making decisive passes on both Lowes and Lecuona to reclaim the lead.

Once in front, the championship leader simply disappeared. His relentless pace opened a comfortable two-second advantage by half race distance before he managed the closing laps to secure yet another victory. Behind him, Lecuona continued his outstanding first season with the factory Ducati squad by bringing home another second-place finish, while Lowes completed an all-Ducati podium after a measured ride that demonstrated just how competitive the independent Marc VDS team has become.

The dominance didn’t stop there. Barni Spark Racing teammates Alvaro Bautista and Yari Montella spent the race battling over fourth and fifth, with Lorenzo Baldassarri ensuring six Ducatis occupied the first six finishing positions. It was a display of strength from the Italian manufacturer, leaving the opposition searching for answers.

Yamaha salvaged respectable results through Xavi Vierge and Andrea Locatelli, who fought hard inside the top ten after lengthy battles with Danilo Petrucci. Meanwhile, Bimota by Kawasaki’s Alex Lowes faded during the second half of the race after running comfortably inside the leading group early on.

Earlier in the day, the nine-lap Tissot Superpole Race followed a familiar script. Bulega converted pole position into victory after leading every lap, while Lecuona quickly dispatched Sam Lowes on the opening lap to secure another Ducati one-two finish. Bautista again impressed with a strong recovery ride through the field after starting further back, eventually claiming fourth ahead of Alex Lowes. Andrea Locatelli snatched the final championship point in dramatic fashion after overcoming an earlier penalty with a decisive final-lap pass.

Although the results looked routine on paper, Bulega admitted afterwards that the victories were far from straightforward.

“I didn’t make the perfect start and Sam and Iker overtook me on the first lap,” Bulega explained. “After that I stayed calm and studied where I could pass them. I’m in a good place mentally and I know I can be fast in all conditions. Winning 13 races in a row gives you a lot of confidence and motivation.”

Lecuona was equally pleased after another weekend of podium finishes, revealing the team had made setup changes following the Superpole Race that improved the bike significantly for Sunday’s feature race.

Three rounds into the championship, the title picture is already taking shape. Bulega leaves Assen with 186 points and a massive 69-point advantage over teammate Lecuona, having collected the maximum available 62 points at every round this season. Sam Lowes’ consistency has elevated him to third overall, while Ducati has built an imposing lead in the manufacturers’ championship after winning every race contested in 2026.

The championship now heads to the next round with Bulega firmly in control. While the chasing pack continues searching for answers, Ducati’s combination of outright speed, consistency and rider depth has established a benchmark that the rest of the field will need to match if they’re to halt one of the most dominant starts to a WorldSBK season in recent memory.

Full results here…

WorldSBK Championship – Top 10

Nicolo Bulega (Ducati) – 186 pts
Iker Lecuona (Ducati) – 117
Sam Lowes (Ducati) – 82
Miguel Oliveira (BMW) – 69
Alex Lowes (Bimota) – 69
Axel Bassani (Bimota) – 67
Alvaro Bautista (Ducati)
Yari Montella (Ducati)
Andrea Locatelli (Yamaha)
Xavi Vierge (Yamaha)

WorldSSP Championship – Top 10

Jaume Masia – 106 pts
Albert Arenas – 105
Philipp Oettl – 79
Valentin Debise – 72
Lucas Mahias – 54
Can Öncü – 52
Tom Booth-Amos
Marcel Schrötter
Oli Bayliss
Jeremy Alcoba

World Sportbike Championship – Top 10

David Salvador – 69 pts
Jeffrey Buis – 64
Ferre Fleerackers – 59
Xavi Artigas – 54
Antonio Torres – 53
Matteo Vannucci – 41
Kas Beekmans
Alessandro Di Persio
Kevin Sabatucci
Edoardo Colombi

How Did the Aussies Go?

Australia’s Oli Bayliss continued his solid World Supersport campaign at Assen, remaining inside the championship top 10 despite a challenging weekend where changing weather conditions made consistency difficult to find. While he wasn’t able to challenge the front-runners, Bayliss again banked valuable championship points to maintain his place among the leading riders as the series heads deeper into the European season. No Australian riders contested the WorldSBK podium positions at Assen, but Bayliss continues to fly the flag in WorldSSP and remains well placed to climb the standings as the season progresses.

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