More MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history has been made by Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) as he made it nine pole positions in a row by claiming P1 in the Tissot Superpole session at Donington Park. The #11 will go from the head of the field for Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race at the Prosecco DOC UK Round, with teammate Iker Lecuona and Independent Ducati rider Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) completing the front row.

THE FIRST RUN

The first laps were disrupted by a crash for Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) at Turn 10, which brought out the yellow flags. A few riders were ahead of the #87 with Lecuona setting the early benchmark with a 1’24.462s – immediately under the existing lap record by two tenths. Montella slotted into a provisional P2 with a 1’24.872s, ahead of Bulega who was 0.059s behind the #5.

BULEGA RESPONDS

Bulega looked to respond to Lecuona on his first flying lap of his second stint but could only go 0.102s slower, but on his next lap, set a 1’24.410s to go 0.052s clear of his teammate. Lecuona was forced to settle for second behind the #11, with Montella completing the front row with a 1’24.608s, making it an all-Ducati front row for Saturday’s Race 1 and Sunday’s Tissot Superpole Race. It means Bulega has taken nine poles in a row, the all-time streak, while it was Ducati’s first Donington pole since 2014. For Lecuona, it’s his seventh front row start, while it’s Montella’s fifth – all have come this season for the #5.

GOING FROM THE SECOND ROW

Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), wearing a special Rory McIlroy-inspired helmet for Saturday and Sunday at Donington, claimed fourth place with a 1’24.708s as he lapped less than three tenths slower than Bulega. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the lead Yamaha rider and will join the #14 on the second row after taking P5, while Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) left it late to move into sixth.

AIMING TO CLIMB FROM ROW THREE

Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) will lead teammate Axel Bassani on the third row after the two Bimota riders were P7 and P8. The #22 posted a 1’25.373s while ‘El Bocia’ was just two hundredths away from the Brit. Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) will also go from the front row after he set a 1’25.396s, while wildcard Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) will line up from tenth after a late lap moved him into the top ten.

TO NOTE FROM SUPERPOLE

Gardner will start from last after not setting a time following his early crash.

Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will go from P12 on the grid after lapping around a second slower than Bulega. The #88’s session was disrupted by a Turn 12 crash with around three minutes remaining. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) did not take part in the Tissot Superpole session after he was declared unfit with a functional impairment of his right shoulder after FP3, when the symptoms arose.

The top six from WorldSBK Superpole, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) 1’24.410s
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +0.052s
3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.198s
4. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.298s
5. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +0.830s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +0.904s

Watch WorldSBK Race 1 at 15:30 Local Time (UTC+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now half price!