Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) returned to the top step of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship rostrum in a dramatic Tissot Superpole Race at Donington Park, passing Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) on Lap 5 to claim victory after teammate Iker Lecuona crashed out from the lead of the race on Lap 2. The podium for the 10-lap race in the Prosecco DOC UK Round was completed by Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team).
LECUONA CRASHES FROM P1, BULEGA WINS
In a repeat of Race 1, Lecuona got a superb start to take the lead at Turn 1, with Bulega demoted to P3 as Montella came through at the opening turn of the track as well. The #7 immediately pulled out a gap over Montella to eight tenths across Lap 1. However, at the end of Lap 2, Lecuona crashed at Turn 12 from P1, putting Montella into first place ahead of Bulega. Although he was able to re-join the race, at the back of the field, he opted to bring his bike into the pits at the end of Lap 7 to retire. On Lap 5, Bulega made a lunge on Montella at Turn 11 to claim the lead, with both running wide, but Sam Lowes was unable to take advantage of that when running in third. Bulega immediately pulled out a gap over a second on the #5, while Montella had to resist home hero Sam Lowes for P2. However, the #14 wasn’t able to challenge the Italian, with Bulega, Montella and Sam Lowes securing podium finishes – and a front row start for Race 2. Bulega’s victory means the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad have wrapped up the 2026 Teams’ Championship.
FIERCE FIGHTS AT DONINGTON
The fight for fourth went to the wire between the two bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team riders, with Axel Bassani attempting a move at Turn 11 on the final lap on Alex Lowes, but the #22 was able to cut back and secure P4 ahead of ‘El Bocia’. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) was another who made a late comeback as he passed Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in the final laps to finish in sixth, while Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) also got ahead of the Yamaha rider on the final lap to take P7; Vierge was the only rider starting in the top 11 positions to use the SCQ, with everyone else on the SCX.
FINISHING IN THE TOP TEN
Vierge was classified in eighth place, just three tenths behind Bridewell, but he had a healthy margin over Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) in ninth. The Texan rider secured a third-row start for Race 2 by getting ahead of Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) in the second half of the 10-lap race, with the #65 missing out on a top-nine by around a second.
The top nine from WorldSBK’s Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati)
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +1.581s
3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +3.346s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +5.614s
5. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +5.836s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +6.664s
7. Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) +7.830s
8. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +8.147s
9. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) +10.886s
Fastest lap: Sam Lowes (Ducati), 1'25.124s, new lap record
Watch WorldSBK Race 2 at 15:30 Local Time (UTC+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now half price!