Ducati’s 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season has been nothing short of thunderous. Their Sunday at Donington Park was the emphatic confirmation of that as the Italian manufacturer was crowned as the 2026 Manufacturers’ Champion and the factory Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team clinched the Teams’ Championship earlier in the day after the Prosecco DOC UK Round’s Tissot Superpole Race.
Factory teammates Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) and Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) have been simply a cut above this season. After Lecuona needed a round to settle in at Phillip Island, the Aruba.it - Ducati teammates didn’t relinquish the top two positions until Sunday’s Superpole Race in which Lecuona crashed out from the lead. The pair of riders and their team arrived at the circuit dialled in round after round, free of the tech issues which proved critical in the Riders’ Championship last season, and the dividends have now paid off as they lock down a pair of titles just before the summer break with four rounds left to play.
“I’M HAPPY WITH MY PERFORMANCE, AND I’M HAPPY WITH TWO MORE WINS”
At Donington, Bulega saw his unprecedented race win streak snapped on Saturday, but he returned to the track on Sunday calm and collected, cruising to a Sunday double after a Turn 11 move on Lap 5 on Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) to take P1, winning his first-ever race at Donington Park. Race 2 was a less complicated affair for ‘Bulegas’ going from pole to flag as Bulega landed his 43rd win, tying Noriyuki Haga for sixth all-time in WorldSBK race wins. He is now four races shy of tying Bautista’s record for most wins in a single season.
On his Sunday sensations and how he’s feeling with two titles in his pocket and a third within reach, Bulega said: “It was a very nice Sunday; I was a bit disappointed after Iker won Race 1. He deserved it because I didn’t play my cards well, but on Sunday my bike was working better. I’m happy with my performance, and I’m happy with two more wins. It was difficult to overtake Yari in the Superpole Race, but after getting past him, I was very fast. This year has been incredible: good riding, a good team, a good bike. When everything is good like this, it makes great results; every detail is working very well. I don’t think about the Championship; the most important thing is to win races. When the Championship will arrive I’ll be incredibly happy, but for now I’m not thinking about that.”
“WHEN I OVERTOOK MONTELLA, I KNEW IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO CATCH BULEGA”
Lecuona’s weekend at Donington Park was one he will not soon forget. He earned his first victory not only in WorldSBK but at the World Championship level in general, having previously earned podiums in Moto2 but never a race win. He was frustrated not to have fought for a second consecutive win in the Superpole Race; however, a Turn 12 crash from the race lead ended such hopes. Closing the weekend, he started from P10 and pulled off a proud recovery run to finish in P2, sealing what has already been one of the most successful seasons in Ducati’s storied WorldSBK history with four rounds left to ride.
On his Superpole Race crash, his Race 2 P2 and the two titles won on Sunday, Lecuona said: “It was just a mistake on my part, I had a lot of confidence; I came in with a little too much speed and lost the front. Honestly, when I came back to the box, I told the guys it was my mistake and that I wouldn’t do it again. It’s been a perfect year up until then. I had a really good recovery; I made some overtakes, then when I overtook Montella, I knew it would be impossible to catch Bulega. I made it to second, so I am happy. We did a really good job every weekend, really consistent, no mistakes until the Superpole Race. It’s incredible to win these two titles in Round 8. Let’s see if we can seal second place in the Riders’ Championship.”
“THIS IS THE SEVENTH GENERATION OF DUCATI IN WORLDSBK, WE HAVE SHOWN WE STILL MAKE BETTER RACING BIKES”
Ducati’s Sunday success in the United Kingdom brings about the continuation of what’s been a sensational five years. After being introduced to WorldSBK in 2019 and two years of fine-tuning, Ducati has now made it five consecutive Manufacturers’ Championships with the Panigale V4R and raised the manufacturer’s overall tally to 22 Manufacturers’ titles. It’s quite the way for the brand to celebrate their 100-year anniversary, and with the #11 sporting a 133-point lead in the Riders’ Championship, the prospect looms large of a centennial-year triple crown.
On the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer’s WorldSBK title, Ducati Corse General Manager Luigi Dall’lgna said: "We are truly proud to have once again conquered the Manufacturers' title in the WorldSBK Championship. This result is concrete proof of the excellent work carried out by Ducati Corse together with all our Teams and riders. The Panigale V4 R continues to be an extraordinary bike, capable of combining performance, reliability, and competitiveness at the highest levels. This title confirms the strength of our technical project. The streak of victories and podiums achieved by Nicolo Bulega and Iker Lecuona is truly something incredible that would have been difficult to imagine at the beginning of the season. I would especially like to thank Stefano Cecconi for the sporting management of this group and Marco Zambenedetti for the technical contribution, not only during this season but also for the extraordinary results achieved over the last five years. A heartfelt thank you also goes to everyone involved in the project for the work, passion, and dedication shown, which today allow us to celebrate our fifth consecutive Manufacturers' title. We will continue to work with the same determination and commitment to remain key players in future challenges as well".
On their accomplishment, Ducati Corse Technical Coordinator Marco Zambenedetti added: “What a season, it’s been an incredible dominance that we have demonstrated. I have to say we are very happy and very proud. This year is the centenary of Ducati, and what better results for this season in WorldSBK could there be? We have been here in WorldSBK since the beginning. This is the seventh generation of Ducati machinery to compete here in WorldSBK, and we have demonstrated that we still make better racing bikes. I’m really proud but also grateful to work with such incredible technicians, riders and sponsors. Everyone has played a role in this dominance. We were waiting for this from Nicolo after last season, but we are very happy as well with Iker’s performance this season; he has confirmed his talent. Yari is doing a great job; he’s making many steps.”
On his team’s double title success, Team Manager Serafino Foti added: “It’s been an amazing season, I want to congratulate the entire Aruba.it Racing Ducati team; they have done an amazing job starting in the winter. It’s been a good competition within the team; we're like family, but Nicolo wants to beat Iker, and Iker wants to beat Nicolo. This is why our level has been so high; I’m so happy for us. The races this year have been so unbelievably fast compared to last year. It would have been so difficult to win every race. Nicolo did an amazing job, but Iker deserved it. He has a good bike, and he is a top rider. We are very happy for him. I think it will be the first of many races in the future.”
WorldSBK returns in Round 9 at Magny-Cours, kicking off on September 4th! Check out the expansive race archive until then with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 50% off!