Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) has once again etched his name into the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history books after becoming the first rider to win the first 12 races of a season. The #11 beat teammate Iker Lecuona by 2.5 seconds to claim his 16^th consecutive win, stretching back to the end of the 2025 season, while Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) returned to the rostrum at the Motul Hungary Round held at the Balaton Park Circuit.

MORE HISTORY MADE: Bulega makes it 12 wins to start the season

Bulega got a good start when lights went out, as did teammate Lecuona, but the #7 didn’t put up a challenge into Turn 1; however, he did keep the pressure on the #11 over the early stages of the 21-lap race. The gap never exceeded a second between them and Lecuona closed to half-a-second at the start of Lap 5. It took until the end of Lap 12 before Bulega extended the gap to over a second, as he lapped three tenths quicker than his Spanish teammate. However, on the following lap, Lecuona was back within a second as he kept the pressure on, although a lap later and it was back over a second as the #11 kept control of proceedings. By the end of the race, Bulega had stretched his lead out to over two seconds as he claimed his 16^th consecutive win, and his 12^th to start the 2026 season – meaning he now holds the record for the best start to a single campaign. His 32^nd win puts him into the top-ten of all-time winners in WorldSBK, while it’s his 25^th consecutive rostrum; equalling the all-time record set by Toprak Razgatlioglu and Colin Edwards. For Lecuona, it was his ninth consecutive P2, the second-longest streak; the longest belongs to Jonathan Rea, who finished P2 ten times in a row in 2019.

MONTELLA RETURNS TO THE PODIUM: P3 for the #5, Gerloff returns to the top five

While the two factory Ducatis were out ahead, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was cruising to his second WorldSBK podium after taking advantage of some chaos in the early stages of the race. It’s his first podium since Australia, after finishing fifth and fourth throughout the Hungarian Round. He was ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) in fourth, while Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) finished in fifth; it’s his first top-five finish since Aragon 2024.

SAM LOWES RECOVERS TO P6: The Brit fights back, Surra in the top seven again

Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) recovered from the fourth row to finish in sixth, ahead of Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) in seventh. The #67 once again showed his potential as he battled with both Gerloff and Sam Lowes, being overtaken by the #31 on Lap 11 at Turn 9 and by the #14 at Turn 5 on Lap 15. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) claimed a P8 finish while the fight for ninth went to the wire between GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team teammates Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi; Gardner beat his rookie teammate by 0.074s.

BAUTISTA DROPS DOWN: Penalty puts the #19 out of the top ten

Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) started the race from fourth but finished in 11^th after struggling in the early stages, having a big battle with Baldassarri, and then being given a Long Lap Penalty in the closing stages of the race for course cutting at Turn 9 without losing 1 second. He finished ahead of compatriot Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in 12^th, while Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), teammate Mattia Rato and Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) rounded out the points-paying positions. Yuki Kunii (Honda HRC) finished in 16^th place, the last classified rider.

RETIREMENTS FROM RACE 2: Four riders don’t see the chequered flag

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) crashed out of the race at the end of Lap 2 at Turn 17, with ‘Loka’ taken to the medical centre following the crash. He was diagnosed with a left hip contusion and abrasion. Shortly after, Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) retired from the race with a technical problem. Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) retired from the race after he had a crash at the Turn 9-10 chicane on Lap 5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) had been chasing down Mackenzie for P6 but he lost the front of his machine at Turn 10, ending his race on Lap 8.

The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:

1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati)

2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +2.557s

3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +11.970s

4. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +12.478s

5. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) +24.903s

6. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +26.510s

Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega (Ducati), 1'38.569s

Championship standings:

1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) 248 points

2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) 166

3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 99

4. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 85

5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 82

6. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 82

Next up, Most! Watch it all using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 30% off!