Bulega Wins Superpole Race

Aruba.it Ducati rider Nicolo Bulega won the 10-lap Superpole Race held on Sunday for the French leg of WorldSBK. The Ducati rider secured his second victory of the weekend. His teammate Iker Lecuona finished second, and Barni Spark Racing rider Yari Montella completed third on the podium. The race will conclude with the second race, starting at 15:00 Turkish time.

Critical Moments and the Battle for the Lead

The race started at 12:10 Turkish time. The track was dry, and the air temperature was 23 degrees Celsius, while the track temperature measured 29 degrees Celsius. Bulega took the start. The Italian rider took the lead into the first corner but could not maintain the lead for long. Iker Lecuona took the lead by overtaking on turn 5 during the opening lap.

Bulega regained the lead at turn 5, when Lecuona passed him during the third lap. After this move, he gave Lecuona no further chance and was the first to see the checkered flag. Bulega's lap time of 1:34.750 in the fifth lap was the fastest lap of the race and broke the new race lap record.

The closing of the race was eventful. Sam Lowes crashed in turn 3 and retired from the race. The ELF Marc VDS rider had finished third in the first race on Saturday. While the British rider was taken to the medical center after the crash, the bimota by Kawasaki rider continued racing and finished in first place.

Podium Rankings and Standings

Points are awarded only for the top nine positions in the Superpole Race. The podium rankings are as follows:

• First place was Ducati Team rider Nicolo Bulega, who finished first with a time of 15’52.648 over 11 laps.
• Second place was Ducati Team rider Iker Lecuona, who finished second with a time of 15’54.721 over 7 laps. Lecuona placed second with a difference of 2,073 seconds to Bulega.
• Third place was Barni Racing Team rider Yari Montella, who finished third with a time of 15’58.048 over 5 laps. Montella completed the podium with a difference of 5,400 seconds to Bulega.

Alberto Surra from Dördüncülük Motocorsa Racing took fourth place with a difference of 6,773 seconds. Alex Lowes, the bimota by Kawasaki rider, took fifth place. Tommy Bridewell was sixth, and Lorenzo Baldassari was seventh. Remy Gardner and Xavi Vierge closed the points area. Andrea Locatelli was only 0.029 seconds behind Xavi Vierge in ninth place. Axel Bassani, Miguel Oliveira, Garrett Gerloff, Jake Dixon, and Alvaro Bautista followed. The last three were Danilo Petrucci, Somkiat Chantra, and Stefano Manzi. Manzi was the last rider to complete the race in eighteenth place, with a difference of 25.192 seconds to the leader.

Championship Difference and Team Status

The championship standings for the weekend are not finalized in France. Bulega also won the first race on Saturday and secured full points in both races. Iker Lecuona finished second in both races. With this table, Bulega reached 528 points, and Lecuona reached 387 points. The difference between the pair was 133 points entering the weekend, and currently stands at 141 points. The two Ducati riders shared six podium positions during the weekend. Since there are three legs remaining in the calendar after Magny-Cours, 186 points remain for the title count to continue for at least one more leg.

There was a development regarding team status. Our representative, Bahattin Sofuoğlu, could not get onto the track in the Superpole Race. The Motoxracing Yamaha rider was deemed unfit to race after suffering a crash during the second practice session on Sunday due to a concussion diagnosis. Due to this decision, the representative was unable to participate in the race over the weekend. The team's other motorcycle was sidelined. Teammate Mattia Rato entered the track from twentieth position but entered the track early in the race due to a probable mechanical failure. The Italian rider had completed four laps and was disallowed from rejoining the race as he was more than two laps behind due to new regulations. Bulega also broke two WorldSBK records set by our team in 2025. The Italian rider's lap time of 1:34.750 in the Superpole Race lowered the race lap record for the second time during the weekend.

The second race will be held at 15:00 Turkish time over 21 laps and will conclude the French leg.

Related Documents

• WorldSBK Magny-Cours Superpole Race Result