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The 2026 World Superbike Championship Superpole Race, held at the Donington Park circuit, concluded thanks to the dominant performance of Aruba.it Ducati rider Nicolo Bulega. Starting from pole position, Bulega took the lead in the second half of the race, securing the checkered flag in first place and cementing his victory. The Italian rider ultimately won with a total time of 14:16.787. The Ducati team guaranteed another victory for the season with this result.
Race Highlights and Standings
The Superpole Race held at the Donington Park circuit was a fierce contest. Changes made to the rules before the race led to a rearrangement of the start grid. These changes brought difficulties, particularly for Iker Lecuona, who struggled in his starting position. Although the riders who started in the top nine positions formed the first three lines on the straight, Lecuona, despite taking second place in the rankings after leading riders fell, was forced to start from tenth.
Nicolo Bulega, Yari Montella, and Sam Lowes were on the first starting line of the race. Alex Lowes, Axel Bassani, and Lorenzo Baldassarri formed the inside line; Thomas Bridewell, Xavi Vierge, and Garrett Gerloff were positioned on the third line. The fourth position was shared by Bimota riders, Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani.
Ducati Duo Completed the Podium
In the later laps of the race, Ducati riders Nicolo Bulega and Barni Spark Racing Ducati rider Yari Montella began to pull away from each other. The duo gained an advantage on track, especially in the third lap. Sam Lowes recorded the fastest lap of the race; this time of 1:25.124 became the new race lap record. This performance reinforced the success of the Ducati team.
Among the riders on the podium, Barni Spark Racing Ducati rider Yari Montella finished second, trailing Nicolo Bulega by 1,581 seconds. Local rider Sam Lowes took third place with a gap of 3,346 seconds. Lorenzo Baldassarri completed sixth place.
The top 10 positions were as follows:
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Ducati)
- Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Ducati)
- Sam Lowes (Marc VDS Ducati)
- Alex Lowes (Bimota by Kawasaki)
- Axel Bassani (Bimota by Kawasaki)
- Lorenzo Baldassarri (Go Eleven Ducati)
- Tommy Bridewell
- Xavi Vierge
- Garrett Gerloff
Critical Moments and Technical Issues
Critical moments occurred in the later stages of the race. In lap 4, at turn 11 of the track, our representative Bahattin Sofuoğlu suffered an accident and fell, retiring from the race. The Turkish rider returned to the track after the crash and completed the race in 19th place, four laps behind the leader. During this time, Bulega narrowed the gap by one second, while Iker Lecuona reached fifth place. Additionally, Thomas Bridewell, who was sidelined due to a technical fault, also withdrew from the race.
In the final turns of the race, Nicolo Bulega secured victory by taking the checkered flag with a gap of 4.161 seconds ahead of his closest competitor. Lecuona finished second, having started from tenth place, while Montella completed the podium. With these results, the Aruba.it Ducati team succeeded in declaring the 2026 Manufacturers Championship early before the season ended.
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