The Historic Battle at Donington Ended: Nicolo Bulega's Series Concluded, 17th Place Behind Bahattin Honda

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Donington World Superbike Championship Battle Witnessed a Historic Collision Between Ducati Riders: Nicolo Bulega Ended His Series, Bahattin Sofuoğlu Led His National Athlete in 17th Place Performance

During the World Superbike Championship (WSBK) race held at the Donington circuit, a thrilling battle took place between two factory Ducati riders. Spanish rider Iker Lecuona of the Aruba team achieved his first victory in his career by demonstrating a historic defense against his teammate Nicolo Bulega. With this result, Bulega’s full 25-race winning streak in Great Britain has come to an end. Our representative, Bahattin Sofuoğlu, completed the race in 17th place, overtaking his teammate and Honda riders amidst intense competition on track.

Tension Between Leaders

Nicolo Bulega, whose participation in MotoGP with the VR46 team is confirmed for next season, put all his strength on the track to defend his title. Italian Lecuona, who took the lead with rocket speed at the start, followed his competitor closely like a shadow. This race, which usually lasts a short time in previous rounds, took on a different dimension this time thanks to Lecuona's solid stance. The most critical moments that determined the race occurred during the final laps, where the strategy of tire protection came into play. As Iker Lecuona adopted a more controlled approach on corner exits to maximize traction advantage on the rear tire, Bulega tried to close the gap through aggressive braking superiority on the front tire. The wheel-to-wheel battle, especially in the foggy corners (Fogarty Es-leri) and the final two turns—which represent the most challenging braking points on the track—caused both riders to push their limits.

Competition and Standings on the Podium

Tension continued in the lower ranks of the points standings. Yari Montella, riding for Barni Spark Racing Team, took third place, securing a ninth place on the podium for the 2026 season with this performance. Tommy Bridewell from Superbike Advocates secured fifth place with an impressive display, while Lorenzo Baldassarri of Team GoEleven claimed the gold medal. Alex Lowes, riding for Kawasaki Racing Team, finished in seventh place. Among the top ten finishers were Kawasaki WorldSBK Team rider Garrett Gerloff (eighth), Axel Bassani (ninth), and Yamaha rider Pata Maxus Xavi Vierge (tenth).

The competition was intense in the lower ranks of the standings. Miguel Oliveira of ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team completed in 11th place; Remy Gardner of GYTR GRT Yamaha took twelfth place. Immediately behind Gardner, Yamaha rider Andrea Locatelli finished in 13th place, separated by a difference of less than one tenth of a second. Alvaro Bautista, who went off track and dropped down the order, finished the race in 14th place. Our representative, Bahattin Sofuoğlu, overtook Motoxracing WorldSBK Team and Honda rider Jake Dixon to complete his national athlete’s race in 17th place.

Donington Track Dynamics and Team Balance

The Aruba.it Ducati team, which has shown clear technical superiority in the championship so far, progressed smoothly whenever they ran. Nicolo Bulega consistently gained an advantage, while Iker Lecuona took on the role of a fast rider. However, the demanding braking nature of the Donington circuit allowed the Spanish rider to raise the bar and close the gap. This dynamic struggle ensured that different strategies intervened at every moment of the race. Two more races will be run in the remainder of the weekend. Following these final laps before the championship winter break, the WSBK grid will extend for two months up to the Magny Cours race scheduled for September 5-6. The fact that five out of twelve laps coincide with the MotoGP schedule draws attention. The schedule for the remainder of the Donington weekend will operate differently than normal: the 10-lap Superpole race will start at 13:10 Turkey time. The second 23-lap race will start at 17:30 after the conclusion of the German MotoGP race at Sachsenring.

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