World SBK: Dutch dominance for Ducati at Assen

World SBK: Dutch Dominance for Ducati at Assen

ASSEN, NEDERLANDS – Nicolo Bulega and the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team secured a dominant weekend at the TT Circuit Assen, extending their lead in the World SBK Championship with a pair of one-two finishes. This marked a historic moment for the manufacturer, as Ducati locked out the entire podium in all three races, achieving a feat never before seen in World SBK history.

Race 2 Highlights

The second race saw a blistering start, with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) leading from the outset, expertly navigating the opening corners to pull ahead of Iker Lecuona and Nicolo Bulega. Lowes established a two-lap advantage, showcasing impressive speed and control. However, Bulega and Lecuona relentlessly applied pressure, eventually overtaking Lowes at Turn 1 to establish a clear separation, with the Ducati pair maintaining a five-second gap to the chasing pack. Bulega’s pace was simply staggering, opening a two-second advantage midway through the race and effectively controlling the rhythm. “I didn’t make the perfect start and Sam and Iker overtook me on the first lap,” stated Bulega after the race. “After that I stayed calm and studied where I could pass them. It was a fantastic race and I made some good overtakes. I didn’t make any big mistakes and my race pace was very strong, so we improved the feeling from yesterday and I’m happy about that.”

Top Riders and Performances

The top six positions were largely dominated by Ducati machinery, with Álvaro Bautista and Yari Montella from the Barni Spark Racing Team engaging in a fierce battle throughout the 21-lap distance. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team Goeleven) secured sixth, demonstrating consistent speed and strategic racing. Alongside the Ducati dominance, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) initially challenged for the lead, but faded in the latter stages of the race. “I think Nicolo had a bit of an advantage, and Iker slightly less, but I’m happy to be fighting close to them. At the moment they are the reference, both rider and team, so it’s positive for us to be in that group,” said Sam Lowes, reflecting on the battle.

Championship Standings

Following the weekend’s results, Nicolo Bulega extends his championship lead to 69 points over Iker Lecuona, solidifying his position as the frontrunner. Sam Lowes moves into third position in the standings and continues to lead the Independent Rider standings. Ducati’s perfect record of nine wins from nine races means they now hold a 91-point lead in the Manufacturers Standings from bimota.

Race 2 Results

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +2.724s
3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +5.257s
4. Álvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) + 8.941s
5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +9.845s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team Goeleven) +12.872s

Championship Standings

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) 186 points
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) 117 points
3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 82 points
4. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 77 points
5. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) 75 points
6. Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Evan Bros Factory) 72 points

This comprehensive race report details the key moments, rider performances, and championship standings from the thrilling World SBK round at Assen, highlighting Ducati’s dominant weekend and Bulega’s impressive performance.