Nicolo Bulega put in one of his most dominant performances of the 2026 World Superbikes season to extend his winning run into the second half of the season as Iker Lecuona and Yari Montella took assured podium finishes of their own.

 

Race 1

Having taken pole with a lap record, Bulega lost the lead to teammate Lecuona for half a lap but soon reasserted himself in what turned out to be an uneventful World Superbikes race.  Lecuona – fresh from a stunning MotoGP wildcard last weekend – had to settle for a distant second as the top brass from Ducati watched on from the paddock.

Starting in third, Alex Lowes dropped behind Montella and Lorenzo Baldassari at the start.  He then came under pressure from his teammate Axel Bassani who eventually got past, with the two doing battle on track just after signing new contracts with Bimota for 2027.

The Bimota duo ended up fighting for fourth after Baldassari crashed out for the third race in a row at turn five.  Sam Lowes slid out at the same corner shortly afterwards.

Alberto Surra came home sixth ahead of top Yamaha finisher Andrea Locatelli, the returning Miguel Oliveria and a charging Alvaro Bautista.  Oliveria’s temporary teammate Michael van der Mark crashed out with three laps to go, as did Remy Gardner.

Race 1 Results

 

Tissot Superpole Race

Bulega successfully held the lead at the start unlike yesterday.  Locatelli made the best start getting up into seventh while Lecuona, Montella and Alex Lowes ran in formation between second and fourth.

Sam Lowes crashed out again early on before Bridewell lost his bike at the start of lap three and thankfully no one else collected it.  Alex Lowes’ bike broke down on lap five just as Surra passed Bassani for the inherited fourth place and then Vierge crashed out too.

Locatelli had fallen to eighth and enjoyed a great all-Italian battle with Baldassari mid-race.  Surra went wide in the closing stages and very nearly lost out to Oliveria while Tarran Mackenzie did well to round out the top nine for the grid spots in the afternoon race.

Tissot Superpole Race Results

 

Race 2

Lecuona edged in front through the first chicane as Axel Bassani leapt up into third while Montella went backwards.  Just like yesterday’s race however, Bulega punished his teammate later on the first lap and rode off into the distance.

Stefano Manzi ran into the back of Bautista while Mackenzie put a stunning move on Locatelli for sixth.  Montella eventually recovered into fourth but struggled to oust his compatriot Bassani from third before the latter crashed out at turn eight with just five laps to go and a podium in sight.

That left Montella free to take his third straight podium finsih ahead of Alex Lowes, an impressive Mackenzie, Surra, Locatelli and Gardner with one of his best results of a torrid 2026 season in eighth having started 13th.

Michael van der Mark did well to repel Sam Lowes who started at the back following his crash in Superpole for ninth and the two were practically side-by-side across the finish line.  Up front, it was another record-extending victory for Bulega and will surely now only be a matter of time until he wins this year’s title and earns his much anticipated MotoGP move.

 

Race 2 Results

 

Championship Standings

 

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK