Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made it 20 wins in 2026 by claiming victory in the Tissot Superpole Race for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship ahead of teammate Iker Lecuona and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), with the #5 completing the rostrum for the second race at the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. Bulega\u2019s win streak is now up to 24 races, including the final four of last season, while half of his WorldSBK victories have come in 2026 alone.<\/p>\n
BULEGA BEATS LECUONA<\/p>\n
Bulega got the best start when the lights went out while teammate Lecuona had a lot of wheelie off the line, hampering his chances of challenging the #11 off the line and into Turn 1. He closed up over the first lap, but Bulega started eking out a gap over his teammate. That allowed \u2018Bulegas\u2019 to make it 24 consecutive WorldSBK victories, extending his all-time record. He\u2019s also won 20 races this season, one behind Toprak Razgatlioglu\u2019s 21 from 2025 for the second-highest value. Lecuona finished in second place, ahead of Montella who claimed a second consecutive podium on home soil, and his seventh of the season. The three Ducati riders will start Race 2 from the front row.<\/p>\n
\n WorldSBK Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n WorldSBK Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Andrea Locatelli, Pata Maxus Yamaha, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n WorldSBK Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Iker Lecuona, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Iker Lecuona, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Yari Montella, Barni Spark Racing Team, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Iker Lecuona, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Yari Montella, Barni Spark Racing Team, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Yari Montella, Barni Spark Racing Team, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Yari Montella, Barni Spark Racing Team, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n WorldSBK Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Nicolo Bulega, Iker Lecuona, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
\n Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Misano Superpole RACE\n <\/p>\n
BAD LUCK FOR ALEX LOWES, SURRA PENALISED<\/p>\n
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was running in fourth before he slowed with a technical problem and forcing him out of the race, meaning he\u2019ll have a P10 starting position for Race 2. That promoted Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) into a provisional P4 but he had to defend from a hard-charging Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), but a mistake from Surra allowed Bassani through on Lap 8 at Turn 14. Surra then had to defend from Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who started from P11, and was able to do so. However, the #88 lost out to Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) on the final lap, with Surra crossing the line in P5, \u2018Balda\u2019 in P6 and Oliveira in seventh. Surra was given a one position drop penalty for an unsafe re-join after he made the mistake at Turn 14. However, it was converted to a three-second time penalty after the race concluded. It means the final order was Baldassarri fifth, Oliveira sixth and Surra seventh.<\/p>\n
FIGHTING HARD FOR A TOP NINE<\/p>\n
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) got a barnstorming start to jump from eighth to fifth on the first lap, but he was unable to keep that over the 10-lap race and eventually dropped back to P8. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) climbed up to ninth place and was less than a tenth away from \u2018Loka\u2019, while Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) rounded out the top ten.<\/p>\n
CRASHING OUT OF THE SUPERPOLE RACE<\/p>\n
Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out of contention while in the top nine on Lap 2 at Turn 4, meaning he\u2019ll start from the fourth row. Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) crashed at Turn 1 on Lap 3, while Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) dropped out of contention after a Turn 16 crash on Lap 5.<\/p>\n
The top nine from WorldSBK\u2019s Superpole Race, full results here:<\/p>\n
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
\nIker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.133s
\nYari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.422s
\nAxel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 11.940s
\nLorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +13.754s
\nMiguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +14.143s
\nAlberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) 15.960s
\nAndrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +16.572s
\nTarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) +16.638s
Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega (Ducati), 1’31.945s \u2013 new lap record<\/p>\n