The 2026 WorldSBK season came to a close at Jerez with the Spanish Round, and while Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dominated the weekend, the final laps of the campaign delivered some of its most dramatic moments.
Bulega’s victories in Sunday’s races brought a record-breaking season to a close, with the Italian winning 32 races and finishing on the podium in every race.
Race 2 Highlights
Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) led the opening six corners before Bulega attacked under braking to take the lead. From that point onwards the Ducati teammates pulled clear of the field, crossing the line more than 13 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack.
A strong start from Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) saw the two-time Superbike World Champion move into third at the start. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) shadowed him throughout the 20-lap race and gradually opening a gap of almost two seconds in the final stages.
As spots of rain began to fall, Lowes grew in confidence and made his move with just half a lap remaining to claim the final podium position.
With no ride confirmed for 2027, Bautista ended his season on a positive note. After holding third for much of the race, he eventually finished fourth, leading teammate Yari Montella home in fifth.
Ducati occupied the top six positions, with Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) the leading non-Ducati riders. Alex Lowes finished seventh, with Bassani also among the leading finishers
Championship Highlights
Bulega completed his record-breaking campaign with 726 points, finishing 163 points clear of teammate Lecuona in the Riders’ Championship.
Montella’s consistency throughout the season secured third place in the Riders’ Championship, ahead of Sam Lowes and Alex Lowes.
P1 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“I’m really happy. It was a fantastic job from my team. It’s another fantastic weekend. The last fantastic job for us together. Thanks to all my team because we have had five incredible years together and an incredible last year. I want to say this one has been really incredible. The worst result was second, so what can I say? The results speak for themselves. It was very important to win the last three races this weekend because I wanted to leave this paddock and this team with a lot more wins and, in the end, we achieved another incredible weekend. I’m very happy.”
P2 – Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“I changed some details of my riding and the bike changed a little too to help me in that area. Honestly, I felt fast and I was looking forward to seeing Nicolo’s times. I think we weren’t very far apart in the race, especially if the weather had stayed cool. But in any case, Nicolo was much faster. At one point I started to catch him but the rain arrived and the wind got stronger and colder so the rear tyre dropped off a lot. In the end I said ‘Okay, let’s finish the race in that position, close to Nicolo.’ I can only say thanks to everyone who supports me.”
P3 – Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team)
“I got a bad start in Race 2 and was in the group for a little while. I didn’t feel quite as good, but the pace was strong. I just kept pushing to the end. I was trying to save the tyre a little bit in the middle of the race, especially the front tyre, because yesterday I struggled a lot with that. Maybe got a little lucky with the conditions this afternoon but I pushed hard to the end. I’m really happy to finish the season like that.”
Race 2 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +4.696s
3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +13.349s
4. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +14.928s
5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +17.192s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +18.120s
Superpole Race Highlights
Bulega claimed the holeshot into Turn 1 and led every lap of the Tissot Superpole Race. The championship leader secured another victory and his 35th podium of the season, setting a new record for the most podium finishes in a single WorldSBK campaign.
Lecuona made a strong start to move ahead of Sam Lowes into Turn 6. The pair maintained second and third positions respectively throughout the 10-lap race to complete the podium behind Bulega..
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.797s
3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +4.740s
