Afotimber The opening race of the 2026 WorldSBK season saw Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) deliver on expectations by dominating 22 laps of action at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.The Italian converted pole position into the holeshot, leading every lap and opening a margin of just under five seconds at the chequered flag.
Race 1 Highlights
Ducati locked out the podium positions, with Bulega dominating proceedings ahead of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team). Starting from the front row, the Italian rider spent the duration of the race in second position while stretching a margin over Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team Goeleven).
Baldassarri, who raced in the Superbike class in 2023, has been in great form all week at Phillip Island, but it was very impressive to see him withstand the pressure from behind to deliver his first podium in the premier class. Having started on the third row of the grid, he made progress in the early stages of the race, but during the final third he was forced to absorb sustained pressure. That pressure came from Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), who was chasing his first podium in over two years. The margin between them at the flag was just 0.036s.
Starting from the fifth row of the grid, Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made strong progress through the field. The Spaniard, who switched from Honda during the off-season, finished sixth. Having quickly caught Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), Lecuona attacked at Turn 8 to overtake his rival and secure the position.
Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) started 21st on the grid after a Superpole crash, but the debutant showed his guile and experience to move through the order. A mid-race scrap with his teammate, Danilo Petrucci, saw them trade positions multiple times before Oliveira settled the battle in his favour to finish eighth.
Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) suffered a heavy crash on the exit of Stoner Corner with six laps to go, having spent the majority of the race inside the top ten. He had been the leading Yamaha rider after qualifying on the third row of the grid.
P1 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“This has been amazing! We’ve been fastest in every session, we started from pole and then we won Race 1. It’s been incredible. This track is unbelievable for me and every time I ride here I enjoy every lap. When you have a good feeling with the bike at a track like this, it’s something you can’t really explain. I’m very happy and I want to continue like this. Winning a race is never easy. You have to stay focused for the full race because anything can happen. You need to be precise, almost perfect, to manage the tyre and still ride fast.”
P2 – Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)
“It is a dream to have my first podium in WorldSBK. I want to thank the team for all the work we did over the winter and during the test here. We had a good base setup from Monday and today we just had to finish the job. We did our job during Superpole and then in Race 1 we did our job again. After a tough season last year, it is so special to have my first podium. I’m so, so happy.”
P3 – Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team Goeleven)
“This was like my debut in WorldSSP when I won my first race at Aragon. Today I felt that I truly arrived in WorldSBK and to finish on the podium is great. I’m very, very excited for this season. It was a big relief for me because we have been doing a very good job this week. There is a great atmosphere in the box and we are all working together step by step. The feeling from our first laps was good and it has improved. We were building towards Race 1 and today we achieved our first podium together. It means a lot to us.”
Race 1 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 22 laps
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +4.776s
3. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +6.147s
4. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +6.183s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +8.249s
6. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +12.549s
Superpole Highlights
Bulega delivered Ducati’s 200th pole position, the tenth of his career, with a lap time of 1’28.244.
The Barni Spark Racing Team celebrated the first front-row start of Yari Montella’s career. The Italian, entering his second WorldSBK season, impressed by setting a time four tenths of a second slower than Bulega. It was 1-2-3 for Ducati, with Sam Lowes also on the front row.
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’28.244s
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.419s
3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.485s
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