Nicolò Bulega claimed victory in Race 1 of the World Superbike Championship’s Estoril round, delivering another commanding performance aboard his Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Panigale V4 R. The newly crowned 2026 World Champion finished ahead of teammate Iker Lecuona and Alberto Surra, who completed an all-Ducati podium for the Italian manufacturer.
The result confirmed Ducati’s competitiveness in the closing stages of the season, with Bulega returning to the top step of the podium after securing the championship title at the previous round.
Bulega Fights Back to Take Control
After securing pole position with a record-breaking lap of 1:33.884, Bulega entered Saturday’s race as the leading contender.
However, the Italian faced an early challenge when Lecuona outbraked him at Turn 1, taking the lead. Alex Lowes also moved ahead, dropping Bulega to third position on the opening lap.
The Ducati rider responded quickly, overtaking Lowes at the beginning of lap two before passing Lecuona at Turn 1 on the following lap.
Once back in front, Bulega established a consistent pace and gradually extended his advantage over the chasing riders.
He crossed the finish line 3.870 seconds ahead of Lecuona, securing his 27th victory of the 2026 season and equalling the single-season record established by Álvaro Bautista in 2023.
Bulega also set the fastest lap of the race in 1:34.964, establishing a new race lap record at Estoril.
Surra Completes Ducati’s Podium Sweep
Behind the two factory Ducati riders, Alberto Surra delivered another impressive performance to secure third position.
The Motocorsa Racing rider moved past Alex Lowes on the second lap and subsequently maintained a competitive pace while defending his position against Miguel Oliveira.
The Portuguese BMW rider initially applied pressure, reducing the gap to less than a second during the opening stages. However, Surra gradually increased his advantage as the race progressed.
The Italian eventually finished 9.668 seconds behind Bulega, securing his second WorldSBK podium in three races and his first podium in a full-length Superbike race.
It was another significant achievement for the young rider during his debut season in the championship.
Oliveira finished fourth, unable to secure a podium result in front of his home crowd. Despite a difficult start, the Portuguese rider recovered positions and eventually finished ahead of Alex Lowes, who completed the top five aboard his Bimota.
Baldassarri Sixth as Bassani Holds Off Montella
Lorenzo Baldassarri finished sixth for Team GoEleven despite an incident involving Yari Montella on lap six.
Montella made contact with the rear of Baldassarri’s Ducati, but both riders remained on their motorcycles and continued racing.
The FIM WorldSBK Stewards reviewed the incident and decided that no further action was necessary.
Behind Baldassarri, Axel Bassani and Montella were involved in a close battle for seventh position.
The Bimota rider managed to defend his place until the chequered flag, finishing just 0.033 seconds ahead of Montella’s Barni Spark Racing Ducati.
Álvaro Bautista took ninth position, while Garrett Gerloff completed the top ten.
Further down the order, Andrea Locatelli finished 16th, narrowly missing out on championship points, while Danilo Petrucci crossed the line in 18th.
Stefano Manzi endured a difficult conclusion to the race after crashing at Turn 9 on the penultimate lap. The Yamaha rider managed to rejoin and eventually finished 22nd.
WorldSBK Estoril Race 1 Results
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicolò Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati | Winner |
| 2 | Iker Lecuona | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati | +3.870s |
| 3 | Alberto Surra | Motocorsa Racing | +9.668s |
| 4 | Miguel Oliveira | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | +11.444s |
| 5 | Alex Lowes | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | +12.749s |
| 6 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | Team GoEleven | +17.850s |
Fastest lap: Nicolò Bulega – 1:34.964 (new race lap record).
Ducati Dominates at Estoril
Bulega’s victory provided further confirmation of the Italian rider’s outstanding 2026 campaign.
Despite having already secured the World Championship, the Ducati rider continued to demonstrate the speed and consistency that have defined his season.
The result was equally significant for Ducati, which occupied all three podium positions thanks to Bulega, Lecuona and Surra.
The Estoril round continues on Sunday with the Superpole Race and Race 2, where Bulega will aim to extend his winning streak and establish a new single-season victory record.
For his rivals, the challenge will be to interrupt Ducati’s dominance before the championship moves towards its season finale.