Championship Leader Extends His Advantage with Commanding Race 1 Performance at Ducati’s Home Round

Nicolo Bulega produced a flawless display in front of thousands of passionate Italian fans to secure a memorable victory in Race 1 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

In what proved to be a perfect afternoon for Ducati, the Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider converted pole position into victory and delivered the manufacturer’s 19th win of the 2026 season. The result not only strengthened Bulega’s championship challenge but also marked his first WorldSBK victory at Misano, making the achievement even more special for the Italian rider and the Bologna-based manufacturer.

Under clear skies and in front of a packed home crowd, Bulega showcased the pace that has made him one of the dominant forces in this year’s championship, leading 20 of the 21 laps and setting a new lap record along the way.

Early Challenge from Lecuona Before Bulega Takes Control

Teammates Battle Briefly Before Championship Leader Pulls Away

The race did not begin entirely according to plan for Bulega.

Although he launched from pole position, teammate Iker Lecuona made an aggressive move into Turn 2 and briefly seized the race lead. For a few moments it appeared Ducati’s two factory riders might engage in a prolonged battle for victory.

However, Bulega quickly responded.

Using the powerful braking performance of the Ducati Panigale V4 R, he reclaimed the lead at Turn 8, one of Misano’s most technical braking zones. Once back in front, the championship leader immediately began to stretch his advantage.

Lap after lap, Bulega increased the gap, consistently producing times that nobody else on the grid could match.

By the halfway stage he had established a comfortable cushion, eventually crossing the finish line more than six seconds clear of the chasing pack.

Adding further emphasis to his dominance, Bulega set a new race lap record on Lap 5 with a stunning 1:32.552.

The combination of pole position, race victory and fastest lap completed one of the most dominant performances seen so far this season.

Emotional Home Success for Bulega

Italian Rider Delivers in Front of Ducati’s Passionate Supporters

Misano has always been one of the most important events on the WorldSBK calendar for Ducati.

Located just a short distance from Ducati’s home region, the circuit attracts thousands of loyal supporters each year, creating a unique atmosphere unlike almost any other round.

That made Bulega’s victory particularly meaningful.

Having previously enjoyed success in junior categories and World Supersport, the Italian had never stood on the top step of a WorldSBK podium at Misano.

That changed in emphatic fashion on Saturday.

Speaking after the race, Bulega described the result as one of the most emotional moments of his career.

He highlighted the significance of winning in Italy, on an Italian motorcycle, with an Italian team, in front of Italian supporters.

For Ducati, the result represented another chapter in what has already been a remarkably successful campaign.

Lecuona Secures Valuable Second Place

Spaniard Completes Factory Ducati One-Two

While unable to match Bulega’s relentless pace, Iker Lecuona delivered another strong performance for Aruba.it Racing Ducati.

After briefly leading the race, the Spaniard settled into second position and focused on securing maximum championship points.

A small mistake at Turn 12 on Lap 9 briefly interrupted his rhythm, but otherwise Lecuona enjoyed a clean and controlled race.

Although disappointed by the size of the gap to his teammate, his second-place finish further underlined Ducati’s strength at Misano.

Lecuona admitted afterwards that Bulega simply had more speed throughout the race and acknowledged that he must analyse the data to understand where improvements can be made.

Montella Delights Home Crowd with First Misano Podium

Barni Ducati Rider Continues Impressive Season

One of the most popular results of the afternoon belonged to Yari Montella.

The Barni Spark Racing Team rider secured third place and completed an all-Ducati podium sweep.

For the Italian, standing on the podium at his home circuit represented a major achievement.

Montella has emerged as one of the breakthrough performers of the season and once again demonstrated his growing maturity by maintaining a strong pace throughout the race.

Despite struggling slightly with front tyre performance during the closing laps, he comfortably held onto third place and gave the home supporters another reason to celebrate.

Strong Showing from Bimota Duo

Bassani and Lowes Continue Development Progress

The recently revived Bimota project enjoyed one of its strongest weekends of the season.

Axel Bassani and Alex Lowes both finished inside the top five aboard the KB998 Rimini.

The pair battled each other during the early stages before Bassani eventually gained the upper hand.

Starting from seventh on the grid, Bassani delivered a particularly impressive ride to finish fourth.

Lowes completed the race in fifth position, giving Bimota a double top-five result at its home circuit.

The performance highlighted the continued development of the KB998 project as the season progresses.

Oliveira Returns After Injury Absence

Portuguese Rider Secures Valuable Points on Comeback

Miguel Oliveira successfully returned to competition following his recent injury layoff.

The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider completed a solid comeback race and crossed the line in eighth place.

After spending several weeks recovering, Oliveira’s priority was gaining valuable race mileage and rebuilding confidence on the motorcycle.

Several incidents ahead of him helped his progress through the field.

Both Lorenzo Baldassarri and Sam Lowes crashed at Turn 5 during the opening stages, while Remy Gardner also retired after a late-race accident.

The result provides a positive foundation for Oliveira as he continues his recovery journey.

Race 1 Results

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +6.117s
3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +13.823s
4. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +17.626s
5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +20.746s
6. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) +24.702s

Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega (Ducati) – 1’32.552, new lap record

Milestone Day for Locatelli

Yamaha Rider Celebrates 200th WorldSBK Start

Andrea Locatelli marked a significant milestone by making his 200th WorldSBK start at Misano.

The Yamaha rider celebrated the achievement by finishing seventh and leading the charge for the Japanese manufacturer.

Meanwhile, rookie Stefano Manzi continued his encouraging debut campaign by matching his best finish of the season in tenth position.

Debise Wins Last-Lap Thriller in WorldSSP

Frenchman Defeats Arenas in Dramatic Final-Corner Duel

The FIM Supersport World Championship produced one of the most exciting races of the weekend as Valentin Debise secured victory after an intense battle with championship leader Albert Arenas.

The fight for victory lasted from the opening lap right through to the final corner.

Although Debise led only two laps during the entire race, he made sure one of them was the most important.

The Frenchman launched an attack at Turn 11 on the final lap before Arenas attempted an immediate response at the last corner.

The Spaniard entered the turn aggressively but ran slightly wide, allowing Debise to cut back underneath and accelerate towards the finish line.

The pair crossed the line separated by just 0.107 seconds.

Podium Battle Falls Away from Front-Runners

While Debise and Arenas fought for victory, the battle for third gradually developed into a separate contest.

Can Oncu secured the final podium position after a determined ride for Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing.

The Turkish rider faced constant pressure from Tom Booth-Amos but successfully defended his position until the finish.

Booth-Amos eventually finished fourth ahead of Italian rider Alessandro Zaccone, who once again impressed in front of his home supporters.

Debise’s victory, combined with the fastest lap, also secured pole position for Race 2.

WorldSSP Race 1 Top Six

1. Valentin Debise
2. Albert Arenas (+0.107s)
3. Can Oncu (+5.049s)
4. Tom Booth-Amos (+5.934s)
5. Alessandro Zaccone (+7.607s)
6. Mattia Casadei (+10.450s)

Ieraci Claims Emotional First WorldSPB Victory of the Season

Italian Rider Triumphs Just Weeks After Injury Setback

The opening World Sportbike race delivered another memorable home success as Bruno Ieraci claimed his first victory of the season.

The reigning Italian Sportbike champion controlled much of the 12-lap contest and crossed the finish line ahead of debutant Filippo Bianchi.

The result was particularly emotional for Ieraci, who suffered a shoulder injury at Aragon only two weeks ago.

At one stage he was uncertain whether he would even be fit enough to compete at Misano.

Instead, he produced a superb performance to stand on the top step of the podium.

Bianchi Impresses on Championship Debut

One of the standout stories came from Filippo Bianchi.

Making his World Championship debut, the Italian qualified on the front row and immediately demonstrated his potential by securing second place.

Australian rider Carter Thompson completed the podium after another highly competitive race.

Thompson remained in contention for victory until the final lap before a slide exiting Turn 10 allowed Ieraci to escape at the front.

Championship leader David Salvador extended his overall advantage despite finishing fourth after being shuffled backwards during the closing laps.

WorldSPB Race 1 Top Six

1. Bruno Ieraci
2. Filippo Bianchi (+0.555s)
3. Carter Thompson (+0.632s)
4. David Salvador (+1.163s)
5. Antonio Torres (+1.257s)
6. Fenton Seabright (+1.400s)

Ducati Takes Centre Stage at Misano

Saturday at Misano belonged to Ducati.

Bulega’s dominant WorldSBK victory, combined with a factory one-two finish and an all-Ducati podium, delivered the ideal result for the Italian manufacturer at its home event.

With two more races still to come during the Emilia-Romagna Round, Ducati heads into Sunday carrying enormous momentum, while Bulega continues to strengthen his position at the top of the WorldSBK championship standings.

If Race 1 was any indication, the home crowd may have even more reasons to celebrate before the weekend is over.