Ducati left Assen with everything going its way as Nicolo Bulega continued his remarkable early-season form, delivering another flawless performance to complete a clean sweep at the Dutch round. In front of a weekend crowd of 57,494 spectators at the TT Circuit Assen, the Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider claimed yet another victory and further strengthened his grip on the 2026 WorldSBK Championship.

The numbers alone tell the story. Bulega won all three races across the weekend, extended his unbeaten start to the season, and helped Ducati achieve a milestone never previously seen in WorldSBK competition: a manufacturer locking out the podium in every race of a single round.

While Bulega once again stood tallest, the races themselves were far from processional. Strong challenges came from teammate Iker Lecuona, Sam Lowes continued his excellent form, and battles raged throughout the field in changing circumstances across all classes.

Superpole Race: Bulega Controls Another Aruba.it Ducati One-Two

The Superpole Race offered more of the same at the front as Bulega converted pole position into victory by leading every lap of the sprint contest.

He made a clean launch and never allowed the field a realistic chance of attacking, while teammate Iker Lecuona completed another one-two result for Aruba.it Racing Ducati. Behind them, Sam Lowes secured third, meaning Ducati machinery occupied all three podium places once again.

Although the front three positions were settled early, there was plenty happening behind them.

Alvaro Bautista, starting from the fourth row, produced one of the standout recovery rides of the morning. By the end of the opening lap he had already climbed to sixth, then continued to pick off riders as the race progressed. He moved past Xavi Vierge on Lap 2 and spent the closing laps pressuring Alex Lowes before finally completing the move at Turn 1 on Lap 8.

It was another reminder that even when starting deeper in the grid, Bautista remains one of the most aggressive and efficient overtakers in the paddock.

Race 2 Highlights: Bulega Completes the Sweep

If the Superpole Race was controlled, Race 2 required a little more work.

Starting from the outside of the front row, Sam Lowes made an excellent getaway and grabbed the lead into Turn 1. Carrying that momentum, the British rider also found a way past Bulega at the next corner and briefly looked capable of upsetting Ducati’s plans.

For two laps Lowes led the race, but once Bulega settled into rhythm, the response was inevitable.

First Bulega moved back ahead, then Lecuona followed him through. From there, the top three positions remained unchanged to the chequered flag, although the pace at the front remained relentless. By half distance, Bulega had built a gap of around two seconds and from that point focused on managing tyres, maintaining concentration and controlling the margin.

He crossed the line 2.724 seconds clear of Lecuona, with Lowes completing another strong podium in third.

The result handed Bulega a maximum-score weekend once again and confirmed that, at least for now, he is the benchmark rider of the championship.

Ducati Strength in Depth Across the Top Six

It was not only the factory squad delivering results.

Ducati’s strength throughout the field was underlined by the presence of multiple independent teams inside the leading positions. Barni Spark Racing Team riders Alvaro Bautista and Yari Montella spent much of the 21-lap race battling one another and eventually secured fourth and fifth.

Lorenzo Baldassarri also impressed. Starting from the fourth row, the Team GoEleven rider made steady progress through the pack to finish sixth, completing a remarkable day where Ducati machines filled six of the top six places.

That level of depth is often what decides manufacturer championships, and right now Ducati appears to have both the fastest package and the strongest rider line-up across the grid.

Yamaha, BMW and Bimota Battles Behind

Behind the Ducati wall, the next fight involved several manufacturers.

Pata Maxus Yamaha teammates Xavi Vierge and Andrea Locatelli ended the weekend with seventh and eighth positions after a race-long scrap with Danilo Petrucci. All three traded time and pressure throughout the contest, though neither could quite bridge the gap to the leading group.

Alex Lowes started strongly and spent the opening half of the race inside the top seven, but faded in the later stages and slipped backwards as grip levels changed and pace increased.

Locatelli also showed sharp awareness late in the race. After receiving a penalty that dropped him one place, he quickly regrouped and attacked Remy Gardner at the final chicane to reclaim a points-paying position before the finish.

Championship Standings After Assen

Bulega’s perfect weekend has had a major impact on the title race.

He now leads the standings by 69 points over teammate Iker Lecuona, while Sam Lowes moves into third place overall and continues to head the Independent Riders standings.

WorldSBK Top Six Standings

1. Nicolo Bulega – 186 points
2. Iker Lecuona – 117
3. Sam Lowes – 82
4. Miguel Oliveira – 69
5. Alex Lowes – 69
6. Axel Bassani – 67

In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Ducati’s record now stands at nine wins from nine races. That run has opened a commanding 91-point advantage over Bimota.

Rider Reactions

Nicolo Bulega – Aruba.it Racing Ducati

“I didn’t make the perfect start and Sam and Iker passed me on the first lap. After that I stayed calm and looked for the right place to attack. It was a fantastic race. I made some good overtakes, avoided mistakes and my pace was very strong. We improved the feeling compared to yesterday and I’m happy with that. Mentally I feel in a very good place. I know I can be fast in all conditions, and that’s important. Winning like this gives you confidence and motivation.”

Iker Lecuona – Aruba.it Racing Ducati

“I’m really happy. We did a strong job all weekend. At some moments I struggled, at others I felt more comfortable. After the Superpole Race we changed something on the bike that we had not tried before, and it worked well. I had two big moments at Turn 12 and lost some time there, but overall I’m satisfied. Nicolo is still slightly faster, but maybe this is one of his best tracks. We’ll try again next time.”

Sam Lowes – ELF Marc VDS Racing Team

“I think Nicolo had a bit more pace, and Iker a little less, but I’m happy to be close to them. Right now they are the reference point, so to race with them is positive for us. This circuit suits us well and the Ducati package was strong all weekend, but I was able to stay in the fight. I tried to be smart and consistent after two good races. It’s been a really positive Sunday.”

WorldSBK Race 2 Results

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) +2.724s
3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +5.257s
4. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +8.941s
5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +9.845s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +12.872s

Oettl Finally Breaks Through with Maiden WorldSSP Victory

The WorldSSP race brought mixed conditions and a popular first-time winner as Philipp Oettl finally stood on the top step after years of trying.

Rain arrived as riders headed to the grid, making tyre choice and opening-lap judgement crucial. Can Oncu took full advantage early, charging from tenth on the grid to second by Turn 1 before moving into the lead. He controlled the race for seven laps and looked dangerous throughout.

But the momentum shifted on Lap 10 when Oettl hit the front.

The German rider, making his 66th start in the category, had waited a long time for this moment. Once ahead, he looked calm, tidy and in control. A red flag on Lap 12 following a Turn 5 incident involving Roberto Garcia and Jack Kennedy ended the contest early, with two-thirds race distance completed and results declared official.

Oettl was therefore confirmed as the winner ahead of Albert Arenas and Can Oncu.

Championship Picture in WorldSSP

Jaume Masia’s recovery to sixth after dropping as low as ninth means he still leads the standings—but by just one point from Arenas.

Top Six Standings

1. Jaume Masia – 106
2. Albert Arenas – 105
3. Philipp Oettl – 79
4. Valentin Debise – 72
5. Lucas Mahias – 54
6. Can Oncu – 52

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

1. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team)
2. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +0.261s
3. Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +1.185s
4. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +1.537s
5. Alessandro Zaccone (Egosantagata Althea Racing Team) +1.543s
6. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +1.960s

Fleerackers Wins Last-Lap Thriller in Sportbike

The Sportbike race delivered another classic Assen finish, with Ferre Fleerackers timing his move to perfection to secure his first win in the category.

The Belgian rider ran third midway through the final lap before attacking decisively at Turn 14. He passed both rivals and then held firm on the sprint to the line.

Jeffrey Buis, winner the previous day and racing in front of home fans, had led on the final lap but was shuffled back to third. Matteo Vannucci split the two Suzuki riders in second and gave Aprilia its first podium finish in the class.

Sportbike Championship Standings

1. David Salvador – 69
2. Jeffrey Buis – 64
3. Ferre Fleerackers – 59
4. Xavi Artigas – 54
5. Antonio Torres – 53
6. Matteo Vannucci – 41

Kawasaki now leads Suzuki by seven points in the manufacturers’ standings, while Kove also opened its points tally for the season during the Assen weekend.

Sportbike Race 2 Results

1. Ferre Fleerackers (Track & Trades Wixx Racing)
2. Matteo Vannucci (Revo-M2) +0.097s
3. Jeffrey Buis (Track & Trades Wixx Racing) +0.210s
4. David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) +0.398s
5. Kas Beekmans (VLR Racing Team Suzuki) +0.555s
6. Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki) +1.078s

Assen Delivers Another Memorable Weekend

Assen once again produced everything that makes motorcycle racing compelling: tactical battles, changing weather, first-time winners, last-lap drama and title implications.

But above all else, the Dutch round belonged to Ducati—and especially Nicolo Bulega.

Nine races into the season, he remains unbeaten. More importantly for everyone else, he still looks like he has another level in reserve.