Lecuona Leads Friday at Cremona — Bulega Struggles with Two Crashes on Title Watch

The Cremona Circuit threw up plenty of surprises on the opening day of the EICMA Italian Round, as championship favourite Nicolo Bulega endured a tough and crash‑strewn Friday, while his teammate Iker Lecuona dominated both sessions to sit atop the combined timesheets. There was drama too in WorldSSP and WorldSBK’s support classes, with lap records, first‑time poles and title implications all unfolding. Here’s the full round‑up.

WorldSBK: Lecuona Sets Pace as Bulega Hits Trouble

Heading into the weekend, all eyes were on Nicolo Bulega — the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati star could seal his first WorldSBK crown as early as Race One on Saturday. But the Italian’s homecoming got off to a rocky start. He crashed at Turn 10 in FP1, then again at Turn 8 in the afternoon session, leaving him with work to do ahead of Superpole.

Lecuona in Command

While Bulega struggled, it was his Spanish teammate Iker Lecuona who shone. He topped both free practice sessions, leading three of the four sectors around the 3.768km circuit and finishing the day 0.254s clear of Bulega. Lecuona has a strong record at Cremona, having notched several top‑six finishes here during his time with Honda, and he carried that confidence straight into the Aruba.it Ducati. He also completed more laps than any other rider, underlining both pace and consistency.

“I’m really happy with the job we did today. The team worked perfectly on the bike and I felt good out on track. I like this circuit — I’ve gone well here before — but it wasn’t all straightforward. The bike wasn’t consistent in FP1, so we tried something different for the afternoon. In FP2, I can honestly say it was the first time I’ve ridden the Ducati exactly how I wanted to ride it. That gives me a lot of confidence.”

Bulega Frustrated but Unbowed

For Bulega, the day was far from the script he’d written. He admitted he couldn’t find the rhythm and is now focused on fixing the feeling ahead of the title‑deciding action.

“The feeling wasn’t there. I couldn’t ride the way I know I can, so we’re working hard to turn that around. Iker has always been fast here — even with his old bike — so it’s a track that suits him. I know if I can get back to 100%, I can match him. Superpole is always important, but here especially — the first corners are tight and passing isn’t easy. I’m angry about today, but that’s good. It means I care. Once I get the feeling back, I’ll think about the rest.”

Ducati Lockout — Surra Stars as Top Independent

The top seven riders on the combined timesheet were all aboard Ducati Panigale V4 R machines, underlining the Italian manufacturer’s dominance on home soil. Leading the independent charge was Alberto Surra of Motocorsa Racing, third overall and just 0.461s off the pace. The Italian rookie was cheered on by home fans and has set his sights on a podium finish.

“This is my home circuit, so it means a lot. It’s tough — everyone is fast here — but we found improvements between sessions. My goal is a podium, but we take it step by step. Superpole is so important here; you need to be on the front two rows because overtaking isn’t easy around Cremona.”

He was followed by Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) in fourth and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) in fifth. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing) was sixth, his afternoon session cut short by a Turn 1 crash alongside Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha). Further incidents saw Alex Lowes (Bimota by Kawasaki) fall at Turn 6 and Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) crash at Turn 11 late in the day. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK) was the fastest non‑Ducati rider in eighth, 0.8s behind Lecuona.

Combined Free Practice Top Six

WorldSSP: Alcoba Smashes Lap Record for Kawasaki’s First Pole Since 2021

There was history in the WorldSSP class as Jeremy Alcoba claimed his maiden pole position — and Kawasaki’s first in the category since Philipp Oettl at Jerez in 2021 — with a blistering lap record on his final run.

The session was incredibly tight, with the top 20 riders covered by less than a second. Alcoba edged out championship leader Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing) by just 0.057s, with Filippo Farioli (VFT Racing Yamaha) a further 0.114s back in third. Jaume Masia was fourth — his best qualifying result of the season — ahead of Alessandro Zaccone and Can Oncu.

For Arenas, the weekend could end with him crowned champion if results go his way. He holds a 70‑point lead over nearest rival Valentin Debise, who qualified eighth.

“We’ve been here testing twice, so we had a strong base to build from,” Alcoba said. “This morning the feeling was excellent, and in qualifying I just put it all together for a lap record. I know our start isn’t as strong as some of the others, so I might drop to third or fourth into Turn One, but I’ll stay calm, pick them off, and push our pace. If they can’t follow, we’ll be fighting for the win.”

WorldSSP Superpole Top Six

WorldSBK Support Class: Thompson Takes Yamaha’s First Pole

In the WorldSBK support championship, Carter Thompson delivered a standout performance — taking his first pole of the season and Yamaha’s first in the series. The Australian, who also topped free practice, set a best time of 1’35.746s to finish over two tenths clear of the field.

Championship leader David Salvador looked set to challenge for pole, leading for much of the session, but a slow ride on the track during qualifying earned him a six‑place grid penalty. He will start from eighth, handing Thompson clear air at the front. Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph) completes the front row, with title runner‑up Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki) on the second row.

“It feels amazing to get the first pole of the year,” Thompson said. “This is the team’s home track, so we’ve been here plenty of times. We’ve made another big step forward with the bike this weekend. Starting from the front, we need to try and break the group up — it’s easy to get swallowed up in a pack here, so we’ll push hard to get away and then fight for the win.”

Support Class Superpole Top Six

*Salvador penalised six places

What’s Next

Superpole and Race One get underway on Saturday, with Bulega aiming to bounce back and wrap up the title, Lecuona looking to turn practice dominance into a race win, and both WorldSSP and the support class set for thrilling contests. Don’t miss a moment.