WorldSBK: A perfect weekend for Nicolo Bulega at the Phillip Island Circuit.
After claiming Superpole, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider won all three races, leading all but three laps across the round, dominant in both dry and wet conditions.
Race 2 Highlights
A torrential downpour made Race 2 treacherous, but Bulega converted pole into the lead and controlled the race throughout. He was over a second clear after one lap, five seconds ahead at half distance and 11 seconds in front at the flag.
Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) started from the front row and battled the Lowes brothers early on before settling into third for much of the race.
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) showed strong pace and passed Bassani on Lap 2, but crashed heavily at Turn 9 on Lap 16. His misfortune promoted teammate Alvaro Bautista to his first podium of the season.
Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) capitalised on the wet to secure a career-best fourth. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed late on, easing Mackenzie’s run to the finish.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) led the Yamaha charge in fifth, ahead of Danilo Petrucci and Miguel Oliveira from the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.
Having spent the early stages of the race in podium contention, Sam Lowes suffered a high speed crash at Turn 3. The ELF Marc VDS Racing Team rider was diagnosed with a left wrist fracture and contusions to his right hand and left ankle.
Championship Highlights
- Bulega leaves the opener with a 20-point lead over Bassani, while Montella remains third despite his Race 2 crash.
- Ducati tops the Manufacturers’ Standings by 20 points, with all six manufacturers scoring during the weekend.
P1 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“It was an amazing weekend. Honestly, it was incredible. The Superpole Race this morning was a bit tricky because it started to rain and we were on slick tyres. I had to be very careful but we won and I really enjoyed the race. I was a bit angry before Race 2 because I knew I had a very good feeling and strong pace in the dry but it started to rain. I tried to turn that frustration into positive energy to win in the wet as well. I started well and had a good feeling from the start. The track became quite slippery but I managed to win again. I’m really happy.”
P2 – Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team):
“It’s been a really nice Sunday. We’ve been fast all week and had good, consistent pace. We were always inside the top five and I felt good with the bike. In the wet conditions I didn’t expect this result because during testing in the wet the feeling wasn’t great. I was cautious at the start and focused on being consistent and not making mistakes. In the end it worked. I want to thank the whole team for their hard work. We showed this morning, with both bikes on the podium, that the team is working very well. Alex is also fast and it’s been a really strong Sunday for us.”
P3 – Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team):
“We tried a new setup and it helped me a lot. I felt more comfortable with the bike. During the Superpole Race, I was positive because I started from P12 and finished seventh. Our pace was good enough to fight for the podium, as I caught the front group, but the race was too short. In any case, I was happy with the feeling and the speed. In the wet for Race 2 it was a lottery. Finishing third was a good way to end the weekend. We’ll keep working to improve.”
P7 – Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team):
“It was an eventful race but our progress is clear. I’ve shown more speed and I feel better with the bike. I’ve raced in all conditions, with both a full wet and a full dry race. Starting from the back of the grid made things difficult so we need to improve our qualifying. I’m confident we can do that in Portimao. That will allow us to understand our potential when starting much further up the grid. We can go to Portimao with our heads held high because we’ve improved the bike. We also have two extra days before the race and I’m sure we can show even more competitiveness there.”
Race 2 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +11.336s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +17.790s
4. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) +28.356s
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +30.966s
6. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +31.901s
Superpole Race Highlights
Starting from the middle of the front row, Yari Montella claimed the holeshot into Turn 1. The Barni Spark Racing Team rider backed up his podium finish from yesterday to lead a WorldSBK lap for the first time in his career. He stayed in front until light rain began to fall, when Bulega made a decisive move at Turn 10. Montella completed the 10-lap race in fourth position.
The bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team duo of Axel Bassani and Alex Lowes secured a double podium for the Italian manufacturer. It marked Bassani’s first podium since 2023.
Lowes successfully defended his position from Montella in the closing laps, while Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) remained in close contention behind.
Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) capitalised on the conditions to secure valuable points and improved grid positions for Race 2. Starting 12th and 13th respectively, they finished seventh and ninth.
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 10 laps
2. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +2.752s
3. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +3.563s
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