Nicolo Bulega Completes Perfect French Round as WorldSBK Title Moves Within Reach

Magny-Cours, France, September 6, 2026: Nicolo Bulega moved to within touching distance of the 2026 WorldSBK Riders’ Championship after completing a perfect weekend at the French Round at Magny-Cours. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider completed an eighth hat-trick of the season and extended his championship lead over Iker Lecuona to 146 points.

More than 50,000 fans attended the French Round and witnessed an action-packed final day of racing, with Bulega completing a clean sweep of the weekend.

The Ducati rider’s latest dominant display has put him in a strong position to secure his first WorldSBK Riders’ Championship at the upcoming round at Cremona.

Bulega Controls Race 2 at Magny-Cours

A red flag interrupted Race 2 and resulted in the contest being shortened to 19 laps. However, by that point Bulega had already established a commanding lead of more than five seconds over Lecuona.

For the first time during the French Round, Bulega converted his pole position into the lead at the end of the opening lap. From there, the Ducati rider controlled the pace and gradually extended his advantage to secure another victory.

Iker Lecuona finished second for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad, while Yari Montella of Barni Spark Racing Team completed the podium in third.

The result gave Bulega another maximum haul from the weekend and further strengthened his grip on the championship standings.

Montella Secures Another Podium

Montella started Race 2 from the front row but initially lost ground to Alberto Surra of Motocorsa Racing.

Surra held third for the opening five laps before dropping back to fifth. Lorenzo Baldassarri of Team GoEleven subsequently moved ahead, while Montella remained in contention for the podium.

Montella eventually secured third position to complete a double-podium weekend at Magny-Cours and extend his advantage over Alex Lowes in the championship standings.

The Barni Spark Racing Team rider now holds a 46-point advantage over Lowes for third place in the WorldSBK Riders’ Championship.

Red Flag Ends Tommy Bridewell’s Race

The race was red-flagged following a crash involving Tommy Bridewell of Superbike Advocates at Turn 3.

The WorldSBK rookie had been running seventh and had come under increasing pressure during the closing stages.

With three laps remaining, Alvaro Bautista of Barni Spark Racing Team moved past Bridewell at Turn 8 to take sixth position. Garrett Gerloff of Kawasaki WorldSBK Team was also closing rapidly when Bridewell crashed.

The incident ultimately promoted Gerloff to seventh at the chequered flag.

Bulega Extends WorldSBK Championship Lead

Bulega’s French Round was another major step towards the championship.

The Ducati rider scored 62 points across the Magny-Cours weekend, completing his eighth hat-trick of the season. His championship advantage over Lecuona now stands at 146 points.

The result means Bulega could have his first opportunity to clinch the 2026 WorldSBK Riders’ Championship at Cremona, depending on the results and points available at the next round.

Despite his huge championship advantage, Bulega insisted that his priority remains winning races rather than focusing solely on the title.

“The championship is great, but what matters most to me is continuing to win.”

Bulega also praised Lecuona’s performance throughout the weekend and said he was looking forward to the possibility of securing the title at Cremona.

Lecuona Positive Despite Difficult French Round

Lecuona finished second in Race 2 but admitted that it had been a difficult weekend from a setup perspective.

The Ducati rider said the team experimented with three different bike configurations throughout the weekend and gathered important information despite struggling to find the ideal setup.

Lecuona had hoped to challenge Bulega but ultimately could not match the championship leader’s pace in Race 2.

Yari Montella Enjoys Strongest Race

Montella described Race 2 as potentially his best race yet, following adjustments made to his motorcycle during the morning sessions.

The Barni Spark Racing Team rider said a major change made for the Superpole Race delivered improved pace and allowed him to demonstrate his potential over the full race distance.

Montella did experience some front-tyre issues towards the end, but the podium capped a strong weekend and helped him strengthen his position in the championship fight for third.

WorldSBK Championship Heads to Cremona

With the French Round complete, attention now turns to Cremona, where Bulega could have his first opportunity to mathematically secure the WorldSBK Riders’ Championship.

The Ducati rider’s 146-point advantage over Lecuona gives him significant breathing room, while Montella’s double podium at Magny-Cours has strengthened his hold on third place.

Bulega, however, remains focused on maintaining his winning momentum as the 2026 WorldSBK season enters its decisive phase.