Nicolò Bulega Clinches First WorldSBK Title as Iker Lecuona Completes Cremona Hat-Trick

Cremona, Italy, September 27, 2026: Nicolò Bulega secured his first World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK) title in front of his home crowd at the Italian Round, completing a memorable weekend with three second-place finishes at Cremona.

The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider sealed the championship with six races still remaining and holds an unassailable 133-point lead over teammate Iker Lecuona in the standings.

Bulega has enjoyed a remarkable 2026 WorldSBK campaign, winning 26 races and finishing on the podium in all 30 races so far. His consistency across the season has allowed him to clinch his maiden Superbike world title despite a difficult weekend that included two crashes on Friday.

While Bulega celebrated the championship, Lecuona produced a dominant performance in Race 2 to complete a perfect weekend at Cremona.

Iker Lecuona completes perfect WorldSBK weekend

Starting from pole position, Iker Lecuona led all 23 laps of Race 2 to claim victory and complete a hat-trick at the Italian Round. The Spaniard won all three races at Cremona and led every lap across the weekend.

Lecuona immediately established control of the race, while Bulega faced an early challenge from Alberto Surra of Motocorsa Racing through the opening sector.

Bulega eventually settled into second place, initially running around half a second behind his Ducati teammate before the gap increased to approximately one second.

With the championship already within reach, Bulega focused on bringing his Ducati home safely and securing the points required to confirm his title.

For Lecuona, meanwhile, the result capped an outstanding weekend.

“It’s been a perfect weekend. What we found on Friday with the bike gave me confidence on the bike. I rode gently, I rode strong, I can fight,” Lecuona said.

“And then I won the two races on Sunday. It was great because I didn’t expect to have that much of a difference with Nicolò. I need to be honest that Nicolò, of course, his focus was on finishing the race and winning the championship, but even like that, he struggled a lot while I was doing very well.”

Yari Montella fights back for 14th podium

Yari Montella delivered a strong recovery for Barni Spark Racing Team after starting the weekend with a crash.

Starting fourth, Montella attacked Surra on Lap 3 to move into the podium positions. He held on to third to claim his 14th podium of the season and strengthen his position in third place in the championship.

Montella’s championship advantage over the riders behind him now stands at 43 points, although his difficult weekend included four crashes.

“After the difficulties of this weekend, it was important to have a Sunday like that,” Montella said. “We need to meet the target because we need to be in the fight for third in the Championship, and at the moment we cannot make a lot of mistakes.”

He added that the team worked on rebuilding confidence during the Superpole Race before fighting for the podium again in Race 2.

“I’m so, so proud of myself and proud also of my team,” Montella said.

Alex Lowes leads non-Ducati riders

Alex Lowes finished fourth as the highest-placed non-Ducati rider after 23 laps.

The bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team rider came under pressure from his brother Sam Lowes of ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, but Sam crashed at Turn 13 around the halfway point.

Alex Lowes enjoyed a consistent Cremona weekend, recording three top-six finishes across the three races.

Jake Dixon delivers best WorldSBK result for Honda

Jake Dixon secured sixth place for Honda HRC, recording a career-best WorldSBK result.

The rookie has endured a challenging season while continuing his recovery from a serious wrist injury, but showed strong pace at Cremona and scored points in all three races.

Honda’s performance at the Italian Round marked its strongest weekend of the season, with Dixon’s sixth-place finish providing a significant result for the manufacturer.

Bulega seals WorldSBK title with six races remaining

Bulega’s championship victory represents the culmination of an exceptional season for the Ducati rider.

The Italian has stood on the podium in every one of the 30 races contested so far and has amassed 26 victories, leaving him with an insurmountable 133-point advantage over Lecuona.

“It was quite emotional because there was the possibility of closing out the title, and it was difficult to manage all the pressure, but in the end we did it and I’m very happy,” Bulega said.

“Especially after Friday, when I crashed twice. So it’s been difficult. Before the race today, I was thinking, ‘Okay, no crash, don’t do anything stupid, just bring the bike to the chequered flag.’”

Bulega admitted the significance of the moment became clear only after the race.

“I had to think a lot today, and at the end, after the chequered flag, I started to cry. It was a very special moment.”

The result also delivered success for Barni Spark Racing Team, whose performance at the Italian Round secured the Independent Teams Championship.

With Bulega already crowned champion, attention now turns to the remaining six races of the WorldSBK season, with the battle for the remaining championship positions still continuing behind the newly crowned Ducati champion.