Bulega Admits Ducati Problems Despite Another Win

Nicolo Bulega admitted he is still struggling with significant front-end issues on his Ducati despite securing another WorldSBK victory following an intense battle against Iker Lecuona.

The win marked Bulega’s 17th career WorldSBK victory and once again reinforced the Aruba Ducati rider’s status as one of the benchmark performers this season.

However, behind the victory, Bulega revealed he spent the entire race dealing with heavy front-end vibration under braking, something which affected both his concentration and overall riding rhythm.

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"Iker was very strong, but I did not have the confidence I needed. Something was missing and I kept feeling vibration under front braking," Bulega explained.

From a technical perspective, the Italian rider stated that the vibration problem appeared almost every time he entered heavy braking zones, forcing him to become much more cautious on corner entry.

"At every braking point I had to be very careful because I could feel vibration from the front. It stopped me from fully focusing on the race," he added.

Bulega then adopted a strategic approach once Lecuona briefly moved into the lead. Rather than immediately fighting back, he intentionally remained behind for several laps to study his rival’s strengths before attacking again near the finish.

"When Iker passed me, I made several mistakes because I was thinking too much about the braking issue. So I decided to stay behind him and understand where he was faster," he explained.

According to Bulega, Lecuona was particularly strong through Turns 6 and 10, two areas where he believes his own riding style still requires improvement.

"He was extremely strong on corner entry and could control the bike better than me there. We need to analyse the data and improve for tomorrow," said Bulega.

The Ducati rider also highlighted the technical progress made by the new bike compared to last season, especially thanks to a revised swingarm package which has significantly reduced vibration during acceleration phases.

"Last year the bike vibrated a lot, especially exiting Turn 10. This year it is much better and I can open the throttle earlier," he explained.

When asked about MotoGP rumours and whether he had received messages from Barcelona, Bulega avoided discussing his future during the race weekend.

"I have not even checked my phone yet. I prefer not to think too much about things outside racing during the weekend," Bulega said.

With Ducati continuing to show strong competitiveness and Bulega maintaining excellent race pace despite technical difficulties, the Italian rider has once again strengthened his position as one of the leading contenders for this year’s WorldSBK title.