Nicolo Bulega has clinched the 2026 WorldSBK title after finishing second in Race 2 at Cremona on Sunday. The Italian did not need to win the final race to secure the championship, managing risk and collecting the necessary points. Bulega received high praise from his closest rival, Iker Lecuona.
Lecuona, the only rider to beat Bulega this season, called his rival's performance perfect. "100 per cent, like 10-out-of-10," Lecuona told WorldSBK.com. "He did it perfect every race, every time he jumped on the bike. When he needed to win, he won. Now he doesn't need to win because he would take too much risk. But honestly I'm very happy for him."
That praise is not mere flattery. Throughout the 2026 season, Bulega has won 26 of the 30 races held. Only Lecuona managed to break his dominance, sweeping all three races at Cremona this weekend. For Lecuona, it was his best weekend in WorldSBK: he also took his first pole position of the season and was the benchmark from FP1 onwards.
Nevertheless, Lecuona could not hide his admiration for Bulega's consistency. "I said from a long time ago that I'm very happy for him if he wins because he deserves it. He needs to enjoy and for sure in Estoril it will be a different story," he added.
Bulega will leave WorldSBK in 2027 to race in MotoGP. His seat at Aruba.it Racing Ducati is expected to be filled by Franco Morbidelli, who has not yet been officially confirmed but hinted after Race 2 at Cremona that WorldSBK will be his "world" next year. Morbidelli, the 2017 Moto2 world champion, will partner Lecuona at the team.
With this title, Bulega has cemented his dominance in the Superbike class and etched his name as one of the best riders of his generation. Meanwhile, Lecuona and Ducati will look to build momentum ahead of the 2027 season.
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