Nicolo Bulega insists that the notion he has “no rivals” in WorldSBK is untrue, despite another dominant hat-trick at the French Round. The Ducati rider was in imperious form all weekend at Magny-Cours, leading from FP1 and winning all three races.
However, behind the dominance, Bulega acknowledged that Iker Lecuona, his teammate, provided stiff competition, especially in the Superpole Race. That moment made Bulega feel the “no rivals” claim is not entirely accurate. “Every time Iker steps it up, I always try to do the same,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “It’s not true that I have no rivals. When he started catching up to me and we began battling, I had fun. It was great.”
Bulega also praised Lecuona’s performance, who clocked a 1:34.7 in the morning on SCX tyres. He admitted that his teammate’s pace inspired him to push further. “I’m happy because when I was behind him, I realised I had something extra. I’d talked about it this morning, and then I managed to set my own pace,” the Italian added.
When asked why he seems to have an edge over other riders, Bulega said he wasn’t sure but suggested his ability to change gears is key. “I don’t know. I think Iker is very strong. But every time he manages to do a little more, I want to do even better. I think that’s what we’ve been doing since the start of the year,” he explained.
He also dismissed the idea that his Ducati machine is vastly superior. According to Bulega, the bikes used by other Ducati riders like Yari Montella are nearly identical. “Montella’s bike and those of the other Ducati riders are very similar – practically identical to ours. I think Iker and I are a bit stronger than the others, but I can’t explain exactly why. It’s been that way since the start of the season,” he said.
With the clean sweep at Magny-Cours, Bulega now has a golden opportunity to seal the world title at his home round in Cremona. A 146-point lead over Lecuona means he only needs consistent results to secure the championship. Despite that, Bulega’s focus remains on winning races. “We have a big advantage now. Cremona could be very nice if I can win the title there. As I said before, the championship is nice, but the important thing is to win races,” he concluded.
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