Nicolo Bulega immediately stamped his authority on the opening free practice session of the final WorldSBK weekend at the Circuito de Jerez on Friday morning. The newly crowned world champion set the pace with a blistering lap time of 1'38.155, kicking off the 2026 season finale under sunny skies and an ambient temperature of approximately 25 degrees Celsius.
While early pace was initially set by the British contingent, Bulega quickly seized control of the timesheets early in the session and remained out of reach for his rivals. Sam Lowes put up a strong challenge to finish second, trailing the pacesetter by 0.252 seconds, while his teammate rounded out the top three positions with a solid opening performance.
Further down the order, Yari Montella carved out a competitive fourth place, closely followed by Alberto Surra who produced a late charge in the closing stages to vault into fifth. The entire grid made full use of the ideal track conditions to fine-tune their machines ahead of the crucial sessions awaiting them at the Spanish venue.
Meanwhile, encouraging updates emerged regarding the paddock future of young Dutch competitor Twan Smits. Although the rookie finished the morning session in 21st position with a 1'40.839—some 2.684 seconds off Bulega's benchmark—reports indicate he is poised to extend his stay in the championship with the Motoxracing squad for the upcoming season.
This expected continuity effectively puts an end to earlier paddock whispers regarding a potential shift back to the WorldSSP category for the team. With track action intensifying, the final weekend of 2026 provides a vital platform for all riders to close out their campaigns on a high note.
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