The dramatic near miss between Iker Lecuona and Nicolo Bulega in the French WorldSBK Superpole Race has sparked heated paddock discussion. Lecuona insists his move was never a deliberate overtaking attempt but a pure reflex to avoid a collision.
The tense moment occurred at Turn 5 when Lecuona tried to pass his teammate. He admitted he braked a bit too deep due to the slipstream, making the bike hard to control. His options were stark: hit Bulega or run wide.
A Tough Call at Turn 5
"Honestly, when I overtook Nicolo for the last time, it was not my intention. But with the slipstream, I braked a bit deeper and I couldn't stop the bike," Lecuona said in his post-race interview. "If I went for the left side, I would have hit him. So I decided to release the brake a little and go fully closed just to escape and avoid him."
The battle continued into Turn 6, where Bulega held the inside line and squeezed Lecuona out. The Spaniard had to cut Turn 7 and briefly dropped behind Sam Lowes before regaining position.
Lecuona's Honest Admission & Bulega's Take
Lecuona acknowledged that beating Bulega in a sprint race is incredibly tough. "I know in the sprint it was so hard to beat Nicolo – he did a really good job. Anyway, I'm happy, my pace and riding were good, I'm improving a lot. I'm still trying," he said.
Bulega, meanwhile, viewed the Turn 5 incident as just another thrilling battle with his teammate. "It was another good first lap with Iker, like yesterday. He was very strong at the beginning, but then I understood I could be a bit faster, so I decided to overtake him and then try to make my pace – a good pace. Thanks to my team for the great work," Bulega said in parc ferme.
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