WorldSBK, Sportrik Media - Nicolo Bulega of Aruba.it Racing Ducati controlled Friday running at the 2026 WorldSBK Dutch Round in Assen, leading both Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 to establish an early benchmark at the third round of the season.
In Free Practice 2, Nicolo Bulega set the fastest lap of 1:33.687, maintaining his advantage from the opening session. He finished ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri from Team Go Eleven, who broke into the 1:33 range, while teammate Iker Lecuona secured third. The result confirmed the consistent performance of the Ducati Panigale V4 R package across varying track conditions.
Behind the Ducati trio, Danilo Petrucci placed ROKiT BMW Motorrad fourth, followed by Xavi Vierge from Pata Maxus Yamaha as the leading Yamaha rider in fifth. Notably, seven of the top ten riders in FP2 were on Ducati machinery, highlighting a clear technical edge in grip and stability.
The Ducati advantage was already evident in FP1, where Nicolo Bulega was the only rider to dip below 1:34, posting a 1:33.952 lap. He finished 0.256 seconds clear of Iker Lecuona, who continued his strong form from the previous round in Portimao. Sam Lowes of Marc VDS Racing Team completed an all-Ducati top three in the opening session.
Yamaha and BMW showed competitive flashes but struggled for consistency, particularly in the final sector of the Assen layout. Xavi Vierge emerged as the fastest non-Ducati rider in FP1, while Danilo Petrucci suffered a late crash at the final chicane. His teammate Miguel Oliveira also crashed earlier at Turn 10, marking a challenging session for BMW overall.
Sector analysis further indicated that riders such as Yari Montella demonstrated competitive pace through the first three sectors but consistently lost time in the final sector. This points to the importance of bike balance and tyre management at Assen, a circuit known for its fast-flowing and technical characteristics.
With Ducati setting the early pace, pressure now shifts to rival manufacturers including Yamaha, BMW, and Honda to respond ahead of Superpole and the opening race. Friday’s results position Bulega and Ducati as early favourites, with implications already forming in the 2026 championship battle as the weekend progresses.
| POS | FOTO | RIDER / TEAM | TIME / GAP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | Nicolo BulegaAruba.it Racing Ducati | 1:33.952 Italy | 0 |
2 |  | Iker LecuonaAruba.it Racing Ducati | +0.256s Spain | 0 |
3 |  | Sam LowesMarc VDS Racing Team | +0.476s United Kingdom | 0 |
4 |  | Lorenzo BaldassarriTeam Go Eleven | +0.575s Italia | 0 |
5 |  | Xavi ViergePata Maxus Yamaha | +0.761s Spain | 0 |
6 |  | Danilo PetrucciROKiT BMW Motorrad | +0.785s Italy | 0 |
7 |  | Alvaro BautistaBarni Spark Racing | +0.786s Spain | 0 |
8 |  | Alex LowesBimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | +0.865s United Kingdom | 0 |
9 |  | Yari MontellaBarni Spark Racing | +0.868s Italy | 0 |
10 |  | Tarran MackenzieMGM Optical Express Racing | +0.935s United Kingdom | 0 |
11 |  | Axel BassaniBimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | +1.064s Italy | 0 |
12 |  | Andrea LocatelliPata Maxus Yamaha | +1.187s Italy | 0 |
13 |  | Miguel OliveiraROKiT BMW Motorrad | +1.195s Portugal | 0 |
14 |  | Garrett GerloffKawasaki WorldSBK Team | +1.349s USA | 0 |
15 |  | Bahattin SofuogluMotoxracing Yamaha | +1.503s Turkey | 0 |
16 |  | Tommy BridewellSuperbike Advocates Racing | +1.512s United Kingdom | 0 |
17 | | Twan SmitsTeam Apreco | +1.519s Netherlands | 0 |
18 |  | Remy GardnerGYTR GRT Yamaha | +1.533s Australia | 0 |
19 |  | Jonathan ReaHRC Test Team | +1.640s United Kingdom | 0 |
20 | | Alberto SurraMotocorsa Racing | +1.796s Italy | 0 |
21 | | Stefano ManziGYTR GRT Yamaha | +2.177s Italy | 0 |
22 |  | Somkiat ChantraHonda HRC | +2.324s Thailand | 0 |
23 | | Mattia RatoMotoxracing Yamaha | +2.567s Italy | 0 |
| POS | FOTO | RIDER / TEAM | TIME / GAP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | | Nicolo BulegaAruba.it Racing Ducati | 1:33.687 Italy | 0 |
2 | | Lorenzo BaldassarriTeam Go Eleven | +0.276s Italia | 0 |
3 | | Iker LecuonaAruba.it Racing Ducati | +0.330s Spain | 0 |
4 | | Danilo PetrucciROKiT BMW Motorrad | +0.405s Italy | 0 |
5 | | Xavi ViergePata Maxus Yamaha | +0.410s Spain | 0 |
6 | | Sam LowesMarc VDS Racing Team | +0.456s United Kingdom | 0 |
7 | | Alex LowesBimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | +0.502s United Kingdom | 0 |
8 | | Alvaro BautistaBarni Spark Racing | +0.563s Spain | 0 |
9 | | Yari MontellaBarni Spark Racing | +0.743s Italy | 0 |
10 | | Alberto SurraMotocorsa Racing | +0.785s Italy | 0 |
11 | | Miguel OliveiraROKiT BMW Motorrad | +0.864s Portugal | 0 |
12 | | Axel BassaniBimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | +0.933s Italy | 0 |
13 | | Andrea LocatelliPata Maxus Yamaha | +0.989s Italy | 0 |
14 | | Tommy BridewellSuperbike Advocates Racing | +1.034s United Kingdom | 0 |
15 | | Tarran MackenzieMGM Optical Express Racing | +1.046s United Kingdom | 0 |
16 | | Remy GardnerGYTR GRT Yamaha | +1.302s Australia | 0 |
17 | | Garrett GerloffKawasaki WorldSBK Team | +1.411s USA | 0 |
18 | | Twan SmitsTeam Apreco | +1.434s Netherlands | 0 |
19 | | Jonathan ReaHRC Test Team | +1.437s United Kingdom | 0 |
20 | | Stefano ManziGYTR GRT Yamaha | +1.564s Italy | 0 |
21 | | Somkiat ChantraHonda HRC | +1.566s Thailand | 0 |
22 | | Bahattin SofuogluMotoxracing Yamaha | +1.794s Turkey | 0 |
23 | | Mattia RatoMotoxracing Yamaha | +2.462s Italy | 0 |
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