Nicolo Bulega Pressures Rivals at Jerez WorldSBK Test 2026

WorldSBK, Sportrik Media - Nicolo Bulega of Aruba.it Racing Ducati ended Day 2 of the 2026 Jerez WorldSBK Test on top of the timesheets at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, Thursday (22 January 2026), as track conditions continued to improve but remained far from ideal.

Bulega set a best lap of 1:39.331 aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 R, becoming one of six riders to break into the 1:39 bracket. Despite leading the session, the time was still almost three seconds slower than last season’s WorldSBK pole at Jerez, underlining that manufacturers are prioritising baseline setup validation, tyre behaviour, and overall balance rather than outright qualifying performance.

The closest challenge came from Alex Lowes with the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, who placed the Bimota KB998 second overall. Behind him, Xavi Vierge delivered a strong third position for Pata Maxus Yamaha, reflecting steady progress with the Yamaha R1 as grip levels gradually increased through the afternoon.

The second day was also marked by several incidents, including crashes involving Iker Lecuona, Danilo Petrucci, and Yari Montella. All riders were cleared to continue following standard medical checks, in line with FIM safety regulations.

Attention additionally centred on the #65 Honda HRC test bike, which was visually confirmed running with Jonathan Rea on Thursday. Honda’s programme focused primarily on braking stability and electronic refinement, areas identified as priorities following the conclusion of the 2025 season.

“The track was improving, but it’s still far from race conditions. Our main goal is to understand the bike in low-grip situations,” Bulega said in an official team statement.

Overall, Day 2 of the Jerez test placed Ducati, Bimota, Yamaha, BMW, and Honda within a relatively narrow performance window. The data gathered will be critical heading into the next phase of pre-season testing, before the competitive picture of the 2026 WorldSBK Championship becomes clearer.

Full Lap Times – Jerez WorldSBK Test Day 2 (18:00)