Iker Lecuona capped off a perfect WorldSBK weekend at Cremona with victory in Race 2, having already won Race 1 and the Superpole Race. But the headline belonged to Nicolo Bulega, who finished second to seal the Superbike World Championship title.
Bulega started from second on the grid knowing a top-five finish would be enough to clinch the crown. Lecuona led away from pole, with Alberto Surra third and Yari Montella fourth. Sam Lowes and Alex Lowes completed the second row, all on the same tyre compound.
Lecuona wasted no time in asserting his authority. The Spaniard set a blistering pace from the outset, gradually pulling away from Bulega, who had no need to take unnecessary risks. Further back, Miguel Oliveira made a stunning start to run fifth by lap two, but his race ended in a crash soon after. Alvaro Bautista also endured a torrid race, dropping to last before retiring with a gearbox issue.
The front-running order settled, but incidents continued. Bridewell crashed at Turn 10 with 19 laps to go. Then, Sam Lowes went down while battling his brother Alex, retiring with 11 laps left. Xavi Vierge also crashed out six laps from the end. Meanwhile, Baldassarri fought hard with the two factory Yamahas for tenth.
Amid the chaos, Lecuona was untouchable. He consistently lapped around a second faster than Bulega, extending his lead beyond six seconds with five laps remaining. The race was effectively decided. Lecuona crossed the line to complete a perfect hat-trick at Cremona, while Bulega took second and the championship.
This title marks the pinnacle of Bulega's career, capping a consistently impressive season. Lecuona's dominant late-season form sends a clear warning for next year. With the season settled, Bulega's name is etched in history as the 2026 Superbike World Champion.
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