Bulega untouchable at Phillip Island but remains cautious: "It's never easy

The Ducati rider is the standout on Friday’s Superbike free practice in Australia: everything looks “easy,” but it’s not the time to get carried away.

The test earlier this week had already showcased a Nicolò Bulega a cut above the rest of the SBK grid, and today’s two free practice sessions confirmed he has an extra gear. At Phillip Island he set the fastest time in both FP1 and FP2, with the first chaser (Alex Lowes on Bimota) nearly half a second back. If he avoids mistakes and rain doesn’t shuffle the deck, the Aruba Ducati rider could take a hat-trick in the opening round of the 2026 calendar. On both one-lap pace and race rhythm, he has more than anyone.

The 2023 Supersport World Champion can only be pleased with the feeling on the Panigale V4 R and the lap times achieved: "It went well, we also tested something new on the bike in terms of setup and it worked. Especially in the morning I had a very good feeling, a bit less in the afternoon, but I think that was due to the track conditions: it was hotter and, when it’s like that, it’s harder to be fast. Overall, I liked the bike and I was able to push."

Bulega has a technical package capable of winning this first Superbike round in Australia, but at the same time it’s crucial to take care of every detail to avoid being caught out by any surprises: "At Phillip Island you have to watch out for the wind, because sometimes it changes direction and in certain corners the situation can be different compared to the previous session. We know this and we’ve worked on the bike to be fast in every condition."

Even though he’s the favorite for the weekend, the Aruba Ducati rider knows he hasn’t won anything yet; he needs to stay focused and give his best to take home the maximum points available: "It’s never easy. There are fast riders who will improve for tomorrow, and I need to improve too. Then we’ll see how it goes. Surely the Bimota riders are fast, and so is Sam Lowes. There are 4–5 fast riders."

In the test earlier this week the Superbike riders were not able to try Pirelli’s new development rear tire. It was only available from today’s free practice, and Bulega doesn’t seem to mind it: "I tried it and it didn’t go badly. Maybe it has a bit less grip than the other one, but on corner exit it works well because the bike moves less. We have to consider that tire too."