Lecuona earns applause in MotoGP: now he wants to put ‘King’ Bulega in check in WorldSBK

An absolutely positive weekend for the Spanish rider in Hungary, where he performed well with the Desmosedici: now it's time to think about SBK again.

There weren’t particular expectations for Iker Lecuona’s performance at the Balaton Park Circuit, but it’s fair to say the 26-year-old from Valencia surprised everyone. Called in to replace Alex Marquez in the BK8 Gresini team, he returned to MotoGP three years after his last appearance with an LCR Honda, and did so for the first time on a Ducati. With lots to learn and no pressure, the Superbike rider simply needed to ride, have fun, and avoid mistakes. Mission more than accomplished. Lecuona’s strong showing also serves the interests of Nicolò Bulega, who has always finished ahead of the Spaniard in Superbike so far. If Iker is this fast, who knows where the Italian can get with the factory VR46 Ducati.

After showing good speed in practice, Lecuona qualified sixteenth, putting riders with far more MotoGP experience behind him. He didn’t do better than eighteenth in the Sprint, but on Sunday in the Race he still managed to finish as high as seventh at the line and ended the Hungarian Grand Prix with a big smile.

It must be said that due to the crash caused by Jorge Martin at Turn 1 on the opening lap, five riders who would surely have finished ahead of him went down, but he still did better than other riders who regularly compete in MotoGP. His performance shouldn’t be underestimated.

Lecuona is proud of what he managed at the Balaton Park Circuit: "I’m really happy with our performance. The work with the team was great, perfect, with no mistakes over the weekend. I tried to learn every time I got on the bike and felt increasingly comfortable. We adjusted the bike the right way, my feedback was accurate, and all of that allowed me to feel better and better."

The Valencian can only be satisfied to have finished the MotoGP race in the top seven: "The race was good, I was in the group, I fought and overtook. I made a few small mistakes, but in the end I caught Miller and managed to pass him. I tried to catch Moreira as well, but I’m really happy with my performance and the final result."

The MotoGP weekend in Hungary certainly gave him a positive boost that he intends to carry into the Superbike World Championship’s return. Next weekend brings the eagerly awaited round at Misano Adriatico, where Ducati and Nicolò Bulega will of course look to delight the Italian fans.

Lecuona is coming off fifteen consecutive second places and is eager to defeat Bulega, who has always finished ahead of him so far. Winning at Misano Adriatico would be something special. Moreover, the Spaniard has yet to win an SBK race and would like to break that taboo. Ducati and Nicolò’s home round is an opportunity he will try to seize, with a Panigale V4 R in his hands that has proven to be the benchmark bike on every track and will be in Emilia-Romagna as well.

Reopening the 2026 title fight looks like an impossible mission, with a gap of 108 points to Bulegas, but it’s crucial for him to unlock himself and start taking victories. Barring surprises, in 2027 Iker will be the lead rider for the Aruba Ducati team and will have to aim to be crowned Superbike World Champion. Bulega should move to MotoGP with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 team, and it’s still unknown who might replace him.

Lecuona will need to be ready, because he’ll face a different kind of pressure—the kind Nicolò has in 2026. In the meantime, he must harness the positive energy gained at Balaton Park to try to do his best at Misano Adriatico. We’re sure he’ll arrive in Italy with even more motivation than usual.