Lecuona, from MotoGP enthusiasm to SBK frustration: "I couldn't do anything"

The Spaniard arrived in Misano highly motivated after a good weekend at Balaton Park standing in for Alex Marquez: he hoped to fight for the win but instead was clearly beaten by his teammate.

Iker Lecuona has become a regular in second place, which he has consistently occupied over the last sixteen races and also in the overall standings, where the gap to Nicolò Bulega has grown to 113 points. While he was no longer thinking about the 2026 Superbike world title, he had certainly imagined a different Race 1. He battled his teammate only through the first corners after the start, then couldn’t match his pace and ended up 6.1 seconds adrift.

It was a riding lesson delivered by Bulega. The 26-year-old from Valencia didn’t expect it; he arrived at Misano Adriatico buoyed by a strong outing in Hungary with the BK8 Gresini Ducati MotoGP team and was aiming to take his first SBK win. However, based on what we saw today, he might come up empty this weekend as well. Speaking of MotoGP, it’s not out of the question that he could race again at the Czech Republic Grand Prix in Brno (June 19–21).

Lecuona didn’t hide his frustration after the first Superbike race at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli: "In the first laps I saw that Nicolò was 2–3 tenths faster than me and after 4–5 laps I eased off, because I realized I couldn’t do anything and I was already on the limit. I’m really frustrated with myself, it’s time to make a step, but I still lack something to stay with Bulega. I have to work to find it both in the bike and in my riding, even though the bike has already shown its potential and it’s mainly up to me to make the final step."

The Spaniard is upset with himself; by the seventh round of the SBK season he wants to be at Bulega’s level and not take a 6-second beating. In the press room he explained that there aren’t many points where he needs to improve, but getting there is tricky: "It comes down to 2–3 corners, but right now I don’t understand what I need to do with the bike. I know where I’m losing, but I can’t do them like Nicolò or stay with him. I didn’t have the confidence to push the limit every lap and preferred to be conservative, finishing the race in P2 and bagging another 20 points, avoiding crashes."

Together with the team he will work on the data to analyze the situation and try to be more competitive for Sunday’s two races: "Now I have to work," he concluded, "and understand what I need to do. Already on the first lap I realized I couldn’t do anything, seeing that Nicolò passed me easily and could brake later and better than me. It wasn’t my day."

Improving braking in certain corners will be crucial to trying to trouble Bulega. The 10-lap Superpole Race could become an interesting opportunity if he makes a significant step. For Race 2, turning the situation around seems difficult, though reducing the gap could still be a realistic goal.