SBK Assen Race 1: Nicolò Bulega wins twice, Lecuna makes him sweat

This time Nicolò Bulega didn’t act superior like the other times. Iker Lecuona, his Ducati teammate, snatched pole from right under his nose and kept him behind for almost two laps. But at Assen’s fastest point the Italian slipped up the inside with class. It looked like the usual escape had begun, but this time we really had fun.

Seven laps from the end Bulega had a one-second cushion, the Spaniard was already on the limit. But a treacherous drizzle began over Assen. Nicolò eased off, Iker stayed on the gas, sniffing a golden opportunity. A different race began, with the result wide open again. But Bulega had more in hand: he waited a couple of laps to see if it was worth the risk, then cut loose again and took back the lead. Two wins in a single race, that was the only thing he was missing...

Now it’s eleven in a row, with Toprak Razgatlioglu’s record of thirteen wins in sight for Sunday. Very doable, given the potential. But Lecuona is growing: in Australia he came out dazed, in Portugal he got very close, and here he’s stirring the waters a bit. That Iker is pushing like there’s no tomorrow is obvious; what we need to understand is if—and how much—margin the dictator has up his sleeve: here at Assen there are two races left to find out. The arrival of the rain also unleashed the excellent Sam Lowes, who flies around here: a thoroughly deserved podium, tucked in behind the two factory Panigales.

Alvaro Bautista completed the quartet of Ducati Panigales up front, six seconds down on the winner but taming Alex Lowes’ Bimota after a no-holds-barred duel—literally: there was contact on the main straight. The Rimini-built bike shipped eleven seconds, while it took seventeen seconds to find the best Yamaha. A massive gap, but sixth is a small breath of fresh air for Andrea Locatelli, who at least beat out internal rival Xavi Vierge.

The chance to make the BMW shine vanished even before the start due to a jump start. Called in for a double long-lap penalty, Danilo Petrucci nearly went down entering the penalty lane. He avoided the mistake but ended up in the gravel, rejoining dead last. A real shame because the late drizzle would have been his hunting ground.

Nicolò Bulega ended last season by winning the final four races and is at full points in this championship: seven out of seven. So the Ducati rider is on an eleven-race winning streak. Now he’s eyeing a third consecutive treble (the fourth if you include Jerez ’25): the Superpole Race kicks off Sunday at 11:15 (10 laps), with the grand finale Race 2 at 15:30 (21 laps). Weather: overcast again on Sunday with a low (but not zero) chance of rain.

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