SBK Cremona: Bulega has lost his way, now Surra is record-breaking

At the pivotal moment, Superbike decidedly changes face: Iker Lecuona, Ducati’s wingman, takes center stage, relentlessly pounding out a frightening pace. At the tail end of the third free practice session, Alberto Surra set everyone straight, climbing to the top of the timesheets for the first time. Nicolò Bulega, on the other hand, seems to have faded right on the very weekend that could crown him World Champion.

Alberto Surra had already made himself noticed on Friday, closing with a third-fastest time full of promise. In the final stretch of free practice he was even more devastating, clocking a 1'27"666 that smashes all references on the small Lombardy circuit, even the Superpole record set by Nicolò Bulega last year. Who knows what he’ll show us later in the all-or-nothing lap that decides qualifying. Recently, the World Championship’s luxury rookie had the chance to test the factory Ducati, which then opted for the more seasoned Franco Morbidelli with a view to 2027. This top spot, even if purely symbolic, is a bit of revenge.

Surra may have used one of the four available SCQ tires to try a Superpole configuration, but it’s still an outstanding statement from a kid in only his tenth outing in the world series. Nicolò Bulega, instead, took a clear step back from Friday, when he crashed in both sessions yet still finished on the heels of the rampant Lecuona. In FP3 he was one of the very few not to improve, slipping to tenth in the combined. Too bad to be true.

Here, though, Lecuona has a formidable pace, and the prospect of beating him—as has happened 26 times out of 27—looks increasingly remote as we approach the first showdown of this Italian round. On Friday Bulega pointed to the tires, mentioning vibration issues in the box. Ducati also intervened by changing the frame, but the situation worsened. Here in Cremona last year Bulega won three out of three races, clearly beating Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Jake Dixon also fitted the qualifying tire on the Honda, dragging the Honda to third in the combined, behind the two Ducatis. On the small Lombardy circuit, the CBR-RR was strong a year ago as well: Xavi Vierge finished fifth twice. Bimota roared with Axel Bassani in fourth, while Alvaro Bautista is back up front too, for once better than Yari Montella in sixth. At this point, Superpole will be particularly exciting.

It’s not statistically very likely that Nicolò Bulega can clinch the Superbike World Championship today with eight races to spare. He needs to aim for the win in Race 1, but above all hope that Iker Lecuona finishes sixth or lower. Considering that the Spaniard has lost to Nicolò 26 times out of 27, but has almost always finished right behind him, only a potential mistake would definitively settle matters. Realistically, we’ll talk about it again on Sunday. Let’s remember that in Superbike history, which began in 1988, there is only one Italian rider on the world champions’ roll of honor: Max Biaggi, champion with Aprilia in 2010 and 2012.

Photo: Mauro Stanzani

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