SBK Donington: Back to business as usual, Nicolò Bulega doesn't falter

Donington was the only Superbike track where Nicolò Bulega had never won. Iker Lecuona, his Ducati teammate and only rival, by winning Race 1 had further extended the drought. But then the Spaniard paved the way with a mistake in the Sprint race that counted double. Forced to start the race from the fourth row, he had no chance of beating the Cannibal, who rocketed to the front from the very first corner.

This time Nicolò Bulega’s weekend wasn’t perfect: two wins and a second place, following seven previous rounds dominated from start to finish. Not that it changes the tally much: 24 races contested, 23 won. If you’ve noticed, since the start in Australia no one’s even talked about the World standings, such is Bulegass’s superiority. At the summer break, the Ducati rider arrives with a 131-point lead over Iker Lecuona, and considering that each of the four remaining rounds awards 62, it’s clear the first world title is already on ice.

It’s still July, but Ducati has already been crowned Manufacturers’ World Champion for the 22nd time. The first was in 1991, the magic year of Doug Polen, who made an extraordinary difference with Dunlop tires. Ducati’s first riders’ title dates back to 1990 with Frenchman Raymond Roche, but the Manufacturers’ crown slipped away to Honda. In the morning, after the Superpole Race, the Aruba.it team celebrated the Teams’ World Championship. Never before had the world titles been decided this early.

Race 2 was a dull procession of riders, with Yari Montella keeping Bulega’s pace for several laps. When Lecuona pounced, the Campanian rider from the Barni team realized it wasn’t worth insisting. A double podium in a single day is gold for an independent rider. On this occasion, apart from Yari, Ducati’s privateer armada wilted a bit, leaving the spotlight to Bimota, which arrived in formation with Alex Lowes ahead of a resurgent Axel Bassani.

The calendar is the foundation of any top-level motorsport championship, and the Superbike World Championship’s is full of holes. Despite having just twelve events, only one of which is outside Europe, the series now stops for two months—right in the summer period that ensures maximum attention for these disciplines. Fans will have to wait until September 5–6 for the French round at Magny-Cours. After that, only three stops will remain: Cremona, Estoril (Portugal), and Jerez (Spain).

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