SBK Estoril: Please, take your seat—Nicolò Bulega and the Sprint on the red carpet

Once again, Iker Lecuona came out all guns blazing, but he stayed in the lead for just one lap. By braking too late at the end of the straight, he opened the door for Nicolò Bulega, who was handed the easiest victory of the year on a silver platter. The mistake did not come for free—the Cannibal was already breathing down his neck: the celebratory day Iker enjoyed at Cremona is already a distant memory.

With the race taking place in the morning, temperatures in the air and on the track were lower than in Race 1, in addition to the overcast skies: 19°C air temperature and 24°C track temperature. As a result, nobody gambled on the qualifying tyre, opting instead for the more stable SCX, the soft compound designed for longer races. Even better for Bulega, who is perfectly at home with the SCX, even over the shorter distance. Once he moved into the lead, the newly crowned World Champion simply had to manage his advantage—another speciality of his.

Updating the Cannibal’s increasingly impressive statistics has become routine. In just three seasons, the 26-year-old Ducati rider has earned a prominent place alongside the greatest names in Superbike. His 48 wins from 104 starts are remarkable, but even more impressive is his run of 45 consecutive podium finishes. With four races still remaining before his move to MotoGP, there is time to challenge Jonathan Rea’s all-time record of 48 straight podiums, set in 2018–19. Just consider that in 104 appearances, he has finished on the podium 88 times. And, let’s be clear, he has almost always finished first or second. Truly remarkable.

With Iker Lecuona’s mistake at Turn 1, Miguel Oliveira also came close to taking advantage, having suddenly rediscovered his spark at his home track. The podium was what he wanted, to repeat his early-season result at Portimao. But he had to contend with Alberto Surra, who was delayed at Turn 1 amid the chaos triggered by Yari Montella, which also caught out Alex Lowes. The Motocorsa youngster made a spectacular recovery and, on the final lap, put Oliveira—who has won five MotoGP races—under serious pressure. It is his third podium in the last four races: simply wonderful.

The Estoril programme concludes with Race 2, which, due to the time difference—one hour behind Italy—will start at 4:30 p.m. local Italian time. The paddock will then move to Jerez, in Andalusia, for the final act of a season dominated by Ducati and, above all, by a Nicolò Bulega in sublime form.

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