SBK Jerez: Bulega takes another phenomenal Superpole; the Cannibal is relentless

Only the final seal was missing: Nicolò Bulega took Superpole at Jerez as well, completing an incredible run of eleven poles in twelve rounds. The exception was Cremona, during the weekend of the early title celebrations. His dominance over a single lap has been evident at every track and in every condition. Bulega now has twenty qualifying sessions dominated in his short Superbike career: just three years, but always on a Ducati. Impressive.

"I can't release the brakes," Nicolò told his technicians after his first run. He was already out front, just three tenths off the record, but he wasn't happy with the bike. On his second attempt, he clocked a 1'36"643, just fourteen thousandths off the record he set a year ago. The contrast between the two qualifying sessions is striking: in 2025, Bulega was bursting with adrenaline here, with Toprak Razgatlioglu still within reach and every point crucial to keeping his title hopes alive. This time, Nicolò arrived in Andalusia wearing the golden crown of the newly crowned World Champion, a title he celebrated in Cremona two rounds ago.

Bulega has opened up a huge gap over a single lap: Sam Lowes, on the Marc VDS Ducati, was the only one among the other riders to break the 1'37" barrier. Not even Iker Lecuona, on the other factory Ducati, managed it—and that's just looking at the three riders on the front row. Three tenths is an eternity here, so predicting a one-man-show weekend is a no-brainer. Who knows if there's some madman somewhere in the world willing to bet against Bulega. Bulega has raced six Superbike races at Jerez, winning five, with three poles to his name. Still not enough? In 2024, he also dominated Supersport, taking pole and winning both races.

There are eight Ducatis in the top nine places on the grid. The only interloper is Alex Lowes's Bimota, which was a full eight tenths off the pace over one lap. "We're doing better than a year ago," the British twin said wistfully. By adopting a conventional double-sided swingarm, Ducati has made such a spectacular leap forward that it has caught all the other manufacturers off guard. Yamaha and Honda were more than a second and a half behind, with Kawasaki and BMW even further back. There's nothing new compared with the other rounds of 2026; if anything, it's the size of the gap, which seems wider than usual here.

The past also favors Nicolò Bulega at Jerez: a year ago, he swept the board, beating Toprak Razgatlioglu three times. In the Superpole Race, after contact with the Turkish rider, the Ducati rider still managed to come out on top despite a long-lap penalty! The first Bulega show gets underway at 3:30 p.m., over 21 laps.

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