SBK Jerez: Practice 1, Bulega’s Last Glimmer of Glory with His Mind on the Future

Just to set the record straight, Nicolò Bulega had his portrait taken as World Champion on the eve of this final stretch of glory. For him, Jerez is simply an extension of the celebrations; these three Andalusian races don’t count, and his mind is already on the next challenge: MotoGP.

The dominant rider wrapped things up in Cremona last month, making this Superbike finale entirely academic. Last week at Estoril, even with the title already decided, he gave nothing less than his all, sweeping all three races to extend his incredible winning streak. Here at Jerez, he’s racing in his own backyard: a year ago, when the title was still on the line, he went toe to toe with Toprak Razgatlioglu, leaving the championship verdict until the final lap.

This time, with no pressure at all, his only rival will be the clock. And how do you think the first free practice session went? Nicolò immediately took control, as if his number 11 Ducati Panigale V4 R were being driven by remote control. By the end of the session, he had posted a highly impressive 1'38"155, exactly half a second off the race lap record he set himself a year ago. The others are a long way back: nothing new under the Andalusian sun.

Jerez brings this championship to a close, but above all it ushers in the next one. Around the paddock, as negotiations for the last available seats play out, one question keeps coming up: will the regulatory overhaul agreed by the manufacturers themselves (MSMA) and approved by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme and Dorna manage to rein in the Ducati Panigale V4’s stratospheric potential? In 2027, to balance performance—or at least try to—the rules will introduce both fuel-flow limits and engine-speed restrictions. There will also be a single fuel supplier, to prevent the use of high-performance special fuels designed to circumvent the reduction in fuel consumption.

The Superbike World Championship has therefore not opted for more draconian measures such as the Balance of Performance (BoP) used by the British series, which will open the door to new manufacturers and models with different engine configurations and displacements. There is a real risk that Ducati, competing at the highest level, already has the magic formula to make the regulatory restrictions irrelevant. We’ll have to wait for the inevitable checks during winter testing.

While we wait to see what the future holds, the present remains painted red. The first session ended with five Ducatis at the front, with Sam Lowes, Iker Lecuona, Yari Montella and Alberto Surra forming a royal guard around the King. Different tracks, same old refrain: Ducati is in a league of its own in the World Championship. The standings, moreover, have been frozen since last February even among the chasing pack: Bimota is struggling behind the Panigales, while BMW and the Japanese manufacturers, all of them, remain off the pace.

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