SBK Jerez: Race 1, Bulega does it again, riding alone like the stars of the Tourist Trophy

Jonathan Rea won six consecutive World Championships, the most crushing domination Superbike has ever seen. But sometimes he had to fight for his wins: his rivals lost, but they weren’t that far behind. Nicolò Bulega is even more dominant: he gets away, finds his rhythm and never looks back. Race 1 at Jerez was his 30th win in 34 races in 2026, bringing his three-year tally in the series to 50.

More than the numbers, though, it’s the way he does it that matters. Bulega’s superiority is something we’ve never seen before. It’s true that the Ducati Panigale V4 R is a spaceship compared to its rivals in this somewhat bizarre Superbike series, but there are eight other Ducatis on the grid. Nicolò doesn’t just win—he wins by a landslide. Beyond his performance, which is there for all to see, what’s also astonishing is his ability to stay focused while spending the vast majority of the race riding completely alone. Nicolò races on the track, but with no rivals around him, he’s racing against the clock. It’s a somewhat bold comparison, but it’s as if this young rider were competing in the Isle of Man TT, where riders don’t start together but race against the clock.

At Cremona, Ducati’s number two had dramatically gate-crashed Bulega’s World Championship party, beating him three times. It looked like a turning point, but it proved to be a bolt from the blue, because at Estoril and in this Andalusian round the pecking order returned to normal. In fact, on this occasion Iker was outpaced by the rock-solid Sam Lowes, the independent Marc VDS rider who’s quick when he stays upright. And that’s not all: in the early stages, the factory Ducati rider also came close to falling into the clutches of Yari Montella, who finished fifth here and deservedly sits third in the World Championship. Let’s not forget that the young Campanian is only in his second World Championship season.

Jerez brought some of Alvaro Bautista’s spark back. He launched himself at teammate Yari Montella, the youngster who was supposed to develop in the shadow of the three-time World Champion—once in 125cc and twice in Superbike—but instead had thoroughly beaten him, until this time. The three riders up front were too far ahead, but it was great to see Bautista back in the mix where it counts.

As usual, Jerez will also host the first round of winter testing in preparation for the Superbike World Championship, which gets underway in Australia in February. The teams will be on track in Andalusia on November 25–26, before the paddock moves to Valencia on December 9–10 for the first session featuring riders arriving from MotoGP. After the Christmas break, testing resumes at Jerez on January 20–21, 2027. The fourth and final European session will take place back in Valencia on January 25–26.

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