SBK Jerez: Superpole Race, same old story—Bulega never gives up

Racing is full of unknowns, and it’s difficult to plan and then execute the perfect race. It’s astonishing how Nicolò Bulega always manages to pull off the same game plan: a lightning-fast start, building a lead, then managing it with ease. The final Superpole Race of his Superbike career held not the slightest uncertainty: business as usual, a movie we’ve seen time and time again.

The question that has lingered since the opening round at Phillip Island remains unanswered: just how much does this phenomenal rider have in reserve? It’s a fair question, because it’s hard to believe everything could always go so smoothly for him if he didn’t have something extra up his sleeve. On the unbeatable Superbike—the Ducati Panigale V4 R—against today’s competition, Bulega has no one to contend with. Does he win so easily because he’s a phenomenon, or because the others aren’t up to the task? We’re inclined to believe the former, and we’ll only have to wait a few months to find out if we’re right. In MotoGP, Nicolò will finally have his work cut out for him.

The Andalusian sprint went like clockwork. Bulega was gone in an instant, keeping teammate Iker Lecuona about a second behind. At this track, his teammate didn’t even consider challenging him: since Friday, he had been convinced he had no chance, and there was no point risking trouble on the eve of his flight to Australia, where he could race in MotoGP next weekend as a substitute for Fermin Aldeguer. Lecuona was content to put some distance between himself and independent rider Sam Lowes, who had soundly beaten him on Saturday. The score was settled right away.

Today’s Superbike championship, dominated single-handedly by the same rider on the same Ducati every time, is completely lacking in drama—the key ingredient that makes motorsport so appealing. Bulega is rewriting the record books, but it’s a rather self-contained spectacle. Meanwhile, everything happening behind him tends to pass largely unnoticed, including another strong performance from Yari Montella, who finished fourth ahead of Alex Lowes on the Bimota and former world champion Alvaro Bautista.

The championship concludes with Race 2, run over 20 laps. As of this afternoon, it will already be 2027, with winter testing set to begin in a month at the Andalusian circuit. Jerez is also a time for farewells for riders who will be racing elsewhere next season. Danilo Petrucci is one of them, set for his final dance with BMW Motorrad after a disappointing season. At a public event held at the Paddock Show on Saturday, the rider from Terni broke down in an emotional moment (read more here). It also marks the end of the Pirelli one-make tyre era, which began way back in 2004.

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