SBK: Lecuona doesn’t scare Bulega—the Aruba Ducati duel is ready to explode

Lecuona leads Bulega in Friday practice, but the Superbike World Championship leader remains calm: there could be a great battle in Hungary.

Nicolò Bulega had said that the Balaton Park Circuit isn’t the best track for his riding style, but he topped the timesheets in FP1 and finished second in FP2, just 103 thousandths behind his teammate Iker Lecuona. The Spaniard, on the other hand, really likes the Hungarian track and seems closer than ever to the chance of fighting for victory. He has never won since joining WorldSBK; this weekend could be his big opportunity. The pace of the two Aruba.it Racing Ducati riders is similar, and there’s still time to improve for Saturday and Sunday.

Bulega is fairly satisfied with his Friday of Superbike free practice, he feels in better shape than in 2025 and still has room to improve: "It didn’t go badly. Last year on Friday I struggled a lot in terms of feeling with the bike; this year, no. I think we’ve made an improvement and I’m quite happy with the sensations I have. We can definitely tweak something; I’m not at 100%—in particular, in the chicanes".

The 2023 Supersport world champion knows he needs to change something in his riding style at Balaton Park as well, and he’s ready to do what it takes to extend his winning streak (13 in a row so far): "I don’t know what to expect. This isn’t the best layout for my riding style, but I think if you’re fast, you’re fast everywhere. I need to change my style a bit here. Today was a positive day in terms of approach. If we take a step tomorrow, I can fight for the win".

If he had to put money on someone, would it be himself or Lecuona? Here’s the Emilia-born rider’s answer: "Our pace is really similar. Still, I’d put it on myself".

Lecuona can’t help but smile at ending the day in P1, also because on Thursday he had a stomach issue that left him a bit weakened: "I’m happy with our performance. I struggled a bit physically because yesterday I felt really bad and had to go back to the hotel to rest. This morning I didn’t have the same energy I usually have, but the feeling with the bike was very good. We made a few small changes and they worked well. The positive thing is that my fastest lap was the last one in FP1 and the last one in FP2 on the same tire. We’re quick, I’m happy".

The former Honda HRC rider knows he has great potential for this Superbike weekend in Hungary: "I’m one of the favorites, but not the favorite. In the end, it’s racing and anything can happen. I’m slightly faster than or similar to Nicolò, which is a good step forward since he was quicker in the first three rounds. Sam Lowes is close to us, so we’ll see what happens".

Managing to win for the first time in SBK is something the Spaniard dreams of, but at the same time he still doesn’t want to obsess over that goal: "The approach has been the same; I tried to stay calm. The idea is to win, but finishing second wouldn’t be a drama. The important thing is to fight".