SBK: Like Bulega, Lecuona? His answer on a possible return to MotoGP

The Spanish rider is struggling at Jerez and believes it is unlikely that he can challenge his teammate. He also answered questions about a possible move to MotoGP.

Iker Lecuona posted the third-fastest time in both Superbike FP1 and FP2 in his home country of Spain. On Thursday, he had already warned that he might have some difficulties, since Jerez is not one of his favorite tracks, while Nicolò Bulega likes it a lot. The 2026 world champion, in fact, was faster than everyone in practice and seems to have laid the foundations for another hat-trick of wins in what will be his last weekend as an SBK rider before moving to MotoGP.

The Spaniard finished 334 thousandths of a second behind Bulega, with Sam Lowes’ Elf Marc VDS Ducati also ahead of him. Today, he will look to make progress and avoid leaving himself vulnerable to the English rider, Yari Montella and Alberto Surra.

Lecuona is quite disappointed with how day one in Andalusia went, as he had hoped to be more competitive: "I struggled a lot - he admitted. I said this isn't the best track for me. It was a tough day; I had a bad feeling on the bike. We tried something new in the afternoon, but we couldn't find anything that made me feel truly comfortable. I was a little more competitive and consistent in the final run, whereas in the morning and then again in the afternoon I had been very inconsistent and was destroying the tire quickly. It's quite difficult; we need to work".

The Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider is not feeling comfortable on the Panigale V4 R, which is making everything difficult: "I'd like to feel more comfortable on the bike. This is the second consecutive weekend I've really struggled on it. When you can ride comfortably, you can be fast. We need to find something; we haven't found the right direction yet".

Lecuona does not believe he can keep up with Bulega this Superbike weekend at Jerez: "Honestly, no. He has an extra level of speed, and right now keeping up with him isn't my goal. The goal is to finish second, ahead of Sam, Surra and Montella. That's the realistic target: to end the year with three second places, and then we'll see if we can find the right direction over the winter".

Another hat-trick of second places would be a positive way to finish an excellent season for the Spanish rider, who has bounced back in a big way on the Ducati Panigale V4 R after several difficult years on the Honda CBR1000RR-R, finally showing his potential. In 2027, with Bulega in MotoGP, he should be the favorite for the SBK world title.

Jerez may not be Lecuona's last race weekend of 2026. Indeed, BK8 Gresini could still call him up at Phillip Island to replace injured Fermin Aldeguer. He has already stood in for Nadia Padovani's MotoGP team in Hungary and England, and would be ready to get back on the Ducati Desmosedici GP in Australia as well: "Maybe it would be a good opportunity to ride a MotoGP bike in Australia - Speedweek reports - something I couldn't do back then because of the COVID restrictions. I would have to learn a new circuit on this bike; if they called me, I would be very grateful".

Asked about the possibility of a permanent return to MotoGP in the future, should he prove successful in Superbike, the Spaniard said: "Honestly, I'm happy here and I really enjoy myself. The Superbike paddock feels more familiar and friendly; there are fewer races and you spend more time at home. That allows me to spend more time with my wife and daughter. I face the future calmly and focus on the present. If I do really well, like Nicolò has this year, Ducati could give me an opportunity. But even if that doesn't happen and they want to keep me in Superbike for a long time, we can continue this journey together".

Lecuona is not obsessed with having to return to MotoGP; he has found his place in WorldSBK and is happy with his situation. He endured several difficult years at Honda, and the move to Ducati may have saved his career, so he does not want to think too far ahead. He has signed a contract extension through 2028 and knows he will be racing for a major, competitive team like Aruba Ducati for the next two years. He does not want to think about MotoGP. If he gets the chance to race there, as he did in 2026, he will take it.

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