SBK Most: The Bulega show doesn’t disappoint in Race 1; Lecuona falters again

Nicolò Bulega’s right wrist doesn’t shake as he powers to victory in Race 1 and deals the 17th consecutive triumph in this Superbike World Championship, increasingly monopolized by Ducati.

Most, in the Czech Republic, is a peculiar track and very demanding on tires. Two years ago here, Toprak Razgatlioglu, while leading, was hobbled by a rear tire failure and had a big scare. Bulega managed the pace for over half the race to avoid frying the rear. But right behind him, once again, was his teammate Iker Lecuona, so balancing management with fending off an attack became a matter of fine strategy. Ten laps from the end the Spaniard stuck his nose ahead, but Bulega didn’t lose his cool. He let the other rider lead to gauge his pace and, once he realized it was doable, he dove up the inside under braking like a madman, settling this family affair on this occasion as well.

In Superbike it’s always the same winner, Ducati crushes everyone, so it’s easy to say there’s no show due to a lack of alternatives and uncertainty. But looking closely, you understand how Nicolò has all the makings of a star. He plans the challenge precisely during practice, always putting himself in a position to maximize the potential. Then he meters that potential based on the level of the opponent at hand, aware that right now the only one who can stay close is Lecuona. “I had no brakes left when he passed me,” the winner explained in the heat of the moment. But then evidently the brakes started working well again: the killer braking move with which he hooked this umpteenth triumph was a touch of class.

At the first start, in turn 13, Danilo Petrucci was launched into the air by the BMW, landing heavily in the run-off. The rider from Terni did not lose consciousness, but he was in a lot of pain and was loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher. Race 1 was immediately stopped, because Most does not have a service road for moving emergency vehicles, which can only move using the track. The first official information on the condition of Danilo Petrucci speaks of multiple contusions and a blow to the pelvis. He was taken to Most hospital for a more precise diagnosis. It never rains but it pours at BMW, given that the other main rider Miguel Oliveira was seriously injured in the previous round at Balaton Park and will be out for a long time, definitely missing the next stops at Aragon and Misano. In FP3 Alvaro Bautista was seriously injured as well, with three fractures in his right foot. Recovery will be long for the three-time world champion, too.

At the restart, with the distance shortened by one lap, Ducati took the entire podium with Yari Montella an excellent third, a superb result for a satellite rider. The red train was broken up by the spirited performance of Garrett Gerloff, with a Kawasaki that rediscovered competitiveness on this track. The Texan held off the attacks of Axel Bassani, this time the leading Bimota. And Yamaha? The half-kilo/hour fuel bonus yielded nothing: Andrea Locatelli finished eighth, 24 seconds behind the winner, i.e. over a second per lap. The bill is hefty; the technical regression of the R1 is the great mystery of this Superbike season.

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