Donington 2026, Race 1: Lecuona puts the word ‘end’ to Bulega’s dominance

End of the unbeaten streak

While this morning Nicolò Bulega had set the new record for the most consecutive Superpoles in Superbike, Race 1 at Donington had a ‘negative’ outcome for him. For the first time this season, #11 finished off the top step of the podium. Consequently, the Ducati rider will no longer be able to extend the record for consecutive wins, stopped at 25. The first to celebrate in this championship, as well as for the first time in his Superbike career, was in fact his teammate Iker Lecuona, who put on a spectacular battle with the championship leader that started in the early stages of the race and continued until the last lap.

Read more Rovanperä ready to return to Super Formula after health issues

Race report

At the start, as has happened on other occasions during this championship, Lecuona got off the line better than his teammate, thus taking the lead of the race ahead of #11 and Montella, who remained in third position. However, even before the end of the first lap, Sam Lowes completed a rather decisive attack on the Campanian rider, who lost not only the podium zone but also fourth place to Alex Lowes. From the 3rd lap, the two Ducati-Aruba.it team riders began a fight for the race lead, with Bulega trying on several occasions to regain the top spot, which he failed to do due to long lines in turn 11 that allowed the Spaniard to overtake his teammate again. Meanwhile, on the eighth lap, Montella climbed back to third position, also helped by a mistake by Sam Lowes at the braking of turn 1. For the rest of the race, the two Ducatis ran a race of their own, with Lecuona maintaining the lead steadily despite the constant and threatening presence of Bulega in the slipstream. Three laps from the finish, the championship leader attempted another overtake on the Iberian rider, who immediately took the lead again after the attack. A very similar and spectacular battle also took place on the 22nd and penultimate lap, with Lecuona then defending himself on the last lap of the race, thus securing his first Superbike victory.

Read more Rally dell’Acropoli 2026: schedule and TV times

Donington, Race 1: finishing order