The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in San Marino witnessed a spectacular performance by Nicolo Bulega during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round of the FIM Superbike World Championship. Riding for Racing – DucatiBulega not only secured a decisive victory but also extended his remarkable winning streak.
Starting from pole position, Bulega dominated the 21-lap race, finishing with a 6.117-second margin over his closest competitor. This victory marked his first win at Misano in WorldSBK and extended his winning run to 23 racesincluding 19 this year alone. His teammate, Iker Lecuonasecured second place, while Yari Montella of Barni Spark Racing Team completed the podium in third.
Bulega’s Unstoppable Performance
Bulega’s dominance was evident from the start. Despite Lecuona briefly taking the lead at Turn 1, Bulega quickly reclaimed the top spot at Turn 8. From there, he steadily increased his lead, setting a new lap record with a time of 1’32.552. This victory tied him with Marco Melandri and Colin Edwards for the most podiums in WorldSBK history, marking his 75th podium.
Lecuona’s second-place finish extended his record of consecutive second places to 16. Montella, on the other hand, claimed his first Misano podium in WorldSBK, benefiting from Lorenzo Baldassarri‘s crash at Turn 5 on Lap 5.
The Bimota Battle
The race also highlighted a fierce competition between Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani of the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team. Starting in fourth and seventh positions respectively, the two teammates engaged in a thrilling battle. Bassani eventually pulled ahead at Turn 10 on Lap 7, securing fourth place. Lowes followed closely in fifth, marking Bimota’s best result since Bassani’s podium in Australia.
This performance was particularly significant as it took place at Bimota’s home round, with their factory located just a short distance away in Rimini. The team’s strong showing underscored their growing competitiveness in the championship.
Notable Performances and Incidents
Alberto Surra of Motocorsa Racing continued his impressive form, finishing in sixth place. He was followed by Andrea Locatelli of Pata Maxus Yamaha in seventh, who engaged in a fierce battle with Miguel Oliveira of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.
Other notable performances included Alvaro Bautista of Barni Spark Racing Team battling his way into ninth place, and Stefano manzi of the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team equaling his best WorldSBK result.
The race also saw several incidents, including crashes by Sam Lowes of the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team and Ryan Vickers of Honda HRC. Additionally, Remy gardner of the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 19 while fighting for a top-ten position.
As the championship continues, Bulega’s lead has grown to 113 points over Lecuona, with 397 points to his name. Montella sits in third place with 147 pointshighlighting the intense competition within the top three.
