#DutchWorldSBK Saturday Reflections

Rain threatened over the TT Circuit Assen and turned Race 1 into a test of timing, control and mental strength with Aruba.it Ducati – Racing’s Nicolò Bulega maintained his perfect start to the season – but not without a late challenge from his teammate.

Starting from his third consecutive pole of the season, Bulega didn’t have everything go his way in the opening moments. Instead, his teammate Iker Lecuona got a brilliant start and set the tone for what would be a much closer contest than initially expected. By Lap 2, Bulega had reached the front, and for much of the race, it appeared to be another controlled display as he built a steady rhythm at the front of the field.

For 13 laps, the Ducati rider dictated the pace, but the race shifted dramatically when rain started to fall across the 4.542km circuit. Grip levels dropped, lap times rose, and the gap got closer. Lecuona looked faster than Bulega and closed in as conditions saw several riders take a cautious approach. The Spanish rider pushed Bulega hard; however, as conditions dried, Bulega reasserted control of the race, managing the final stages to secure his seventh consecutive victory.

Behind the front two, ELF Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes delivered a standout performance. Starting from the front row, he held third for the entirety of the 21-lap race, securing his first podium finish of the season. It marked a significant result for the Brit, who has recently returned to full fitness following a wrist injury, and also saw him finish at the top Independent rider.

Further back, Barni Spark Racing Team’s Álvaro Bautista produced one of his strongest performances of his campaign so far. Starting from the third row, he quickly moved into the top five and managed that throughout. When the rain came, he was among the fastest riders on track, but the gap to the podium proved too large to close. Nevertheless, his pace in mixed conditions and his win in the battle between himself and bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team’s Alex Lowes offered clear encouragement for the Spanish rider.

The fight for sixth place added another layer of drama. ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team’s Danilo Petrucci had initially been in contention but was handed a double long lap penalty for a jump start, dropping him out of the battle. Pata Maxus Yamaha’s Andrea Locatelli led a tightly packed group in sixth, just ahead of a hard-charging ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team’s Miguel Oliveira, who climbed from 13th on the grid to finish seventh after a determined ride.

Bulega gave this assessment of his own race: “This was a more complicated race than I expected! It was a very good race, though, and in the last seven laps, when it started to rain, and when you’re leading, it’s difficult to understand how hard you can push. When Iker overtook me, I thought it didn’t make sense to take too many risks, so I followed him. During the final laps, the track started to dry again, so I pushed again. My pace was strong because I had managed the front tyre well during the race, and in the end, I could take the win. I’m on a good run of results, and I want to continue like this. Winning is everything.”

Lecuona said, “I’m really happy with P2. When the rain arrived, it was quite heavy for one lap, so I took a risk because I usually feel good in those tricky conditions. I saw it as an opportunity, so I pushed, recovered the gap and overtook Nicolo. My front tyre dropped a lot with the rain, and I started to struggle, so Nicolò passed me again. In any case, P2 is a good result. We still need to improve and find something more for tomorrow, but step by step, we are getting there.”

Lowes spoke about his first podium with the team: “I want to thank the team for doing a great job because we ironed out some of the issues from yesterday, and I felt strong out there this afternoon. One podium is brilliant, but we want more, and we’ll be aiming to be strong again tomorrow. […] I think it’s the right result for us. The rain helped me get a bit closer, but in reality, I’ve been third in terms of pace all weekend. My lap in Superpole was good too, so I’m happy with that. This track suits me well from my Moto2 experience. The fast, flowing sections in sectors three and four are good for me, and the bike is working well. I still need to improve in a few areas, Turns 1, 3 and 10,  so we’ll look into it tonight.”

Race One Results

1. N. Bulega
2. I. Lecuona
3. S. Lowes
4. Á. Bautista
5. A. Lowes
6. A. Locatelli
7. M. Oliveira
8. L. Baldassarri
9. T. Mackenzie
10. X. Vierge
11. Y. Montella
12. A. Bassani 
13. T. Bridewell
14. R. Gardner
15. A. Surra
16. G. Gerloff
17. J. Rea
18. D. Petrucci
19. S. Manzi
20. B. Sofuoğlu
21. T. Smits
22. M. Rato