#AragónWorldSBK Friday Debriefs

Posted May 30, 2026

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Blue skies and soaring temperatures provided a demanding start to WorldSBK’s first visit to Spain of the 2026 season, with conditions at MotorLand Aragón pushing both riders and machinery to the limit. Despite track temperatures climbing beyond 35°C, it was the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati pairing of Nicolò Bulega and Iker Lecuona who set the benchmark on Friday, ending the day first and second on the combined timesheets.

Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Nicolò Bulega. Credit: WorldSBK

Bulega’s fastest lap came during the cooler morning conditions, with a 1’48.916s proving enough to top the overall standings. The championship leader once again demonstrated the strength of the Ducati package, with nine Ducati Panigale V4Rs finishing inside the top eleven positions by the end of the day.

“Our first impressions are good. We did a great job today in very difficult conditions because the track temperature was incredibly hot. I’m happy with the feeling on the bike, although we still need to improve in some areas, especially under braking. Iker was strong today, and Sam was strong too, so we have to keep working for tomorrow. We still need to improve, but overall I’m very happy with the pace. These are not easy conditions because the track temperature is so high. You really feel it when riding the bike, especially on the straights, because the bike produces a lot of heat. It’s difficult, but it’s the same for everybody, and in the end, the best rider will win.”

Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Iker Lecuona. Credit: WorldSBK

Lecuona topped the afternoon session and looked set to end Friday fastest overall before a crash at Turn 8 brought his day to an early conclusion. Despite the incident, the Spaniard finished less than a tenth of a second behind his teammate on the combined times and emerged uninjured from the high-speed fall.

“I’m relaxed even with the crash because the run at the end of the session was really positive. I felt confident, comfortable and fast, and the crash was just a mistake. I’m okay, and I’m lucky not to be hurt because I was going very quickly when I hit the gravel, but I don’t have any issue physically. It was extremely hot and very hard to ride in these conditions. Mentally, it was difficult to stay focused and physically, it was very demanding. Even the straights were probably the worst part of the track because of the heat. Let’s see tomorrow, but I think for everybody it will be very tough to complete the full race distance.”

bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team’s Alex Lowes. Credit: WorldSBK

Completing the top three, Alex Lowes enjoyed a strong opening day for the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team. Both Lowes and teammate Axel Bassani completed 32 laps across the two practice sessions, with the British rider ending the day third fastest overall.

“Aragon is a track that I enjoy, and I had some good results last year. I probably didn’t expect to be in the mix with those guys today. The track temperature during the afternoon was in the mid-50s, so it was really demanding. We did a longer run, and I also tried something different with my riding position. It’s been a good day, and I’m enjoying it. It’s going to be a long race because 18 laps in these temperatures will not be easy, but I’m looking forward to it and trying to do the best we can.”

WorldSBK’s Superpole is at 11:15 LT, and Race 1 is at 15:30 here in Aragón.