#UKWorldSBK Friday Debriefs

Posted July 11, 2026

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Glorious sunshine and temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celcius greeted the WorldSBK Paddock as Donington Park hosted the first day of action for the UK Round. Championship leader Nicolò Bulega continued the momentum from his dominant start to the 2026 campaign by topping Friday’s combined times for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati.

The Italian set the benchmark with a 1’25.460s while completing 40 laps of the 4.023km circuit. With similarly hot conditions expected throughout the weekend, Bulega and Ducati once again laid down an early marker.

Ducati’s strength was evident again throughout the Friday as Yari Montella emerged as Bulega’s closest challenger. The Barni Spark Racing Team rider climbed to second on the combined times with a late flying lap after completing an encouraging 15-lap race simulation during the afternoon. Iker Lecuona completed an all-Ducati top three, ending the day just over a quarter of a second adrift of his teammate after spending much of the day as his closest challenger.

Six Ducati Panigale V4Rs finished within the top seven positions on the combined times, underlining the Bologna manufacturer’s advantage around the historic circuit. Alex Lowes was the leading non-Ducati rider in fourth after an encouraging long run programme aboard the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team machine.

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

Despite ending the day on top, Bulega admitted there is still work to do before qualifying and the races.

“Friday wasn’t bad, but I would still like to improve the bike in some areas. The pace was quite good, so I’m happy. We just need to improve in a few places, but Donington is a track that I like. I don’t like all of it, but let’s say I like half of the circuit and the other half not so much.”

Barni Spark Racing Team’s Yari Montella. Credit: Zach MacKay

Montella was equally satisfied after his team recovered from a difficult start to the day. The Italian explained that overnight changes transformed the feeling of the bike and left him optimistic heading into Saturday.

“We started this morning with some problems on the bike, but in the end we fixed them, and it started to work well. This afternoon we made a big step because this morning the feeling wasn’t the best. I was pushing, but I was struggling a bit. We made a big step in the afternoon, and we did a long run to understand how the tyres will work over the race distance. At the end, we fitted another tyre to push again, and we made some adjustments to the bike. We made another step, so I’m happy. It’s only Friday, and we need to keep working and try to improve again tomorrow.”

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

Lecuona, meanwhile, endured a more frustrating day despite finishing third. The Spaniard admitted he never found a setup that gave him confidence through Donington’s fast, flowing sections, even though he remained strong in the heavy braking zones.

“Today was quite tricky, honestly. I couldn’t find a way to feel comfortable on the bike. We tried a few things, but we didn’t find a solution. The bike was inconsistent, and it wasn’t very precise. It was difficult to be consistent with the lap times. In the last sector, with the two slowest corners, I’m one of the strongest riders because I feel good on braking and at corner entry. In the fast sections, I struggle a lot, so it was difficult to ride consistently.”

Friday also brought disappointment for two British riders. Jake Dixon suffered an early crash at Coppice but recovered to finish 16th on his return from injury, while Tarran Mackenzie’s weekend came to a premature end after a heavy crash at Turn 12 late in Free Practice 2. The MGM BONOVO Racing rider was diagnosed with injuries to his left shoulder, lower left leg, and ankle and has been ruled out of the remainder of the UK Round.

Free Practice Combined Times