#ItalianWorldSBK Saturday Reflections

Posted September 27, 2026

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

Iker Lecuona converted his first WorldSBK pole position of the season into a dominant Race 1 victory at Cremona, leading every lap to take his first win with Aruba.it Racing – Ducati.

The Spaniard had already broken the Cremona lap record in Superpole, qualifying ahead of teammate Nicolo Bulega by just 0.044s. It was Lecuona’s first Tissot Superpole success with Ducati and ended Bulega’s run of ten consecutive pole positions.

Lecuona made a clean getaway to take the holeshot and immediately began building a gap, stretching almost a second clear of Bulega by the end of the opening lap.

From there, the race was largely under control. Lecuona continued to extend his advantage throughout the 23 laps, eventually crossing the line more than five seconds ahead of his teammate and setting the fastest lap of the race.

“We changed the bike for the afternoon, and we found something extra,” Lecuona said. “I felt very, very strong and very comfortable. It’s the best bike I’ve ridden in WorldSBK.”

The victory comes after Lecuona’s strong pace throughout the weekend, with the Spaniard topping both Friday sessions before taking pole on Saturday.

“I did a really good job with the riding, and I’m very happy. I’m enjoying riding here a lot.”

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

Bulega was unable to match his teammate’s pace but comfortably held second throughout the race. After crashing twice on Friday, the championship leader opted for a more controlled approach and avoided taking unnecessary risks.

“I knew that Iker was very strong today. It was risky to push hard to try and stay with him,” Bulega explained.

“Second place is good because a lot of my supporters are here today and I want to close the championship here.”

Bulega’s second-place finish means he heads into Sunday’s Superpole Race with a 141-point advantage over Lecuona. He can secure his first World Superbike Championship tomorrow.

The championship leader admitted that Friday’s crashes had affected his confidence, particularly after initially being unable to understand what caused the incidents.

“When you lose the feeling like this, and you don’t know why you crashed, it’s better to reset and ride at 90%, and then improve step by step,” he said. “Maybe tomorrow I can go 95% and keep improving for the races.”

Behind the two factory Ducatis, the fight for third developed after Alberto Surra crashed out at Turn 7.

The Motocorsa Racing rider had started from the front row and remained inside the podium positions during the opening stages before his race ended.

That left Sam Lowes and Lorenzo Baldassarri to fight for the final podium position, with Lowes eventually coming out on top to claim his ninth podium of the season.

ELF Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes. Credits: WorldSBK

“I ran at the pace that I have had the whole weekend,” Lowes said. “When the grip dropped, my pace was good; I could do my best lap at the end of the race.”

“Overall, I’m happy with my lap in the Superpole and the job we did in the race. We’ll keep working, keep improving, and I think we can make a step for tomorrow.”

Garrett Gerloff completed the top five, securing his best result in four rounds after starting eighth.

The Kawasaki rider spent much of the race battling Alex Lowes, with fifth position ultimately decided on the final lap.

Yari Montella’s difficult weekend continued with another crash, adding two further incidents to a weekend that has already seen the Barni Spark Racing Team rider involved in four crashes.

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

How can Bulega secure the title?

Bulega can secure the 2026 WorldSBK Championship in Sunday’s Tissot Superpole Race if he outscores Lecuona by eight points.

If the title remains undecided after the Superpole Race, Bulega will be champion after Race 2, provided he loses no more than 17 points to Lecuona across the two races.

The Superpole Race is at 11:10 LT, and Race Two is at 14:00 here in Cremona.

Superpole Results