Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France
Ninth round of the 2026 Superbike World Championship. At the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, in France, Nicolò Bulega delivers another perfect treble and keeps rewriting the WorldSBK record book. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider claimed pole, Race 1, the Superpole Race and Race 2, sealing a weekend that leaves him on the edge of the world title — mathematically just a step away, with the coronation appointment set for Cremona.
In Superpole Nicolò set a 1'34.318, breaking the all-time circuit record and sealing his tenth consecutive pole — seven from seven in 2026, a streak that keeps extending beyond his own record set at Donington.
In Race 1 the script grew complicated. Lecuona launched hard and passed Bulega at turn 5 on lap one. Nicolò regained his rhythm and hit back on the brakes at the same turn 5 on lap three. The race entered its most delicate phase on lap nine when Tommy Bridewell crashed at turn 14: red flag and a 12-lap restart. In the second stint Bulega managed the pace, held off Lecuona's late push and crossed the line 3.118 seconds clear of his team-mate. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS) completed the podium 6.293 seconds back. Just off the rostrum Yari Montella, then Alex Lowes and Baldassarri. With this win Bulega records his 44th career WorldSBK victory, overtaking Noriyuki Haga and moving into sixth on the all-time list all by himself. New lap record of 1'35.030.
On Sunday in the Superpole Race Lecuona repeated Saturday's launch, passing Bulega at turn 5 on lap one. Nicolò replied on lap three with the same braking move; then on lap four Lecuona tried another late lunge, ran wide and lost another place to Sam Lowes, before recovering second. From there Bulega managed a lead of over a second and a half to the flag. On the final lap Sam Lowes crashed at turn 3 while running second, promoting Montella onto the podium. Flag with Bulega ahead of Lecuona by 2.073 seconds and Montella third. New lap record of 1'34.750. Twenty-fifth win of the season for Nicolò, just two short of the all-time record of 27 wins in a single season.
In Race 2 Bulega got away well from pole, grabbed the lead into turn 1 and set his own rhythm. In the opening laps Lecuona pushed, then Bulega pulled steadily clear. On lap 20 the second red flag of the weekend was thrown: Bridewell crashed again, this time at turn 3. With over two-thirds race distance already covered, the race was not restarted. Final classification with Bulega ahead of Lecuona by 5.420 seconds and Montella third at 9.378, fourth Baldassarri, fifth Surra, sixth Álvaro Bautista. 46th career WorldSBK win for Nicolò and 26th of the season: he now needs just one more win to equal Álvaro Bautista's all-time record of 27 victories in a single season.
In the championship standings Nicolò moves up to 553 points, with a 146-point lead over Lecuona (407). Third Montella at 247, then Alex Lowes 201 and Sam Lowes 198. The 2026 Riders' title is not yet mathematically wrapped up, but it can become so at the next round: the party could come at Cremona, in Italy — and it would be home.
"It would be very nice if I can win it at Cremona", Bulega's verdict after Race 2. "We have a big advantage now. Cremona could be very nice if I can win the title there." And then the usual recipe: "As I said before, the important thing is to win races. It's important to continue to win races."
The championship moves straight on to the Cremona round, on the home circuit: the perfect chance to close out the season in front of the Italian crowd.
