Bulega makes WorldSBK history as Debise steals SSP thriller

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Round Four – Balaton Park – Saturday

Bulega makes WorldSBK history at Balaton Park

Nicolo Bulega turned Ducati’s dominant Balaton Park pace into a record-breaking Saturday, claiming pole position and then leading every lap of Race 1 to take his 14th consecutive WorldSBK victory.

Nicolo Bulega takes the chequered flag as the Ducati pit wall celebrates his WorldSBK Race 1 victory at Balaton Park.

The result makes Bulega the outright record holder for the longest winning streak in WorldSBK history, moving clear of the 13-race runs previously recorded by Toprak Razgatlioglu. It also continued Bulega’s perfect start to 2026, with the Italian now ten wins from the first ten races of the season.

Bulega’s Saturday began with another Superpole statement. His 1m38.094s secured his fourth pole from four rounds this season and gave Ducati its first WorldSBK pole at Balaton Park. Lorenzo Baldassarri put Team GoEleven second on the grid with the first front-row start of his WorldSBK career, while Yari Montella completed an all-Ducati front row for Barni Spark Racing Team.

Miguel Oliveira was fourth for BMW, ahead of Iker Lecuona and Andrea Locatelli, although Lecuona was later handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding, dropping him to eighth on the Race 1 grid. Remy Gardner also received a three-place grid penalty, which moved the Australian from 14th to 17th on the grid.

The closing stages of Superpole were messy, with yellow flags following crashes for Danilo Petrucci and Stefano Manzi, preventing some riders from improving. Even so, Bulega’s margin was emphatic, his pole lap 0.608s clear of Baldassarri.

WorldSBK riders line up under red lights for the start of Race 1 at Balaton Park.

When Race 1 got underway, Bulega immediately converted pole into the lead and was already more than a second clear by the end of the opening lap. Alberto Surra made the big early move, jumping from seventh on the grid to second at Turn 1, while Baldassarri’s promising Saturday unravelled almost immediately.

The WorldSBK field starts Race 1 at Balaton Park with Nicolo Bulega launching from pole.

Starting from the front row after a superb Superpole, Baldassarri got a poor launch and lost a handful of places through Turn 1 after being caught behind riders dicing ahead of him. Trying to recover quickly, the Team GoEleven rider lost the front at Turn 8 on lap two, at what the team described as around 200 km/h. He was taken to the medical centre and later declared fit with contusions to his right elbow and knee, but the bike damage left the team with a long repair job ahead of Sunday.

Bulega continued to stretch the field while Lecuona worked forward from eighth on the grid. The Spaniard moved up two places on the opening lap, gained another on lap two, then picked off Oliveira, Montella and Surra on consecutive laps to take second by lap seven.

By that stage Bulega had more than four seconds in hand. Lecuona reduced the margin later in the race, but Bulega had the race under control and took the chequered flag 2.538s clear. He also set a new race lap record of 1m38.783s on lap two, completing the pole, race win, fastest lap and all-laps-led sweep.

The numbers are remarkable. Bulega has now won 14 WorldSBK races in succession, a new all-time record, and has taken all ten race wins so far in 2026. It was also his 30th career WorldSBK win, Ducati’s 459th WorldSBK victory, and Ducati’s tenth win from ten races this season.

The podium fight behind the factory Ducatis was the best of the WorldSBK race. Surra, Montella and Oliveira all spent time in the contest, with Surra initially looking capable of converting his superb launch into a breakthrough result.

Montella, on the weekend of his 90th race with Barni across WorldSSP and WorldSBK, was in the podium fight from the opening stages. He battled hard with Surra and Oliveira, but the fight with Surra cost him enough time for Oliveira to get clear once the BMW rider established himself in third. Montella still brought the Barni Ducati home fourth and claimed Best Independent Rider honours.

Oliveira’s third place was his fourth WorldSBK podium, all of them coming in third position behind Bulega and Lecuona. It was also BMW’s 110th WorldSBK podium.

Bautista, making his 250th WorldSBK race start, had a more patient race. The Spaniard struggled to fully control the bike in the early laps, but became stronger as the race developed and made the decisive move on Alex Lowes at Turn 1 on lap 20 to take fifth. That gave Barni Spark Racing Team a strong fourth and fifth, behind only the two factory Ducati riders and Oliveira’s factory BMW.

Alex Lowes leads a group during WorldSBK Race 1 at Balaton Park on the bimota KB998 Rimini.

Alex Lowes still produced a strong ride for bimota. Starting tenth, he was seventh by the end of lap one, sixth by lap seven and fifth by lap 11, before Bautista’s late pace cost him one position. Lowes said he had been riding the KB998 Rimini on the limit, with the front moving around, and felt sixth was close to the maximum available on a layout that does not particularly suit the bimota package.

Axel Bassani brakes for a right-hander on the bimota KB998 Rimini during WorldSBK Race 1 at Balaton Park.

Axel Bassani was also on course for a top-ten finish before the final lap. The Italian had just moved into the points when he struck the ripple strip between Turns 7 and 8, almost lost the front, and ran off track. He recovered to finish, but dropped to 17th and out of the points.

Andrea Locatelli was the leading Yamaha rider in seventh after qualifying fifth. The Pata Maxus Yamaha rider got a good launch, but was squeezed between Montella and Oliveira on the run to the tight Turn 1 entry. He ran inside the top six early before rear-grip issues in the hot conditions left him fighting to preserve pace late in the race.

Xavi Vierge salvaged a strong top ten from 16th on the grid. After a difficult Friday and a poor qualifying result, the Spaniard and his crew found a set-up that gave him more confidence under brakes, and he was already up to ninth by the end of lap two before eventually finishing tenth.

Sam Lowes salvaged ninth after a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start dropped him as low as 18th on lap four. Petrucci was 11th, Tarran Mackenzie 12th, and Garrett Gerloff 13th after an eventful race on the Kawasaki.

Gerloff’s result had more to it than the finishing position suggests. The Texan qualified 12th, but was squeezed into the Turn 9 chicane early in the race and had to run through. To avoid a penalty, he had to give up one second on that lap, which cost him more than that in track position and left him 16th at the end of the opening lap. He then fought back into the group ahead and gained a place on the final lap.

Tommy Bridewell and Stefano Manzi completed the points, while Remy Gardner finished 16th after qualifying 14th, then being dropped to 17th on the grid by his penalty. The Australian showed decent early pace but struggled with grip in the second half of the race.

Honda HRC’s Somkiat Chantra and Yuki Kunii completed the race in 19th and 21st respectively. Chantra improved through the weekend but could not hold the pace needed to stay with the group ahead, while Kunii’s first WorldSBK race was compromised by early contact that sent him into the gravel.

Bulega now leads the championship on 211 points, 74 clear of Lecuona. Sam Lowes remains third on 89, only four points ahead of Oliveira, with Alex Lowes fifth on 79.

WorldSBK Race One Results


Pos	Rider	Bike	Time/Gap	Speed
1	N. Bulega	Duc	34m48.413	275.5
2	I. Lecuona	Duc	+2.538	282.0
3	M. Oliveira	BMW	+12.584	279.8
4	Y. Montella	Duc	+14.077	276.9
5	A. Bautista	Duc	+15.032	283.5
6	A. Lowes	Bim	+15.781	277.6
7	A. Locatelli	Yam	+21.559	276.9
8	A. Surra	Duc	+23.775	275.5
9	S. Lowes	Duc	+25.308	282.0
10	X. Vierge	Yam	+28.578	275.5
11	D. Petrucci	BMW	+28.643	276.9
12	T. Mackenzie	Duc	+29.057	276.9
13	G. Gerloff	Kaw	+29.063	282.0
14	T. Bridewell	Duc	+29.873	278.4
15	S. Manzi	Yam	+31.917	274.8
16	R. Gardner	Yam	+34.722	275.5
17	A. Bassani	Bim	+37.186	279.8
18	B. Sofuoglu	Yam	+52.606	270.0
19	S. Chantra	Hon	+55.393	274.8
20	M. Rato	Yam	+1’01.515	268.0
21	Y. Kunii	Hon	+1’07.187	272.0
RET	L. Baldassarri	Duc	20 Laps	278.4

WorldSBK Race One Quotes

Nicolo Bulega

“It’s a great result. Achieving such an important record fills me with pride. I want to thank the team for the quality of the work they do every day, putting me in a position to have an extraordinary feeling with my Panigale V4 R. We haven’t yet achieved this season’s goal, though. We need to be competitive tomorrow as well.”

Iker Lecuona

“I’m a bit disappointed, especially with the grid penalty I received, which I don’t think was fair. I did enjoy riding my bike, though; the feeling was really good, and that gives me great confidence for tomorrow.”

Miguel Oliveira

“We made a good step for the Superpole session but we didn’t put a full lap together because of the yellow flags. Starting from the second row is still a good position. I had a strong start to the race but I lost time in the early laps. In the end, it was a tough race, but I managed to secure third and build a gap to the riders behind. I focused on my own pace and controlling the situation. We also collected some important data for tomorrow. If I can fight for the podium again in both races I’ll leave Balaton very satisfied.”

Yari Montella

“We started building our weekend from yesterday. I didn’t have good memories here from last year because we struggled a lot. Today I didn’t expect to be this fast; the target was a top-five finish, but instead I found myself fighting for the front row. In the race we fought for the podium, trying to stay with the leading group. In the opening laps there was a great battle with Surra that cost us a bit of ground. Oliveira managed to open a gap that I couldn’t close afterwards. In the end I’m satisfied. Our goal was exactly this: to have consistent races, bring home the maximum possible result and build the weekend step by step.”

Alvaro Bautista

“In Race 1, I made a good start. In the opening laps I still struggle to be aggressive with the bike, but towards the end of the race I felt much better, I could control the bike better and ride the lines I wanted. My pace improved, but I had lost too much ground at the beginning. I recovered some positions, even if not enough. P5 is not a bad result, but we know we can and must do more.”

Alex Lowes

“This track probably does not suit us as much as some of the others. It is hard to be overly happy with P6, but I was, let’s say, riding the bike on the limit. I was playing with the bike, the front was moving, and I felt I was maximising pretty much every lap. I was disappointed to lose fifth place at the end to Bautista, but in the last few laps, he was one of the fastest on track. I was really trying to defend, but it was not to be today. We will take that result.”

Remy Gardner

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t the easiest Saturday for us. I pushed hard in Superpole, but it wasn’t enough to qualify higher than 14th, and then the penalty didn’t help. In the race, I tried to fight and gain positions, especially early on, to stay close to the front group. The start wasn’t ideal, but the pace at the beginning was quite good. However, I struggled more in the second half of the race due to grip issues, which is something we need to understand ahead of tomorrow.”

WorldSBK Superpole Times


Pos	Rider	Bike	Time/Gap		Speed
1	N. Bulega	Duc	1m38.094		281.3
2	L. Baldassarri	Duc	1m38.702	+0.608	279.8
3	Y. Montella	Duc	1m38.719	+0.625	281.3
4	M. Oliveira	BMW	1m38.867	+0.773	285.0
5	I. Lecuona	Duc	1m38.878	+0.784	282.7
6	A. Locatelli	Yam	1m38.916	+0.822	279.8
7	S. Lowes	Duc	1m38.938	+0.844	281.3
8	A. Surra	Duc	1m39.051	+0.957	280.5
9	A. Bautista	Duc	1m39.202	+1.108	283.5
10	A. Lowes	Bim	1m39.352	+1.258	277.6
11	T. Mackenzie	Duc	1m39.417	+1.323	279.8
12	G. Gerloff	Kaw	1m39.419	+1.325	279.8
13	D. Petrucci	BMW	1m39.533	+1.439	276.2
14	R. Gardner	Yam	1m39.602	+1.508	274.8
15	A. Bassani	Bim	1m39.606	+1.512	277.6
16	T. Bridewell	Duc	1m39.908	+1.814	281.3
17	X. Vierge	Yam	1m40.204	+2.110	281.3
18	M. Rato	Yam	1m40.340	+2.246	275.5
19	S. Manzi	Yam	1m40.390	+2.296	276.9
20	B. Sofuoglu	Yam	1m40.731	+2.637	274.8
21	S. Chantra	Hon	1m41.055	+2.961	279.1
22	Y. Kunii	Hon	1m41.196	+3.102	277.6

WorldSSP Race One

Debise wins WorldSSP thriller as Arenas takes championship lead

Valentin Debise claimed a dramatic WorldSSP Race 1 win at Balaton Park after a final-lap scrap with Albert Arenas and Can Oncu.

WorldSSP riders lean into the first corners at the start of Race 1 at Balaton Park.

Arenas started from his maiden WorldSSP pole and led the opening lap, but Yamaha stablemate Oncu took over on laps two and three. Roberto Garcia, who had made a lightning start from the third row, then forced his way into the lead on lap four and began to shape the race.

The three Yamaha R9 riders, Garcia, Oncu and Arenas, set a fierce early pace, with Arenas lowering the race lap record on lap ten with a 1m42.737s. Filippo Farioli had also been in the early podium fight after qualifying strongly, but his race ended with a fall.

Roberto Garcia leads Can Oncu during WorldSSP Race 1 at Balaton Park.

Garcia looked in control for much of the race, leading from lap four to lap 13, only to crash out at Turn 15 as the pressure built in the closing stages. That handed Oncu the lead, but also brought Arenas and Debise back into play.

Valentin Debise beats Albert Arenas and Can Oncu to the line in WorldSSP Race 1 at Balaton Park.

The final lap decided it. Oncu ran deep into the Turn 12-13 chicane, leaving all three contenders bunched into the final sector. Debise carried the better exit from the final corner and beat Arenas to the line by just 0.132s, with Oncu third, 0.377s from victory.

Valentin Debise

“This was a very tough race! I didn’t quite have the same speed as the others, so I focused on being as consistent as possible. At one point they started to pull away but I stayed calm and kept my pace. On the last lap I thought it would be difficult to pass because I had lost time in sector one but then Oncu made a small mistake in the chicane and Albert hesitated a little. I opened my line and got a better exit and kept the throttle open while they had to roll off. I managed to go around them. It wasn’t a perfect race but I’m very happy with the win because it was unexpected.”

Arenas’ second place, combined with Jaume Masia’s opening-lap retirement, moved the AS BLU CRU Yamaha rider into the championship lead by 19 points. It was also Arenas’ third consecutive second-place finish, continuing a remarkably consistent opening phase of the season.

Albert Arenas

“It was a very fast race, my Yamaha team-mates were riding very well and were super-fast, especially Roberto who set a very fast pace. I wanted to keep calm and wait for the end. The last lap was a bit of a mess in the last corner, I tried to pass Öncü but then Valentin came but what is important for us is that we are being consistent. I still feel I can improve some things for tomorrow.”

Masia’s race lasted only a few corners after contact with Andreas Kofler at Turn 2. Both riders were out, and with Masia unable to set a meaningful race lap, his Race 2 grid position will again be compromised.

Jeremy Alcoba finished fourth for Kawasaki, less than eight-tenths from the win, with Matteo Ferrari fifth as the leading Ducati rider. Philipp Oettl was sixth, while Tom Booth-Amos produced one of the rides of the race, climbing from 22nd on the grid to seventh for PTR Triumph.

Simon Jespersen, Aldi Satya Mahendra and Mattia Casadei completed the top ten, Mahendra recording his best result since his Phillip Island podium.

Oli Bayliss had a frustrating afternoon, but there was a Sunday upside. The Australian crashed at Turn 5 on lap two after making a small mistake while passing another rider on the brakes and using the slipstream of the rider ahead. He rejoined and was eventually classified 26th, one lap down, but his 1m42.970s was strong enough to put him seventh on the Race 2 grid.

Oli Bayliss

“Obviously, not the result the PTR Triumph Racing team and I were aiming for today. That said, our speed was strong and we’ve put ourselves in a better position on the grid for race two, P7 after posting a 1:42.970. I made a small mistake while passing another rider on the brakes and getting into the slipstream of the rider ahead, which led to a small crash in the gravel. Sorry to the team. We’ll regroup and go again tomorrow.”

WorldSSP Race One Results


Pos	Rider	Bike	Time/Gap	Speed
1	V. Debise	ZXM	31m02.264	244.9
2	A. Arenas	Yam	+0.132	242.7
3	C. Oncu	Yam	+0.377	240.5
4	J. Alcoba	Kaw	+0.770	246.6
5	M. Ferrari	Duc	+1.092	245.5
6	P. Oettl	Duc	+5.835	244.9
7	T. Booth-Amos	Tri	+6.071	244.9
8	S. Jespersen	Duc	+7.129	244.3
9	A. Mahendra	Yam	+7.882	242.2
10	M. Casadei	Duc	+9.572	243.2
11	L. Mahias	Yam	+13.976	241.6
12	D. Aegerter	Kaw	+24.280	244.3
13	O. Vostatek	Tri	+24.341	242.7
14	J. Whatley	Duc	+25.308	244.3
15	F. Caricasulo	ZXM	+27.195	245.5
16	R. De Rosa	QJM	+29.157	243.2
17	L. Taccini	Duc	+29.999	248.3
18	B. Jimenez	Duc	+30.040	245.5
19	C. Perolari	Hon	+35.320	240.0
20	O. Konig	Tri	+35.355	238.9
21	J. Cretaro	MVA	+38.915	245.5
22	A. Giombini	MVA	+41.088	245.5
23	R. Rossi	Duc	+45.617	242.2
24	Y. Okamoto	Yam	+47.225	241.6
25	A. Carrasco	Hon	+53.088	240.5
26	O. Bayliss	Tri	1 Lap	240.5
RET	R. Garcia	Yam	3 Laps	242.2
RET	M. Ramirez	QJM	6 Laps	246.0
RET	X. Cardelus	Yam	7 Laps	241.6
RET	A. Zaccone	Duc	10 Laps	242.7
RET	F. Farioli	Yam	15 Laps	240.0
RET	J. Masia	Duc	0 Laps	241.6
RET	A. Kofler	Yam	0 Laps	240.0

WorldWCR Race One

Herrera overcomes penalty to win WorldWCR opener

Maria Herrera recovered from a three-place grid penalty to win the first WorldWCR race of the weekend at Balaton Park, the reigning champion coming out on top after a tense four-rider battle.

WorldWCR riders launch toward Turn 1 at the start of Race 1 at Balaton Park.

The race was reduced to nine laps after a delayed start. Emily Bondi crashed on the warm-up lap at Turn 1, rejoined, but was then instructed to leave the track with a technical problem and did not take part in the race.

WorldWCR riders exit the opening corner during Race 1 at Balaton Park.

Roberta Ponziani started from pole after the penalties applied from Friday Superpole, but it was Beatriz Neila who made the most of her front-row start and led the early laps. Herrera, starting fourth, quickly brought herself into contention, while Paola Ramos and Ponziani made it a four-rider fight at the front.

Neila led the first two laps before Herrera moved ahead on lap three. Neila responded on lap five, but Herrera regained the lead on lap six and held it to the flag, winning by 0.263s. Neila held off Ramos by 0.151s for second, while Ponziani finished fourth after losing contact with the podium fight in the closing stages.

WorldWCR Race 1 podium at Balaton Park with Beatriz Neila, Maria Herrera and Paola Ramos.

Ramos completed the podium and also set the fastest lap of the race, a new lap record of 1m52.544s on lap eight. That earns the Klint Racing rookie pole position for Sunday’s Race 2, where she will share the front row with Neila and Ponziani.

Muklada Sarapuech headed the chasing group in fifth, 13.728s from the win, while Chloe Jones, Natalia Rivera, Pakita Ruiz, Lucie Boudesseul and Astrid Madrigal completed the top ten.

Australian Tayla Relph’s 11th place did not reflect the early part of her race. Relph made one of her best starts of the season and ran fifth across the opening laps, even creating a small gap over the group behind. But tyre problems emerged early and progressively took away her pace, leaving her to manage the bike to the flag. She will look for a set-up direction change ahead of Sunday’s second race.

Tayla Relph

“Super happy to have finally had a strong start and a solid opening two laps in fifth, pulling a slight gap to the group behind me. This has been a big weakness of mine so far this season, so it was awesome to prove that one to myself today. Unfortunately, I ran into some serious tyre problems early in the race that I struggled to manage effectively, and by the end I felt like a bit of a passenger, finishing P11. But that’s okay, we roll with the punches, and I am pretty used to completing a solid Sunday comeback race now.”

Herrera now leads the championship with 115 points, 18 clear of Neila. Ponziani is third on 65, with Ramos only four points further back.

WorldWCR Race One Results


Pos	Rider	Bike	Time/Gap	Speed
1	M. Herrera	Yam	17’02.121	196.0
2	B. Neila	Yam	+0.263	195.3
3	P. Ramos	Yam	+0.414	198.2
4	R. Ponziani	Yam	+2.355	197.4
5	M. Sarapuech	Yam	+13.728	199.3
6	C. Jones	Yam	+13.956	196.0
7	N. Rivera	Yam	+14.146	196.7
8	P. Ruiz	Yam	+14.361	195.3
9	L. Boudesseul	Yam	+14.570	198.5
10	A. Madrigal	Yam	+16.147	194.6
11	T. Relph	Yam	+18.074	194.6
12	K. Danak	Yam	+22.473	195.3
13	I. Carreno	Yam	+25.540	194.6
14	Y. Cerpa	Yam	+27.970	192.9
15	D. Dal Zotto	Yam	+28.131	197.4
16	L. Michel	Yam	+33.492	194.9
17	M. Dobbs	Yam	+38.565	196.4
18	L. Vieillard	Yam	+38.643	193.2
19	M. Guarino	Yam	+50.688	191.8
20	K. Hand	Yam	+50.787	195.7
21	A. Barale	Yam	+51.324	191.8
22	P. Sowa	Yam	+53.450	195.7
RET	A. Ourednickova	Yam	1 Lap	193.9
RET	E. Bondi	Yam	0 Laps	–

2026 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship calendar


Date.	Country	Circuit	WorldSBK	WorldSSP	WorldSPB
20-22 Feb	AUS	Phillip Island GP	X	X
27-29 Mar	POR	Portimao	X	X	X
17-19 Apr	NED	TT Assen	X	X	X
1-3 May	HUN	Balaton Park	X	X
15-17 May	CZE	Most	X	X	X
29-31 May	ESP	MotorLand Aragon	X	X	X
12-14 Jun	ITA	Misano – Marco Simoncelli	X	X	X
10-12 Jul	UK	Donington Park	X	X
4-6 Sep	FRA	Nevers Magny-Cours	X	X	X
25-27 Sep	ITA	Cremona	X	X	X
9-11 Oct	POR	Estoril	X	X
16-18 Oct	ESP	Jerez – Angel Nieto*	X	X	X

2026 World Superbike Championship Entry List


Rider	Bike	Team
I.Lecuona	Duc	Aruba.It Ducati
N.Bulega	Duc	Aruba.It Ducati
D.Petrucci	BMW	ROKiT BMW Motorrad
M.Oliveira	BMW	ROKiT BMW Motorrad
A.Locatelli	Yam	Pata Maxus Yamaha
X.Vierge	Yam	Pata Maxus Yamaha
Y.Montella	Duc	Barni Spark
A.Bautista	Duc	Barni Spark
A.Lowes	Bim	bimota by Kawasaki
A.Bassani	Bim	bimota by Kawasaki
S.Chantra	Hon	Honda HRC
J.Dixon	Hon	Honda HRC
S.Manzi	Yam	GYTR GRT Yamaha
R.Gardner	Yam	GYTR GRT Yamaha
S.Lowes	Duc	ELF Marc VDS
L.Baldassarri	Duc	Goeleven
T.Mackenzie	Duc	MGM Racing
G.Gerloff	Kaw	Kawasaki WorldSBK
A.Surra	Duc	Motocorsa
M.Rato	Yam	Motoxracing
B.Sofuoglu	Yam	Motoxracing
A.Iannone	Duc	Cainam Racing