Nicolo Bulega won WorldSBK Race 2 Sunday at Donington Park during the 2026 UK round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Bulega took the victory in dry conditions, with Iker Lecuona recovering from 10th on the grid to finish second, according to official race results.
Bulega’s victory at Donington Park marked a notable achievement in the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, with the Italian rider securing first place in Race 2 on Sunday under dry conditions. He finished ahead of teammate Iker Lecuona, who recovered from a tenth-place starting position to claim second, and Yari Montella, who completed the podium in third place, according to official race results released by the WorldSBK organizers. The race took place on Donington’s full circuit layout as part of the UK round of the 2026 WorldSBK season, conducted under FIM Superbike regulations.
Montella’s third-place finish at Donington represented his seventh podium in succession and the tenth of the 2026 season, as documented by official WorldSBK statistics.
Lecuona’s advance from 10th on the grid was a highlight of the race, as he overcame the setback caused by a crash in the earlier Superpole Race that compromised his starting position for Race 2. Sources confirmed that despite this disadvantage, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider displayed strong race pace and overtaking ability to move through the field and finish directly behind Bulega. This performance contrasted with Lecuona’s previous results at Donington, where in 2024 he had finished 14th on a Honda CBR1000RR-R and in 2025 had managed only 10th place in Race 2, according to records from past seasons.
Riding for the Barni Spark Racing Team, Montella secured a podium lockout for Ducati, with all three top finishers aboard Ducati machinery. The manufacturer’s dominance extended beyond the podium, with Axel Bassani, riding for the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, classified fourth as the leading non-Ducati rider. He was followed by Alex Lowes in fifth and Garrett Gerloff in sixth, completing the top six positions. The remainder of the top ten included Sam Lowes, Lorenzo Baldassarri, Xavi Vierge, and Alvaro Bautista, as per the official classification.
Bulega’s form at Donington was foreshadowed by his performance in Friday practice sessions, where he topped both Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 with a best lap time of 1 minute 25.460 seconds. This was more than two tenths of a second faster than Montella’s best time of 1:25.667 and approximately 0.250 seconds quicker than teammate Lecuona, according to timing data released by the event organizers. These practice results underscored Bulega’s pace and consistency at the circuit ahead of the race.
The 2026 season has been marked by Bulega’s dominant run, with records showing he achieved 20 wins during the year and maintained a streak of 24 consecutive WorldSBK victories up to mid-June, although these statistics primarily relate to earlier rounds such as Misano. His Donington Race 2 win added to this string of successes and represented a progression from previous seasons at the venue. In 2024 and 2025, Toprak Razgatlioglu had won Race 2 at Donington, with Bulega finishing second on those occasions. The 2026 victory thus signified a shift in competitive order at the UK round, according to historical race records.
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team benefited from the one-two finish by Bulega and Lecuona, securing maximum points for both riders and reinforcing their position in the riders’ and teams’ championships. The presence of multiple Ducati riders in the top positions, including independent riders such as Montella and Baldassarri, highlighted the manufacturer’s strong showing at Donington. This dominance was further evidenced by the variety of Ducati machines occupying the majority of the top ten spots, as confirmed by official race classifications.
Additional context from earlier in the 2026 season includes Bulega’s Superpole Race win at the Emilia-Romagna round, where he set a new lap record with a fastest lap time of 1 minute 31.945 seconds. This performance demonstrated his overall competitive level during the season. Comparisons with previous years at Donington also reveal that in 2025, Razgatlioglu won Race 2 by a margin of 2.946 seconds over Bulega, indicating a tighter contest in 2026 with Bulega emerging victorious.
The 2026 WorldSBK season continues with upcoming rounds scheduled at other international circuits, where teams and riders will seek to build on their performances at Donington. The results from the UK round contribute to the evolving championship standings and offer insights into the form and competitiveness of the leading riders and manufacturers as the season progresses.
