Superbike Test Jerez Day 2: Will Nicolo Bulega have any rivals in 2026?

In view of the 2025 season and with the departure of Toprak Razgatlioglu towards MotoGP, we expected to see total domination of Nicholas Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the MOTUL FIM World Championship Superbike 2026, and this first test in Jerez is not there to change our minds...

Of course, tests are just tests, and nothing is ever written in advance, but the only driver who was able to oppose the 2025 Turkish champion appears to be the big favorite for the next campaign...

He already has two seasons' experience in the series-derived bikes category, a speed that neither his teammate nor the other Ducati riders have been able to match, and now a completely reworked 2026 Panigale V4 R that has shown great promise since its first laps.

During the first day of the Jerez test, Nicholas Bulega, a 1'38.027, immediately showed himself to be more than a second faster than the rest of the field, only riding in the afternoon.

This Wednesday, too, he did not need the entire session to display 1'37.587 at the top of the table, up half a second from the day before, and still almost a second ahead of his closest pursuer, who was today his new teammate Iker Lecuona, in 1'38.444.
Of course, all of this will probably tighten up over time, but we already know where to put a coin for the 2026 champion...

Nicholas Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “It was a pretty good day, even though we only worked for half a day. I think we improved a little compared to yesterday, with an extra night to analyze all the data. I felt good from the start, and we managed to make some small steps forward in terms of cornering behavior: it's not perfect yet, but it's better. I lost a little bit in the braking phase compared to yesterday, but overall we made progress. We now have good data for the winter, and I'm sure the team will work hard to prepare well for next season.”

In 3rd position, we find alex lowes on the BbKRT Bimota. Yesterday, the Rimini machine was outside the Top 10 in the hands of the test rider alone Javi Fores, but her progression of the day, led by the Briton, still leaves her more than a second behind " Bulegas "!

Now in a test pilot role, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team), 4th at 1,411 seconds behind the latter, cannot alleviate the feeling of lack due to the absence of " El Turco"

Winter testing will continue on November 26 and 27 in Jerez, as the Superbike Championship teams continue their preparations for the start of the 2026 season.

The Top 10 (Day 2)