The only uncertainty surrounding Misano in Superbike is when Ducati will announce the agreement between Nicolò Bulega and the VR46 team for MotoGP 2027. However, there's no doubt about the outcome of Race 1: the Cannibal dominated, extending his winning streak. He now has 23 consecutive victories!
During his victory lap on the track, he sat down at the "Trattoria Bubi," a nod to the special helmet dedicated to Ducati team members. The only rider with any ambition to beat him, namely his teammate Iker Lecuona, this time had the luxury of leading for four corners. At the start, he effectively thwarted Bulega's pole position, but the latter then launched himself towards the Quercia corner with incredible momentum, settling the matter early in a race that remained uneventful. Along the way, Nicolò improved the track record, surpassing Toprak Razgatlioglu, who had always finished ahead of the Ducati rider here in the previous two years.
Lecuona motive Bulega
This time, Lecuona didn't even try to resist: his rival quickly became an increasingly distant speck on the horizon. Iker's brilliant seventh-place finish in MotoGP, just six days earlier with the Gresini Ducati as a replacement for the injured Alex Marquez, ultimately motivated Bulega more than Lecuona himself. A truly champion's reaction: Lecuona lost six seconds, which is no small feat on an identical bike and with the same team.
Bulega is on a roll. Adding in the two Sunday races, it's hard to see who could stop him from equaling Toprak Razgatlioglu's record of 21 consecutive wins this season. His next goal will be to beat Alvaro Bautista's 27, and with 17 rounds still to go, anything is possible. He also equaled Marco Melandri's record of 75 Superbike podium finishes. However, there's a significant difference: Melandri achieved them in 203 races, compared to just 91 for Bulega.
Montella best of the rest in Superbike
Against the two factory riders, there's no contest. But when you're a rider from southern Italy, in your second year of Superbike, with a top but private team, a podium finish at Misano is a dream come true. Yari Montella was the best of the rest, with an impressive result, especially since the gap to the juggernaut was smaller than usual. The boost came from the crash of his direct rival, Lorenzo Baldassarri, who fell at Rio in the opening laps. A mistake he needs to rectify as quickly as possible.
Bimota in sight
The Rimini-based brand, headquartered just a stone's throw from the circuit, is the only one managing, at this stage of the championship, to hold its own against the untouchable Ducati Panigale V4 R. "Being first among the rest is the only reasonable objective," they repeat in the Bimota garage. It must be added that, despite Kawasaki's presence, this is a technologically advanced workshop, but with a handcrafted soul. Yamaha, BMW, and Honda have now vanished from the scene.
Regarding internal matters at Bimota, it should be noted that Axel Bassani outshone Briton Alex Lowes. Both celebrated their contract extensions today. There will still be time to try and raise the bar even higher.
Superbike Misano – Race 1 results:
Ranking : World SBK
