WSBK Superbike, Balaton Park FP3: Bulega's problems solved? Bautista rages.

Sam Lowes is getting faster and faster, Nicolò Bulega is trembling and seems to have found the solution during FP3 of the Superbikes at Balaton Park. Alvaro Bautista is in difficulty…

A Ducati leads the Hungarian round of the World Championship World SBK Superbike at Balaton Park, but it's Sam Lowes. Nicolò Bulega finishes behind Toprak Razgatlioglu on a difficult Friday.

De Paul Gozzi / Corsedimoto.com

For Sam Lowes, is it time for his first Superbike victory? It's possible, since the British Ducati Marc VDS rider was also the fastest in the third and final free practice session: he also topped the combined classification, ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu, still in his wake. The news this morning is that Nicolò Bulega is closing in on the top spots after a Friday marked by setup and braking issues. The Ducati rider completed a decent race simulation, setting the sixth fastest time. The gap between Sam Lowes and the championship leader, Toprak, is still important (9 tenths), but the first race will be another story. Meanwhile, Nicholas Bulega will have to try to qualify as high as possible. On the other side of the Ducati garage, Alvaro Bautista is furious: twelfth time and dark (even black) prospects for the pilot market in 2026.

Alvaro Bautista admits: "I have nothing on the table."
He has won two world championships (plus a third in 125 GP) and, at almost 41 years old, is still one of the best riders in the Superbike World Championship. Alvaro Bautista, whose participation has not been confirmed by Aruba.Ducati, however, has no prospects for 2026. I have nothing on the table, not even offers from satellite teams: if an offer came in, I would study it," explains the Madrid rider. There are still many factory rider positions available at Honda, Yamaha and BMW, " But I understand that they are looking for younger riders, especially those who are not handicapped by the six extra kilos I carry. This is not an excuse, it is simply the reality. The personal penalty imposed by the regulations is obviously not useful at the moment. The question is: how many riders, currently among the candidates for the 2026 Superbike season, are faster than Bautista? I have no complaints, I do my best with what I have, even if the rules are against me  »

Locatelli takes Yamaha to the top of Superbike
Thanks to better track knowledge and fresher asphalt, all riders significantly improved their performance compared to the day before. The Yamaha duo made notable progress, with Andrea Locatelli who rose to third place, just behind the two main protagonists of these three sessions. Jonathan Rhea also progressed, finishing eighth. Andrea Iannone, on the other hand, fell back, after finishing Friday in a good position (third place) but having started the day badly (eleventh). Yari Montella, who fell at turn 7 with Tito Rabat, was taken to the medical center for examinations. Balaton Park, the new stage of the 2026 Superbike season, could hold several surprises. And Sam Lowes start thinking about it…

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Paul Gozzi

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