15:02
Lap 20/21
Bulega leads onto the final lap and an 0.8s lead should be enough for him.
Lecuona has around 1s over Lowes, so that's probably done as well.
Further back, the battle for seventh is fairly hot between Mackenzie and Oliveira.
Nicolo Bulega, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
2026 Dutch WorldSBK Race 1 As It Happened: Bulega keeps win streak going
Live updates from Race 1 from the 2026 Dutch WorldSBK at the TT Circuit Assen.
Live coverage of the Superpole session at the 2026 Dutch WorldSBK at Assen. Superpole is due to start at 11:15 local time; Race 1 is coming up this afternoon at 14:30.
Key Moments
- Bulega wins despite mid-race rain
- Rain arrives mid-race
- Lecuona leads at the start
- Bulega takes third straight pole
- Chantra ruled out after FP3 crash
Nicolo Bulega ended Friday as the fastest World Superbike rider at Assen, topping both sessions that were largely dominated by Ducati on the time sheets. He continued that form into Saturday, taking pole position in Superpole despite crashing towards the end of the session.
Iker Lecuona became the first rider this weekend to lap in the 1m32s bracket when he did it in FP3 this morning, but he could not match his teammate, Bulega, in qualifying and ended up third. The Spaniard had been unsatisfied with his bike setup after practice on Friday, feeling he couldn't turn well in the fast corners, but after Superpole he indicated that improvements had been made in that area.
Sam Lowes completes the front row for Race 1, splitting the two factory Ducati riders, although he lost the lap record he set in 2025 to Bulega's pole lap this morning.
Miguel Oliveira was fourth-fastest in FP3 after struggling on Friday even more than he'd expected before the weekend, but he went backwards in Superpole, qualifying 13th while his teammate, Danilo Petrucci, was fourth.
Jonathan Rea remains in action this weekend in place of Jake Dixon, after filling in initially for the Honda rookie at Portimao. Rea hasn't cracked the top-15 yet this weekend and was 17th this morning. His teammate, Somkiat Chantra, is a doubt for Superpole after crashing in FP3 and bringing out the red flags.
There is also a wildcard in action this weekend in the shape of 22-year-old Dutchman Twan Smits with the Team Apreco Yamaha squad. Smits was 18th-fastest yesterday and crashed in FP3 this morning.
18 Apr 2026
19:53
Oliveira: "The pace is not there"
Miguel Oliveira cast a negative light on his weekend in Assen after Race 1, saying his gap to the leaders is "just too big" and that "the pace is just not there".
Oliveira qualified 13th today and finished seventh, 18 seconds off the win.
Full story here.
Miguel Oliveira, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK, grid. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
19:19
MacKenzie stars in Race 1 at Assen
Mackenzie charge “backfires” in Assen WorldSBK rain, “Moto3 chaos” at the end
MacKenzie chases Oliveira, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK round at Assen.
© Gold and Goose
19:18
A tough day for 17-time Assen winner Jonathan Rea and Honda
Jonathan Rea "felt fast" but "frustrated" by Honda WorldSBK position
Jonathan Rea, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK round at Assen.
© Gold and Goose
19:17
Bautista waiting three weeks for Assen "reward"
Alvaro Bautista says he had made a step with his feeling on the Ducati back in Portimao, but a crash in Race 2 meant he didn't get the "reward" for the work done.
Race 1 at Assen allowed him to put in a better performance than he'd been able to show in the first two rounds, though.
Full story here.
Alvaro Bautista, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK, pit lane exit. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
19:17
Lecuona takes a risk and fights Bulega for victory
Iker Lecuona thought Dutch WorldSBK Race 1 was "my chance" to beat Bulega
Iker Lecuona, Nicolo Bulega, Sam Lowes, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK round at Assen.
© Gold and Goose
17:50
Strategy gets Bulega over the line for win 11 in a row
Nicolo Bulega says he had settled for P2 in Race 1 at Assen, choosing not to risk pushing for the win when his teammate, Iker Lecuona passed him as the rain started to fall.
When it dried out, though, he had the chance to take advantage of the strategy he'd been employing from the start.
Full story here.
Nicolo Bulega, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK, podium. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
16:39
Third "the right result" for Sam Lowes
Sam Lowes says third was "the right result" for him in Race 1 in Assen.
The Marc VDS rider closed in on the leaders when it started to rain, but felt that third was where he fit in in terms of pace.
He also feels there are three corners in particular where he needs to improve for Sunday if he is to be able to take the fight to the two Aruba.it Racing bikes.
Full story here.
Sam Lowes, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK, podium. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
16:07
Assen WorldSBK: New world championship standings
Dutch WorldSBK, Assen: Championship standings after Race 1
Nicolo Bulega, Iker Lecuona, Sam Lowes, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK round at Assen.
© Gold and Goose
15:43
Report: Assen WorldSBK Race 1
Assen WorldSBK: Bulega, Lecuona battle as rain shakes up Race 1
Nicolo Bulega, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK round at Assen.
© Gold and Goose
15:28
Assen: Race 1 Results
2026 Dutch WorldSBK, Assen - Race 1 Results
Nicolo Bulega, 2026 Dutch WorldSBK round at Assen.
© Gold and Goose
15:04
Bulega wins Race 1
Nicolo Bulega takes victory in Race 1, Lecuona second and Lowes third. All the rain drama and they end up in the same order they'd have been in if it never happened.
Bautista takes fourth, then Alex Lowes is the first non-Ducati in fifth.
Locatelli takes sixth, then Oliveira, Baldassarri, Mackenzie, and Vierge round out the top-10.
Montella had been up to sixth when the rain started but he dropped to 11th at the end.
15:00
Lap 19/21
Bulega made his move back to the front at turns three and four, and he's putting his pace in again.
0.6s between him and Lecuona with 2 to go.
14:59
Lap 18/21
Lecuona leads into the final three laps. Lowes still right there. It's honestly anyone's race at this point.
14:57
Lap 17/21
Bulega's confidence is coming back and he makes the move at the penultimate corner on lap 17.
Lecuona responds at the chicane, and now Lowes is right there.
14:56
Lap 16/21
Lecuona leading by a few tenths, Bulega riding fairly right. Sam Lowes and Bautista both faster than the two leaders, Lowes is almost with them and Bautista only a few seconds further back.
14:54
Rain
Bulega had extended his lead to 2s, but the rain is arriving now. It started in the final two sectors, but it's more or less everywhere quite strongly now.
Lecuona now to the front with 6 to go.
14:50
Lap 13/21
Bulega now increasing his lead. His pace is staying in the 1m33s, but Lecuona has dropped to the 34s now. 1.1s between them now with eight laps to go.
14:49
Baldassarri had passed Oliveira for ninth, but Oliveira came back through at the end of the back straight. the Italian ran off and dropped to 11th behind Montella.
14:47
Lap 11/21
Into the second half of the race now and Bulega continues to lead, but it's still by only a few tenths from Lecuona.
Further back, Mackenzie has passed Vierge for seventh. Locatelli's sixth place under threat from the MGM Ducati rider as well. Baldassarri in that battle as well.
14:44
Lap 9/21
Still just 0.6s between the two leaders. Sam Lowes now nearly 2s behind them, but 4s clear of Bautista.
14:42
Lap 7/21
Better lap from Lecuona that time and the gap is back under 0.6s. Lowes now 1.4s behind the second of the factory Ducatis.
3s then back to Bautista and Alex Lowes in 4th and 5th.
Then it's the two factory Yamahas battling for P6, Locatelli ahead of Vierge with Oliveira close behind as well.
14:40
Lap 6/21
Lecuona had been staying within 0.5s of Bulega, but that's out to almost 0.6s now. Lowes now completely out of the picture for Lecuona, either, just over a second back.
14:38
Petrucci off
Petrucci tries to take his first long lap penalty but he runs off into the gravel and gets to the barrier. He's down as having completed it, which seems generous from the stewards. Still one to serve, though.
14:36
1m33.465s from Bulega on lap three is a new race lap record, better than his own best from Race 1 last year by just over 0.1s.