Live coverage of 2026 Hungarian WorldSBK Race 2, which is due to start at 15:30 local time.
Nicolo Bulega starts on pole for Race 2 in Hungary after winning the Superpole Race this morning. The Italian maintained his unbeaten run so far this weekend, extending his streak to 14 races in Race 1 despite not riding at his best by his own admission before adding a 15th straight win this morning.
Bulega has been followed over the line by Iker Lecuona in each of the last eight races, including both races this weekend. The Spaniard thinks he has a shot at the win this afternoon, starting second rather than the eighth position he had for Race 1 and the fifth place he started from this morning.
There are no BMWs on the grid for Race 2. Miguel Oliveira crashed on the opening lap of the Superpole Race and sustained a concussion and a left shoulder injury, leaving him unfit for Race 2. Danilo Petrucci, on the other hand, was declared unfit after finishing 16th in the Superpole Race with a left hip contusion.
Sam Lowes has had podium pace this weekend but jumped the start yesterday which cost him any chance of maximising his result. This morning, he was involved in the incident with Oliveira and Andrea Locatelli on the first lap, and then had a technical issue in the restart that led him to finish 20th. He'll start 11th this afternoon but with strong pace, so the start will be key for him.
Alex Lowes was the top non-Ducati rider in the Superpole Race in the absence of Oliveira, albeit down in seventh. As a result he's the top non-Ducati rider on the grid for Race 2.
There is still no Jake Dixon this weekend as he continues to recover from injury, the British rider being replaced this weekend by Yuki Kunii who is making his World Superbike. Kunii was last in both practices on Friday but has been within a second of Somkiat Chantra's best time since Saturday morning, which is a solid enough job for the Japanese debutant.
Iker Lecuona says it wasn't his day to win his first WorldSBK race after the opportunity he had in the Superpole Race was taken away by red flags.
Lecuona has finished second in each of the last nine WorldSBK races but is without a win in his career.
Full story here.
Nicolo Bulega says he was "lucky" to make the mistake at turn five in the Superpole Race that ultimately was cancelled out by the red flag.
Going wide at turn five, which Bulega admits was his own error, meant he avoided the incident between Oliveira and Locatelli that caused the red flag.
When the race was restarted, of course, he went on to take his 15th successive win, adding another victory in Race 2.
Full story here.
Well, Lecuona was right where he wanted to be for the entirety of that race, but never able to make a real impression on Bulega.
It's a two-second win for Bulega in the end. Lecuona second, Montella takes third.
Baldassarri, then Gerloff, Sam Lowes, Surra, Mackenzie, Gardner, and Manzi complete the top-10. That's a first top-10 for Manzi.
Long lap penalty for Bautista for cutting the chicane at turns nine and 10 without losing a second. That'll put him out of the top-10, terrible race for Bautista, especially when Montella is looking good to hold onto the final podium position from Baldassarri.
Bulega has made that break now, it seems, almost 2s over Lecuona now.
Baldassarri closing in on Montella for the last podium position, although there's only 4 laps to go now.
Sam Lowes up to P6 now, passing Surra at turn five with seven to go.
Bulega back out to 1s or so over Lecuona now. It's yo-yo'ing, if anything, neither one able to make a consistent break yet. 8 to go.
Gerloff has made his move on Surra at turn nine. Very good ride for the Kawasaki rider, P5 now for him.
Lowes also through now on Mackenzie at turn 15.
Bulega had got the gap out to a second but Lecuona is back to within 0.7s now. 11 to go.
Closest battles are Surra vs Gerloff for P5 and Mackenzie vs Lowes for P7.
Locatelli has been taken to the medical centre for a check-up after his crash earlier on.
Alex Lowes was preparing a pass on Mackenzie for P7, but he just clipped the kerb at turn 10, it looked like, and he lost the front for that. He's okay but race done for both Bimotas now after Bassani's retirement.
Bulega not yet pulling away too much but he's out to 0.8s now over Lecuona. 14 to go.
Indeed, S. Lowes now up to P9 at turn seven, brave pass through there.
Another position lost for Bautista on lap five, to Alex Lowes. Back to ninth now and under pressure from Sam Lowes who hasn't made much progress from his P11 grid position.
Bridewell has gone down, he's remounted but obviously way out the back of the pack.
At the front, around 0.5s between the two factory Ducatis. Bulega defintiely not able to get away, not for now anyway.
They have 3s over Montella in third who is 2.5s ahead of Baldassarri who has seemingly got his braking markers sorted after his first lap run-ons.
Bassani has retired with a technical problem.
Shocking few laps for Bautista. Started well in fourth but since he got divebombed by Baldassarri on lap one he's dropped two more positions, now down to eighth behind Surra and Gerloff.
Locatelli has gone down on the exit of the final corner, strange place for him to go down. He seems okay but that's his race over.
Baldassarri with another aggressive move at the last chicane on Bautista and they both miss the chicane. Montella third now and over a second behind the leaders, but around asecond ahead of Baldassarri.
Baldassarrri makes his way through on Alex Lowes at turn five, but it's pretty late and Lowes is sent to the car park. He's back behind Gerloff in 10th now.
It's lights out for the final time this weekend at Balaton and Race 2 is underway.
Holeshot this time for Bulega, then Lecuona and Bautista. Good start for Lowes in P4 on the Bimota.
Riders are off on their warm-up lap ahead of Race 2 at Balaton.