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.
Only 20 starters in this one, of course, after both BMW riders were declared unfit after the Superpole Race.
Oliveira is the big miss, of course, from a neutral perspective, since he was on the podium yesterday. Without the Portuguese you wonder if anyone can really get in amongst the Ducatis, who locked out the top-six this morning.
Nicolo Bulega on pole again this afternoon after his Superpole Race win but it's Iker Lecuona and Lorenzo Baldassarri alongside him this time.
Full starting order for Race 2 is below.
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | ITA | Aruba.it Racing Ducati | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 2 | Iker Lecuona | ESP | Aruba.it Racing Ducati | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 3 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | ITA | Team Go Eleven | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 4 | Alvaro Bautista | ESP | Barni Spark Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 5 | Yari Montella | ITA | Barni Spark Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 6 | Alberto Surra | ITA | Motocorsa Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 7 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | Bimota KB998 |
| 8 | Garrett Gerloff | USA | Kawasaki WorldSBK Team | Kawasaki ZX-10RR |
| 9 | Tarran Mackenzie | GBR | MGM Optical Express Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 10 | Andrea Locatelli | ITA | Pata Maxus Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 11 | Sam Lowes | GBR | Marc VDS Racing Team | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 12 | Remy Gardner | AUS | GYTR GRT Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 13 | Axel Bassani | ITA | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | Bimota KB998 |
| 14 | Tommy Bridewell | GBR | Superbike Advocates Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 15 | Xavi Vierge | ESP | Pata Maxus Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 16 | Mattia Rato | ITA | Motoxracing Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 17 | Stefano Manzi | ITA | GYTR GRT Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 18 | Bahattin Sofuoglu | TUR | Motoxracing Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 19 | Somkiat Chantra | THA | Honda HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R |
| 20 | Yuki Kunii | JPN | Honda HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R |
Pit lane is open in Balaton and the riders are heading to the grid ahead of the final race of the weekend.
Around 20 minutes out from Race 2 at Balaton and we're looking at 23C air temperature and 42C track temperature, which is the hottes we've seen this weekend so far.
Welcome back to live coverage of today's WorldSBK Race 2 from Balaton Park, which is due to get underway in just over 30 minutes at 15:30 local time.
Danilo Petrucci has been declared unfit after the Superpole Race with a left hip contusion.
The Italian was 16th in the Superpole Race this morning but won't race this afternoon.
Petrucci's absence combines with Oliveira's to mean there will be no BMWs on the grid in Race 2.
Full story here.
Left shoulder injury and concussion for Miguel Oliveira, he's been declared unfit and will not take part in Race 2. He's now being transported to hospital.
Full story on Oliveira's absence from Race 2 today here.
Nicolo Bulega takes the Superpole Race win over Lecuona. Baldassarri makes it Ducati podium lockout.
Bautista, Montella, and Surra complete an all-Ducati top-six.
Alex Lowes the top non-Ducati in seventh, then Gerloff and Mackenzie take the final points in eighth and ninth.
Onto the final lap and Lecuona has the gap at the front under a second, but still at 0.8s it's a lot to do in one lap - not completely impossible, though.
Baldassarri absolutely assured in third.
Into the final two laps now and Bulega seems to have this one under absolute control, as usual - He's still that 1.3s or so ahead of Lecuona.
Baldassarri 2s ahead of Bautista. The Spaniard's pace is improving but not to the tune of a second over Baldassarri as he'd need to catch him.
Montella and Surra behind Bautista and stretching apart, Alex Lowes closing in behind but with limited time to do anything with the last of those Ducatis.
Halfway through this shortened sprint, now, and Bulega 1.5s clear of his teammate now.
Baldassarri holding onto third place ahead of the Barni bikes by around 1.5s.
All-Ducati top-six, by the way: Bulega, Lecuona, Baldassarri, Bautista, Montella, and Surra ahead of Alex Lowes in seventh.
1.2s for Bulega at the front with five to go.
Locatelli took the first of his long laps that lap and rejoined just in front of Gerloff in eighth, was a sketchy rejoin from Locatelli.
Bulega leads by a few tenths over Lecuona aftet two laps. Baldassarri third, Locatelli still fourth having not yet taken either of his LLPs.
Bautista and Montella ready to take advantage when Locatelli takes the first of those.
Problems for Sam Lowes on that lap and he's back to 15th.
Double long lap penalty for Locatelli for causing the incident at turn five on the first start. He's running fourth at the moment.
Lights are out for the restarted eight-lap Superpole Race.
Holeshot this time for Bulega, then Baldassarri and Montella, but they make contact at turn two while pushes Montella down the order and allows Lecuona into second.
Riders are off on their warm-up lap ahead of the restart.
Pit lane is open for the restart. Grid positions will be based on Superpole, so same line-up as the original start minus Oliveira. Locatelli has been able to get his bike repaired and will take the restart.
Pit lane is due to open at around 11:22 local time, so around two minutes from now.
Oliveira being put into an ambulance on a stretcher.
'All riders conscious' is the message being displayed on the world feed broadcast, but no update beyond that yet on Oliveira's condition.
The incident is also under investigation.
The restarted race will be over eight laps, so a two-lap reduction.
Oliveira being attended to on the track. His bike has been pushed off without him.
Locatelli has ridden back to pit lane.
Red flag is out on lap one. Oliveira and Locatelli went down at turn five and were in the middle of the track.
Bulega had just gone wide at turn five himself and was about to be outside the top-10, so a reprieve for him.
It's lights out at Balaton and we are underway for the Superpole Race.
Holeshot for Baldassarri. Almost disaster at the start as Montella got out of shape and Oliveira dived to the inside. Montella nealry collected Bulega.