UK WorldSBK LIVE: Race 1 reaction as Lecuona ends Bulega's win streak at Donington

Bulega tries again, this time at the Melbourne Hairpin, but Lecuona squares him off and leads onto the final lap.

Bulega passed Lecuona at the chicane and seemed to make it stick, but Lecuona sent it in deep at the Melbourne Hairpin to retake it.

2 to go now.

Jonathan Rea has retired to the pits.

Alex Lowes was the leading non-Ducati in sixth, but he's just been demoted to seventh by Baldassarri. Six Ducatis in the race and they're all in the top-six.

Still no change at the front. Bulega has faded back to 0.4s behind his team-mate. Montella now almost 6s adrift of the leaders.

Sam Lowes still has Bridewell for company but is holding onto fourth for now.

Bulega with the fastest lap of the race on lap 13, but crosses the line 0.3s behind.

Small gap emerging for Lecuona now, he's 0.4s clear of Bulega with 12 to go.

Montella's pace has dropped into the 1m26s now, so it's third at best for him.

Montella up to third now after Lowes ran wide at turn one. Bridewell now putting the pressure on his fellow Brit for fourth.

Lecuona and Bulega still tied together at the front, now 2s clear of Sam Lowes.

Lowes coming under pressure from Montella, who was 0.5s faster than him on lap seven.

Montella now gets the move done on Lowes at the Old Hairpin.

Bulega increasing the pressure on Lecuona now.

Montella also had a go at passing Alex Lowes on that lap five, but ran wide at the chicane and lost the place again on the exit.

Alex Lowes dropping back on lap four, he's coming under pressure from Montella and Bridewell.

Lecuona continues to lead, but behind Montella has dropped to fifth behind the Lowes brothers, who are still Sam ahead of Alex.

In Superpole it was notable that Lecuona was better than Bulega in the final split especially, and he's just pulled 0.2s in there on lap one to lead by 0.3s over the line.

Riders are off on their warm-up lap ahead of this 23-lap Race 1.

Here is the starting order for today's Race 1, with Bulega on that Rea-equalling eighth consecutive pole in 2026 and Remy Gardner at the back of the grid after crashing on his first flying lap in Superpole.

Nicolo Bulerga, of course, comes into this Race 1 at Donington still unbeaten in 2026.

Iker Lecuona has finished the last 18 races in second place, and Yari Montella has been third in each of the last four races.

Those three - Bulega, Lecuona, and Montella - start from the front row today, with Sam Lowes heading the second row in fourth place.

The Ducati is clearly the class of the field, even at Donington where the straights are short.

As Bimota's Alex Lowes said yesterday after FP2, "the way they can drive on the edge, the difference is massive."

Pit lane is open at Donington and the riders are heading to the grid on their sighting lap ahead of this 23-lap Race 1.

Warm conditions this afternoon but not as hot as yesterday. Currently 25C air temperature and 44C track temperature with just under half-an-hour before Race 1.