14:48
Manzi running his bike back to his pit box. Not sure if he'll be allowed to restart.
Nicolo Bulega, 2026 French WorldSBK. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
French WorldSBK LIVE: Reaction after Bulega wins red-flagged Race 1
Live coverage of Race 1 at the 2026 French WorldSBK at the Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours.
Live updates from the Superpole session at the 2026 French WorldSBK at the Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours. Superpole is due to start at 11:15 local time, with Race 1 coming up this afternoon at 15:30.
Key Moments
- Bulega wins red-flagged Race 1
- Bulega leads restart after early battle with Lecuona
- Red flag with 12 laps to go for Bridewell crash at turn 14
Nicolo Bulega came into Saturday having been Friday's fastest rider, setting the best time in both practices yesterday. The Italian was unhappy with his feeling yesterday, despite his pace, but made another bit of history this morning by taking his ninth consecutive pole from the start of the season, and 10th in total.
Sam Lowes was second to Bulega in Superpole, while Iker Lecuona was third. He's introduced some elements of the setup he used in his MotoGP fill-in rides at Gresini to his WorldSBK setup this weekend, but was left frustrated with his P3 this morning.
Xavi Vierge the leading non-Ducati rider in fourth yesterday afternoon, but was only ninth this morning. The Spaniard's future is at the centre of some speculation which also involves Jack Miller and a potential move for Vierge to Barni Ducati, but all the former Moto2 rider can say for the moment is that he'll be in WorldSBK next year.
Outside the top-10, Jake Dixon made perhaps the biggest impression on Friday, finishing 11th in both sessions on a day that he said afterwards marked "a step" compared to where he was before the summer. He improved to 10th in Superpole, and will start ninth for Race 1 as Tommy Bridewell serves a back-of-the-grid penalty for breaching yellow flag procedure in practice.
The field will be two riders light today as a result of Tarran Mackenzie's absence after being declared unfit on Thursday, and of Bahattin Sofuoglu's second crash of Friday at turn one in FP2, which left the Turkish rider concussed.
05 Sep 2026
14:47
Red flag
Red flags are out with 11 laps to go. Race will be restarted because we're under half-distance.
14:46
The last couple of laps have seen crashes for Bridewell and Manzi. Down to 15 runners now.
Shame for Bridewell, he'd got up to 13th from the back of the grid.
14:44
Lap 8/21
Bulega's gap still under a second. Lecuona ran in deep at turn 13 and almost lost the front which cost him a tenth or so.
14:40
Lap 6/21
Fastest lap for Bulega on that lap six and his gap is out to 0.8s.
14:40
Crash for Rato on lap six at turn three.
14:39
Lap 5/21
Bulega and Lecuona still together. Bulega ran wide at turn five which cost him a few tenths.
Further back, Oliveira crashed out at turn eight.
14:36
Lecuona has a lunge on Bulega at turn five on lap four, but he runs wide and it comes to nothing. Lost a bit of time in that but not too much.
14:36
Gardner fell in contact with Vierge, which didn't impress the Australian too much.
14:35
Behind the front two, Sam Lowes is up to third on lap three.
Gardner fell at turn five that lap, too.
14:35
Bulega leads
Bulega to the lead at turn five on lap three. Lecuona tries to square him off and there's contact on the exit, but Bulega holds on.
14:34
Lap 2/21
Lecuona continues to lead but Bulega was 0.2s faster that time.
They've pulled away from the Loweses in P4 and P5, who have Surra and Gerloff for company.
14:33
Chantra has entered the pits at the end of lap one, he's retired.
14:31
Lecuona to the lead at turn five as he passes Bulega on the inside.
14:31
Race 1 start
It's lights out at Magny-Cours and we are underway for Race 1.
Holeshot for Bulega, Lecuona jumps Lowes at turn one. Surra up to fourth briefly but Alex Lowes gets him back at turn three, and passes his brother for third at turn five.
14:28
Warm-up lap
Riders are off on their warm-up lap ahead of Race 1 in France.
14:23
Grid
Here's your starting order for Race 1.
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | ITA | Aruba.it Racing Ducati | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 2 | Sam Lowes | GBR | Marc VDS Racing Team | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 3 | Iker Lecuona | ESP | Aruba.it Racing Ducati | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 4 | Yari Montella | ITA | Barni Spark Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 5 | Alberto Surra | ITA | Motocorsa Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 6 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | Bimota KB998 |
| 7 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | ITA | Team Go Eleven | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 8 | Xavi Vierge | ESP | Pata Maxus Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 9 | Jake Dixon | GBR | Honda HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R |
| 10 | Andrea Locatelli | ITA | Pata Maxus Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 11 | Garrett Gerloff | USA | Kawasaki WorldSBK Team | Kawasaki ZX-10RR |
| 12 | Remy Gardner | AUS | GYTR GRT Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 13 | Alvaro Bautista | ESP | Barni Spark Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 14 | Stefano Manzi | ITA | GYTR GRT Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 15 | Somkiat Chantra | THA | Honda HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R |
| 16 | Axel Bassani | ITA | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | Bimota KB998 |
| 17 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | ROKiT BMW Motorrad | BMW M1000 RR |
| 18 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | ROKiT BMW Motorrad | BMW M1000 RR |
| 19 | Mattia Rato | ITA | Motoxracing Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 20 | Tommy Bridewell | GBR | Superbike Advocates Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
14:18
Bulega's title chance
Bulega has a chance to clinch the title this weekend.
Coming here with a 133-point lead, he needs to out-score Lecuona by 53 points across this weekend's three races.
It means anything inside the top-seven today will do for Lecuona to keep the championship battle mathematically alive at Cremona, regardless of Bulega's results this weekend.
14:11
Sighting lap
Pit lane is open at Magny-Cours and the rider are heading out on their sighting lap ahead of Race 1.
14:04
Conditions
Still dry as this morning and yesterday at Magny-Cours, if a little cloudy now. 27C air temperature and 41C track temperature ahead of Race 1 - warmer than this morning but cooler than yesterday's FP2.
13:58
Arenas' SSP crash
Here's footage of the aftermath of SSP points leader Arenas' crash in Race 1.
13:52
The WorldSSP race has just finished in France. Some championship drama as points leader Albert Arenas was taken to the medical centre after he crashed out.
Valentin Debise finished third, so closes his deficit to 66 points.
Arenas was diagnosed with a hand contusion at the circuit medical centre and will be reviewed before Warm Up tomorrow to decide if he is able to ride in Race 2.
13:48
Race 1
Welcome back to live coverage of today's WorldSBK action from Magny-Cours, where Race 1 is due to start in just over 40 minutes at 15:30 local time.
11:23
Lecuona "cannot be happy"
Iker Lecuona says he "cannot be happy" after being beaten once again to pole position today.
Lecuona finished third in Superpole behind Sam Lowes and Nicolo Bulega, who took his 10th straight pole.
Full story here.
Iker Lecuona, 2026 French WorldSBK, parc ferme. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
10:40
Superpole Result
2026 french worldsbk - superpole results
Nicolo Bulega, 2026 French WorldSBK. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose