Cremona WorldSBK LIVE: Reaction from Race 1 in Italy as Lecuona dominates Bulega

Live coverage of Race 1 at the 2026 Italian WorldSBK at Cremona Circuit. Race 1 is due to start at 15:30 local time after Iker Lecuona qualified on pole position this morning.

Key Moments

• Lecuona wins Race 1 ahead of Bulega, Lowes
• Surra throws away the podium on lap nine
• Montella crashes at end of first lap
• Lecuona leads at the start of Race 1
• Race 1 to start at 15:30 local time/14:30 BST
• Surra takes provisional pole as Lecuona runs off track
• Lecuona immediately under lap record
• Dixon, Rato crash early in Superpole; riders lose laps to yellow flags

Nicolo Bulega is on the brink of his second world title and first in WorldSBK this weekend. The odds of him clinching today in Race 1 are against him, as he needs to out-score Iker Lecuona by 15 points. He lost his 100 per cent pole position record this morning to Lecuona who starts from pole position.

Bulega crashed twice yesterday, which he admitted afterwards had made him "angry", while Lecuona topped both practices and confessed to feeling as good as he ever has on the Panigale V4 R during FP2. Bulega, though, felt he had made a step forward in Superpole this morning, even though he missed out on pole.

Ducati once again dominated the field in Superpole, with another top-six lockout. Interestingly, Yari Montella crashed twice on Friday as he enters Race 1 with a 46-point lead over Alex Lowes in the battle for third in the championship. Montella starts fifth today, while Lowes is seventh on the grid.

Remy Gardner brought out the red flags in FP2 when he crashed at turn one. The Australian was declared fit after a trip to the medical centre and qualified as the best Yamaha this morning in 11th.

BMW had a slightly more promising day yesterday with Miguel Oliveira finishing eighth in FP2, although Danilo Petrucci still struggled starkly, finishing down in 19th in FP2. Shaun Muir told the world feed broadcast yesterday that Petrucci could stay with BMW next year in an "overseas" national championship. Oliveira was again in the top-10 in Superpole, finishing up in ninth, while Petrucci will start 19th.