Start issues cost Nicolo Bulega at UK WorldSBK: “Three races, three bad starts”
Nicolo Bulega was hampered by start issues at the UK WorldSBK.

Factory Ducati WorldSBK rider Nicolo Bulega says he was affected by issues getting his Ducati Panigale V4 R off the line at the UK WorldSBK.
Bulega finished second, behind Toprak Razgatlioglu, in all three races at Donington, but, despite starting second for all three races, he had to fight forwards to that position because of poor launches.
Second place in Race 2, then, came after improvements made after the Superpole Race, but also after a third poor start from three races.
“I think we improved from yesterday and also from this morning,” Nicolo Bulega said after Race 2 at Donington.
“Every race a step higher, but still not enough.
“The biggest problem was the start, because, I don’t know why, but this weekend, all three races, three bad starts, and it’s strange because normally I start very well – every time first or second.
“So, I don’t know. I asked to the team and we have to try to check why, this weekend, all three races, three bad starts.”
He added: “I think it’s more a feeling with the clutch because the first part is very aggressive, and then it starts to wheelie two, three, four times, and I lose acceleration because the first part of releasing the clutch is not good.
“Already from the Superpole Race, the feeling was not very good, but, unfortunately, for Race 2 it was the same – maybe even worse.”
Bautista “very close” in “last three corners”
Bulega was caught by his Aruba.it Racing Ducati teammate Alvaro Bautista in the closing laps of the second World Superbike race. The Italian explained that this was down to tyre choice.
“I had the SCX, so the softer tyre, and Alvaro [Bautista] used the SC0. So, I knew that, at the end of the race, I can have some problems.
“Alvaro, especially with used tyres, is very strong, and when I see the pit board that the gap was coming smaller and smaller I understand that I have to push until the last corner.
“I was lucky because we arrived very close.
“The last three corners, I heard his engine, [he] was very close. So, the last three corners, I tried to stay close and brake very hard.”