Nicolo Bulega loses: The end of WorldSBK history, but “not the end of the world”

Nicolo Bulega says it is “not the end of the world” for him to finish second after 25 consecutive wins.

It seems like a long time by now since Bulega equalled Toprak Razgatlioglu’s twice-set 13-race record for consecutive wins at Assen back in April. By the time WorldSBK showed up to Donington for round eight, Bulega was still unbeaten since the Superpole Race at Estoril last October, and was just one win away from doubling Razgatlioglu’s total with his 26th successive victory.

As it turned out, it was not to be. The Italian was beaten by his team-mate, Iker Lecuona, who himself ended a run of 18 consecutive second places by going one better.

“Second is okay, it’s a good result,” Nicolo Bulega reflected after Race 1.

“Okay, first is better, but if I finish second sometimes it’s okay, it’s not the end of the world.”

He added: “Winning is not so bad feeling. So, if I can continue [the streak], I’m a bit happier. Anyway, I’m okay because today I just did 100 per cent.”

Lecuona himself analysed after the race that he won because of his strength in the stop-start part of the track at the end, which made it difficult for Bulega to make a pass without running wide and opening the door for Lecuona to reclaim the position.

Bulega agreed with his team-mate: “The first part of the circuit, I was very strong; the last part Iker [Lecuona] was stronger than me.

“I missed something in acceleration – I don’t have a lot of grip in the first part of the throttle. So, he gives me some metres in the first two gears, and then I have to recover everything in the braking, so always when I was trying to overtake him I was always too far. 

“So, it was very difficult to overtake Iker today because, the last two hairpins, his acceleration was very good. 

“So, for me, to try to overtake him I have to start always from three or four bikes back. 

“It was very difficult to overtake him today, so congratulations to him, he deserves this victory. I’m happy for him and his team – they worked better than us this weekend. 

“Okay, it’s not finished, so for sure now I go to the garage and try to find something for tomorrow.”

Without the pressure of continuing his win streak, you might expect Bulega to feel liberated with an absence of the pressure that had been building since the end of last season.

But he feels that nothing is different for him now than after his 25th consecutive win at Misano three weeks ago.

“Honestly, for me, it doesn’t change anything,” he said.

“When I go on track, I always try to be first, I always try to fight for the win. I did it for 25 consecutive times in a row. 

“So, if one time I finish second, it’s not something dramatic. For me, don’t change the approach to racing. 

“It’s good, I think, that I did second today, because maybe when you win a lot of races in a row you think that you arrive at the maximum. 

“But, today I understand that in some areas we have to be stronger. So, it’s good that today I finished second because I want to improve for tomorrow.”

The area to improve is the final sector and the way to do it is via electronics, Bulega thinks.

“It was very difficult for me to make a clean overtake because I was always from the back,” he said.

“We have to adjust the electronics because the last two turns he gives me a lot in acceleration. 

“I think, if I can be closer the last two turns, then the rest of the circuit today I was faster than him.”