Nicolo Bulega WorldSBK rival issues “perfect” praise after title win
Iker Lecuona says Nicolo Bulega was “perfect every race” on his way to the 2026 WorldSBK title.
Nicolo Bulega was “perfect every race” says Iker Lecuona after the Italian clinched the 2026 WorldSBK title.
Bulega has won 26 of 30 races so far this year. The only races he hasn’t won have been taken by Lecuona, who won all three races at Cremona while Bulega took three seconds to guarantee the title while managing risk.
While it has been Lecuona’s best weekend in WorldSBK by far, having been the benchmark since FP1 at Cremona and taking a first pole position of the season as well as those three race wins, the Spaniard couldn’t deny that his team-mate has been flawless this year, even in on-the-day defeat at Cremona.
“100 per cent, like 10-out-of-10,” Iker Lecuona told WorldSBK.com after Race 2 at Cremona, in review of Bulega’s season.
“He did it perfect every race, every time he jumped on the bike.
“When he needed to win, he won. Now [at Cremona] he doesn’t need to win because he [would] take too much risk.
“But honestly I’m very happy for him.
“I said from [a long] time ago that I’m very happy for him if he wins because he deserves it, honestly.
“He needs to enjoy and for sure in Estoril it will be a different story.”
Bulega will leave WorldSBK for MotoGP in 2027. In his place is expected to slot Franco Morbidelli alongside Lecuona.
The 2017 Moto2 world champion hasn’t yet been confirmed at the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team, but he said after Race 2 at Cremona that WorldSBK will be his “world” next year.
Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
