Lukas Tulovic is making an impression at Ducati: “First outing is paying off”

“I’m very proud of my rider,” said Tulovic’s Euro Moto team boss Matthias Moser after he crossed the finish line at Misano in Italy. It’s no secret that an IDM title, such as the one Lukas Tulovic won last year, doesn’t really count for much. Even a title in the IDM’s successor series – which is called Euro Moto but doesn’t actually include the planned European Championship – would look good on a CV, but it’s not enough on its own to secure a place in the World Championship.

As there’s no big lottery win on the cards and sponsors aren’t exactly queuing up to offer the not-insignificant sum required to break into the World Championship, Tulovic headed to the World Championship circuit at Misano for the Italian Championship ahead of the next Euro Moto event this coming weekend in Oschersleben. There, he hopped on a Ducati V4S, and everything else was uncharted territory too: the Bmax Racing team, the Dunlop tyres, the Motec standard electronics and the first race on Saturday at 9.30 pm.

Tulovic kept his cool

In the first qualifying session, Tulovic was languishing in 11th place, but he kept his cool and secured 4th on the grid in the final practice session. At the finish, the Ducati rider finished 3rd in his first race. “First race in the CIV, first podium,” was his comment. “After leading for a few kilometres at the start, I couldn’t quite keep up with the pace at the front. Everything was still too new for that; my riding style wasn’t perfect for the Dunlop tyres and the set-up wasn’t quite right yet. But I achieved my goal with this podium finish.”

Alessandro Delbianco won the first race on Saturday evening. The Yamaha DMR Racing rider claimed victory in the most coveted race of the year in the Dunlop CIV, a race that had previously always been won by Michele Pirro. Delbianco secured victory with a lead of over 2 seconds ahead of a resurgent Michael Rinaldi, who finished second and finally returned to the top ranks. Rinaldi also set the fastest lap with a time of 1:36.095 minutes. The podium was completed by Lukas Tulovic, Rinaldi’s team-mate at Team Bmax Racing Ducati.

In Race 2, Tulovic turned the tables. There was a surprise twist as early as the first lap: following his triumph at Saturday’s Racing Night, Delbianco crashed. This sparked a fierce battle for victory between the two Team Bmax Racing Ducati riders, with Tulovic ultimately coming out on top, followed by Rinaldi in second place. Third place went to Luca Bernardi on an Aprilia.

Lukas Tulovic’s success has also been noted at Ducati

The regulations in the Italian CIV Championship are closely based on the manufacturers’ standard models; in Euro Moto, Tulovic rides a Ducati V4R. “The difference is clear,” he explained to SPEEDWEEK.com. “The R has a different engine, a racing gearbox, different aerodynamics and lots of other little details.” There was always a lot of work to be done converting the bike before the evening practice sessions and Saturday’s night race. Although floodlights were available, they weren’t sufficient, so the front light was always removed and refitted on time to save a kilo or two during the daytime sessions.

“There was a good atmosphere in the stands during Saturday’s night race,” said Tulovic. “The stands in the final section were particularly full.” With Michael Rinaldi, the 26-year-old had a former WorldSBK rider by his side. Their interaction was limited, however, to just a few conversations. “I don’t think he was too keen on my win in the second race.”

All the key people at Ducati saw that.

Lukas Tulovic

At any rate, Tulovic’s successes have certainly made an impression on some of the key decision-makers at Ducati. “It was clearly viewed in a positive light,” said the German, delighted that his plan to prove himself on a different stage to the Euro Moto series has paid off in full. “My first outing made an impression, and all the key people at Ducati saw it and thought I performed well.” Tulovic will also be back for the Italian Championship final, which takes place in Vallelunga in October, to refresh everyone’s memories of him before the winter break.

It is doubtful whether his strong performances will be enough to earn him a place in the World Championship. After all, he is not in the running for a spot with the Aruba works team, Barni, Advocates or Marc VDS. And the remaining Ducati teams – Motocorsa, Go Eleven and MGM – require a financial contribution of several hundred thousand euros.