Great amazement: Superbike hero Bulega as fast as MotoGP ace Marquez

Just let that sink in: on ten out of twelve weekends of the 2026 Superbike World Championship, Nicolo Bulega won all three races; in total, he even stood on the top step of the podium 32 times. It’s true that the Ducati was the outstanding bike. But eight of his rivals were riding the same make.

In the first main race on Saturday at Jerez, the top seven places were taken by Ducati riders. This had only happened twice before that a manufacturer had been so dominant: in 2003 in both races at Oschersleben, when a Ducati septet also led the field.

In the sprint on Sunday afternoon, Bulega set the fastest lap of the race in 1:37.196 mins. In very similar conditions – it was only slightly warmer at the MotoGP round at the end of April – Alex Márquez set the fastest race lap in the sprint in 1:37.156 – we’re talking a difference of just 0.040 seconds!

Nicolo Bulega’s incredible success rate

Nicolo has an incredible success rate: no other world champion with a title has won so many races – he now stands at 52, equalling Troy Bayliss’s tally! Although it must be said that the Australian raced at a time when there were only two races per weekend. In 108 races, he has secured 92 podium finishes and set the fastest lap 56 times. In terms of wins, he is fifth on the all-time list; only Jonathan Rea (119), Toprak Razgatlioglu (78), Alvaro Bautista (63) and Carl Fogarty (59) have been more successful. It was his 32nd win of the season; the previous record, set by Alvaro Bautista in 2023, stood at 27. No rider before him has achieved 47 consecutive podium finishes across multiple seasons, and he also leads the way with 36 podium finishes in a single season. 726 World Championship points in a single year is also a record.

With so many achievements, Bulega finds it hard to prioritise them. “The World Championship title is, of course, the most important,” the 27-year-old noted. “The fact that I’ve matched Bayliss’s number of wins is very special to me. I can’t pick just one record – they all mean a lot to me because there’s outstanding work behind each one. Everything was perfect. I’ve only been racing in the Superbike World Championship for three years and I’m now number 5 on the all-time winners’ list – what more can I say? I’ve always had a fantastic bike and a brilliant team; each of these many victories with Ducati is special to me. An Italian rider on an Italian bike – fantastico!”

Rain didn’t throw World Champion Bulega off his stride

The Italian didn’t let a few raindrops towards the end of the race in Jerez rattle him; by the time the podium ceremony came around, it was pouring with rain in that part of Andalusia. “When you’re in the lead, you don’t know exactly how fast you can go,” said Bulega, describing his final minutes in the Superbike World Championship. “Then the rider in second place has an advantage because he can see how much grip there is. I prayed the race would finish like that; it only started pouring after the chequered flag. My rear wheel slipped out a few times, but it was barely raining – we were lucky. The final laps were emotional. We were all in tears on the starting grid; the first three laps weren’t easy for me. When I released the clutch at the start, the tears came – that was tough. I came into this paddock after some tough years and I’m leaving it with the best mindset I’ve ever had in my entire career. Many thanks to all the wonderful people I’ve met.”

Bulega has earned a lot of money at Ducati this season, but he’s seeing off the idea of buying the borrowed Lamborghini he drove to Cremona. “I’d rather spend my money on something like a house and will hold back,” grinned the world champion.