Nicolo Bulega Claims Double Victory at French WorldSBK Round

Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Bulega Fends Off Lowes for Superpole Win, Dominates Race 2 at Magny-Cours.

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Nicolo Bulega of Aruba.it Racing Ducati claimed his second win in the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship, narrowly defeating Alex Lowes of Kawasaki Racing Team by just 0.115 seconds in the Tissot Superpole Race. 

He continued his success with a dominant performance in Race 2, finishing ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), capping off an impressive Sunday for the Italian rider.

Reflecting on his recovery after a Race 1 crash, Bulega shared, “After the crash, I was feeling really low. But this morning, I woke up determined to bounce back, and the bike’s performance helped me push through the pain.”

With his double win, Bulega closed the championship gap to Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW), gaining 37 points and reducing the deficit to 55 points. Razgatlioglu was sidelined after a crash during Free Practice 2. 

While Bulega downplayed his chances of securing the World Superbike title in his rookie season, he acknowledged the opportunity to challenge Razgatlioglu for the championship. 

When asked about his title chances, Nicolo Bulega reflected on Toprak Razgatlioglu’s crash at Magny-Cours, saying, “I’m sorry for Toprak because his crash was at a very fast, tough point. I knew I had a chance to take some points today, and I gave it my all. Toprak will always be fast, and while I don’t know if I can beat him, I will certainly try,” according to WorldSBK.com.

Meanwhile, Toprak’s teammate, Michael van der Mark, claimed a dramatic victory in Saturday’s Race 1, marking his first win since 2021. The flag-to-flag race in heavy rain saw only 12 riders complete the event, with van der Mark crossing the finish line with an eight-second lead. His triumph also secured BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s 14th consecutive win. Garrett Gerloff earned the first WorldSBK podium for the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team.

Van der Mark’s win was especially significant after two difficult years marked by injuries. His teammate, Razgatlioglu, congratulated him from the pits. In Sunday’s Superpole race, van der Mark ran in podium contention for most of the race before finishing eighth. He ended the weekend with a solid fifth-place finish in Race 2 after battling Gerloff for a podium spot.

In the second main race on Sunday, he battled with Gerloff for a podium spot before crossing the line in fifth place.

The next WSBK round is scheduled for September 20-22 in Cremona at the Acerbis Italian Round, covering a 3.768 km circuit with 13 corners.