Bulega Tops Magny-Cours Friday, Bautista Ninth

Nicolò Bulega set a new track record to lead Friday practice at Magny-Cours in WorldSBK 2025, while teammate Álvaro Bautista finished ninth after setup struggles.

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The ninth round of the 2025 WorldSBK season opened with fireworks at Magny-Cours, as Nicolò Bulega stormed to the top of the timesheets on Friday while teammate Álvaro Bautista settled for ninth.

Bulega Shines with Record Pace

It was a standout day for Nicolò Bulega of Aruba.it Racing – Ducati. After clocking the third-fastest time in FP1, the Italian and his crew worked intensively on setup before unleashing the pace in FP2.

Switching to soft tyres in the afternoon, Bulega delivered a blistering final run, stopping the clock at 1’35.428, a new all-time track record at Magny-Cours. His lap left him nearly four-tenths clear of Alex Lowes (Ducati), sending a strong message ahead of qualifying and Race 1.

Despite the headline time, Bulega admitted that consistency remains a work in progress:

“I’m satisfied with the final lap time, but I have to admit that we’re still missing something in race pace. We definitely need to improve, especially with used tyres, when I can’t lap consistently. In any case, I think we have a solid base to work from.”

Bautista Left Searching for More

Meanwhile, teammate Álvaro Bautista endured a more complicated day. Running the hard compound in FP1, the Spaniard struggled with grip on corner exit and could not build the confidence he needed.

A switch to softer tyres in FP2 improved his performance, but Bautista still finished ninth overall with a 1’36.512, leaving him adrift of the front group.

“It wasn’t an easy day. We did FP1 with the hard tyre, and the feeling wasn’t what I had hoped for, especially in the corner exit. I had better feelings with the softer tyre in the afternoon, but still not enough to be competitive. We will study the data to understand how to improve tomorrow.”

Looking Ahead

With Bulega showing raw one-lap speed and Bautista working to close the gap, Saturday’s qualifying and first race promise to be pivotal. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad will be aiming to convert Friday’s mixed fortunes into strong results as the French Round unfolds.