When Nicolo Bulega went undefeated in the first seven rounds of this year’s FIM Superbike World Championship, it became a question of when, not if, he would also win the championship. That question was answered at the Italian round in September, when Bulega achieved an unassailable 133-point lead with two rounds remaining.
The 26-year-old Italian made history as the first rider to win both World Superbike (WorldSBK) and World Supersport (WorldSSP) championships, and the first Italian to win a WorldSBK title with Ducati.
With a move to MotoGP in 2027 already locked in, Bulega held a 146-point lead in the championship over his Aruba.it – Racing Ducati team mate, Iker Lecuona, ahead of the Italian WorldSBK round. That meant the championship could be decided in Race 1 at the Cremona Circuit if Bulega finished on the podium – as he had done all year - and Lecuona finished lower than sixth.
Friday practice at Cremona cracked the door open a little when Bulega crashed in both sessions, while Lecuona was fastest. Bulega later said he was angry about his performance on the opening day and focused on getting a good feeling on the bike for the weekend before he’d let himself think about the championship.
In Superpole, Lecuona continued his good form to take pole – his first with Ducati – breaking the lap record in the process. Bulega qualified second - the first time in his WorldSBK career that he’d been outqualified by his team mate - with Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing Ducati) completing the front row.
Saturday’s race saw Lecuona take an early lead, then extend that to a comfortable win over Bulega by 5.591 seconds. That meant the championship would not be decided until at least Sunday, but with Bulega’s lead still at 141 points, it seemed inevitable. Bulega only needed to outscore his team mate by eight points in the Superpole Race, or lose no more than 17 points across Sunday’s two races.
Lecuona was fast again in the Superpole Race, with a comfortable 2.005 second win meaning the title decider would be pushed to the afternoon’s feature race. That race started with Lecuona getting the jump from pole and riding away unchallenged, while Bulega battled with Surra for second. If he held this position to the chequered flag, or finished a few slots lower, Bulega would be champion, so the focus was on finishing, rather than trying to chase down Lecuona.
Crossing the line second behind his team mate meant Bulega had done enough to be the 2026 FIM Superbike World Champion. Donning a set of golden leathers on the cool-down lap, Bulega received his championship trophy on the podium before partying with the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team in parc ferme.
“I feel incredible,” the newly crowned champion said. “To win the title in Cremona, in Italy, with Ducati and in front of all my supporters is fantastic. I’ve become the first Italian to win a title with Ducati, and it’s very special.
“When I was young, I was in this paddock because my dad had a team in World Supersport, and I was just a child walking around, watching my idols: Bayliss, Haga, Corser, a lot of incredible riders. And now I’m World Champion.
“This weekend was quite emotional because there was the possibility of closing out the title, and it was difficult to manage all the pressure. But in the end we did it and I’m very happy. Especially after Friday, when I crashed twice.
“Before the [Sunday] race, I was thinking, ‘Okay, no crash, don’t do anything stupid, just bring the bike to the chequered flag.’ I had to think a lot today, and at the end, after the chequered flag, I started to cry. It was a very special moment.”
