Nicolo Bulega described his decision to settle for second place in Race 1 at the Cremona WorldSBK event as “smart.” This result matches his lowest finish this season and follows his second-place standings in both Friday’s practice sessions and the Superpole.
Each time, Bulega was outpaced by Iker Lecuona, who won Race 1 by a five-second margin. Despite this, Lecuona still considers Bulega a serious competitor for Sunday’s races. Bulega is aiming to secure the championship this weekend but needed to outscore Lecuona by 15 points in Race 1 to clinch the title on Saturday. In the upcoming Superpole Race, he must gain eight points more than Lecuona to maintain his title hopes.
Race 2 appears to be Bulega’s best shot at winning the 2026 WorldSBK championship. By taking 20 points for second place in Race 1, he has simplified his task on Sunday given Lecuona’s strong performance throughout the weekend.
After the race, Bulega told WorldSBK.com, “I have to be happy because yesterday I lost some feel with the bike after crashing in FP2. Today, my goal was to regain confidence and maintain a consistent pace. Iker was simply too quick, so I decided it wasn’t wise to take unnecessary risks. Finishing second was a strategic move, especially since I want to seal the championship here.”
He added, “Sometimes, you have to be smart. This was one of those days, and second place was a solid outcome.” Bulega also believes he might have a better chance against Lecuona in the Superpole Race thanks to fresh tires. “Maybe with new tires, I can keep up with Iker, but he’s extremely fast on this track. I’ll try to stay with him in the Superpole and then aim to wrap up the championship in Race 2.”
Fan Take: This moment highlights the strategic side of WorldSBK racing, where calculated decisions can be just as important as outright speed. Bulega’s approach underscores the thrilling championship battle and reminds fans that mental toughness and racecraft are key elements in the quest for victory.
Source: www.crash.net
