MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship series leader Nicolo Bulega began his Donington Park weekend in impressive fashion, by topping the times in Free Practice 1. On a sunny morning, the Italian lapped the East Midlands venue in 1m25.870s to go fastest overall on his Aruba.It Racing Ducati.
Bulega’s best effort was enough for him to go just marginally faster than his teammate, Iker Lecuona, the rider who has comfortably been his closest rival throughout the 2026 season so far. The dominant Ducati duo were followed in the initial timesheets by Sam Lowes, also astride one of the Italian machines, but in the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team colours.
Lowes’ twin brother, Alex, was best of the non-Ducati riders, lapping the Grand Prix circuit just over two-tenths off Bulega’s benchmark on his bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team entry. Lorenzo Baldassarri, another enjoying Ducati power, completed the top-five just behind him.
Another pair of Ducati teammates, this time Yari Montella and Alvaro Bautista of the Barni Spark Racing Team, were seventh and eighth, just ahead of Garrett Gerloff on the sole Kawasaki WorldSBK Team entry in eighth.
Jonathan Rea’s wildcard return to the WorldSBK fray began in promising style as he rode to ninth for Honda HRC, one spot ahead of Alberto Surra, who rounded out the top ten.
MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Free Practice 1, Donington Park
- Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.It Racing – Ducati, 1m25.870s
- Iker Lecuona, Aruba.It Racing – Ducati, +0.085s
- Sam Lowes, ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, +0.156s
- Alex Lowes, bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, +0.232s
- Lorenzo Baldassarri, Team Goeleven, +0.324s
- Yari Montella, Barni Spark Racing Team, +0.360s
- Alvaro Bautista, Barni Spark Racing Team, +0.428s
- Garrett Gerloff, Kawasaki WorldSBK Team, +0.454s
- Jonathan Rea, Honda HRC, +0.685s
- Alberto Surra, Motocorsa Racing, +0.783s