Iker Lecuona scorched to his first career MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship victory at Donington Park this afternoon (Saturday) following an epic, race-long scrap with Aruba.It Racing Ducati teammate Nicolo Bulega. Lecuona’s victory ends an immense 25-race winning streak for Bulega.
Bulega started on pole position, but Lecuona jumped him off the line to take an early lead. From there, the two red Ducatis battled for 21 laps, with Bulega frequently attempting to reclaim the position he’s become so familiar with at the head of the field. Attempts to pass at the Old Hairpin and Melbourne resulted only in a momentary gain of position while Lecuona swept back past with a smoother exit.
Late in the race, it seemed that Bulega might finally have found his way past decisively, but Lecuona refused to back down, braking hard into Melbourne and regaining the lead at the hairpin. Bulega fought on to the chequered flag, but Lecuona was able to keep the sister Ducati Panigale behind right until the finish.
The result finally moves Lecuona to the top step of the rostrum following a run of 18-straight second place results, behind Bulega. The Italian meanwhile has been forced to wait even longer for what would be a first victory at the East Midlands circuit.
As has often been the case this year, it was Yari Montella on a Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati who competed the podium, taking the place from home favourite Sam Lowes, who’d run third early on. Lowes was decisively the best of the British contenders, bringing his Ducati home in fourth, just under three seconds clear of Tommy Bridewell, who equalled his best finish of the season in fifth.
Lorenzo Baldassarri completed an all-Ducati top six, with Alex Lowes on his bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team machine crossing the line as the best rider for any other manufacturer. Garrett Gerloff, Axel Bassani and Xavi Vierge rounded out the top 10.
MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Race 1, Donington Park
- Iker Lecuona, Aruba.It Racing – Ducati
- Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.It Racing – Ducati, +0.165s
- Yari Montella, Barni Spark Racing Team, +6.711s
- Sam Lowes, ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, +11.688s
- Tommy Bridewell, Superbike Advocates, +14.272s
- Lorenzo Baldassarri, Team Goeleven, +16.830s
- Alex Lowes, bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, +17.269s
- Garrett Gerloff, Kawasaki WorldSBK Team, +22.662s
- Axel Bassani, bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, +24.127s
- Xavi Vierge, Pata Maxus Yamaha, +26.842s