Bulega Sweeps Magny-Cours as the WorldSBK Title Fight Turns Towards Cremona

Nicolo Bulega left Magny-Cours with every WorldSBK victory available from the Acerbis French Round. Race 1, the ten lap Superpole Race and Race 2 all ended with the Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider first and team-mate Iker Lecuona second. The repetition on the results sheet hides three contests with different rhythms.

The weekend ran from 4 to 6 September at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. It closed with Bulega on 553 points, Lecuona on 407 and Yari Montella third on 247. Cremona follows from 25 to 27 September, where Bulega will have his first opportunity to secure the riders championship.

Race 1 became a restart and a second contest

Bulega made the holeshot on Saturday, though Lecuona immediately brought the fight to Turn 5. Bulega reclaimed the lead on the third lap and began building a margin. The first part of the race stopped after Tommy Bridewell crashed at Turn 14. WorldSBK later confirmed Bridewell was checked and declared fit.

The restart covered 12 laps. Lecuona forced his way ahead through Turns 6 and 7 on the opening lap, then Bulega responded at the Adelaide hairpin on lap two. A new race lap record helped the leader open enough space to control the finish. Lecuona crossed the line 3.118 seconds behind, with Sam Lowes completing the podium.

The Superpole Race kept the pressure close

Sunday morning began with another clean start for Bulega and another Lecuona pass at Turn 5. Bulega used the same corner on lap three to recover the lead. Once ahead, he established a margin of more than 1.5 seconds and carried it to the flag.

The final podium place changed on the last lap when Sam Lowes crashed at Turn 3. Yari Montella moved into third, while Alberto Surra equalled his best WorldSBK finish in fourth. The ten lap race also produced a new lap record of 1 minute 34.750 seconds for Bulega.

Race 2 gave the leader a clearer road

The final race was the one Bulega shaped immediately. He defended the opening lap, set a 1 minute 35.159 second lap on lap four and moved beyond Lecuona at a rate the second Ducati could not answer. Lecuona still completed a third runner-up finish from the same weekend.

Montella worked past Surra at Turn 5 on lap six to take third. Lorenzo Baldassarri later claimed fourth, while Surra completed another strong Sunday in fifth. Alex Lowes fell at Turn 5 on lap 11 and rejoined at the back.

The championship now has a home round in view

Bulega carries a 146 point advantage into Cremona. WorldSBK has three rounds left, and the leader can settle the championship in Italy if the margin reaches the required threshold during the weekend. Lecuona remains the only rider with a mathematical route to the title.

Magny-Cours therefore changes the final part of the season. The French Round is complete, its three races belong to one rider and the next question has moved to Cremona. Ducati arrives at its home round with the championship within reach and a team-mate who has spent an entire weekend proving he can keep the pressure close.