Nicolo Bulega: Consistency Key in Superbike Title RaceNicolo Bulega: Consistency Key in Superbike Title Race Nicolo Bulega has emerged as a contender in the World Superbike championship, consistently finishing on the podium despite setup challenges. The Ducati rider placed second in both the superpole race and race 2 at Donington Park, keeping him in second place in the standings. Bulega admitted to encountering setup problems at the start of the weekend but made significant improvements to his Ducati. He praised the team’s efforts in finding solutions and said the improved results were due to hard work. Despite Toprak Razgatlioglu’s dominance, Bulega believes his consistency and the ability to adapt to different circuits will be crucial in the title fight. He highlighted BMW’s strong performance on corner exits and praised Razgatlioglu’s riding abilities. For Bulega, the double podium finish at Donington was a significant achievement given the initial challenges. He cited it as a positive step forward and a reminder that even with adversity, hard work can pay off. Regarding an incident with Andrea Iannone during the superpole race, Bulega expressed uncertainty but dismissed any ill intent. He said Iannone may not have seen him and emphasized that he was not bothered by the contact. Overall, Bulega’s performance at Donington Park underscored his consistency and adaptability. He remains a strong challenger to Razgatlioglu and will aim to continue his podium-earning streak in the upcoming rounds.
Positive Sunday for Nicolo Bulega, who at Donington put right a weekend that started with some setup problems, by taking second place in both the superpole race and race 2, behind an elusive Toprak. The Italian Ducati rider thus leaves the English round with a remarkable points total, which keeps him in second place in the standings with 200 points, 41 behind the Turkish BMW rider. The consistency of the Emilian rider is therefore undeniable and at the end of the fifth round of the season and almost halfway through the championship, he is among the main contenders for the Turkish leader in the race for the title.
“I am happy with the result – the Italian starts – because this podium was not easy. When we started riding on Friday, the sensations on the bike were not optimal and during this weekend we changed the set-up several times to find optimal solutions that suited my riding style. In the end we achieved a good result, not at Toprak’s level of course, but we have improved a lot. Maybe if I had had another day to ride, things would have been different, but unfortunately the weekend is over. In general it was a positive Sunday, yesterday in qualifying it was not bad, even if I had only done one lap and the sensations on the bike were not great. Then in race 1 I had some problems with the front, but last night we worked well and found some solutions for the front as well. We leave Donington with a second place in the superpole and a second step on the podium in race 2, so it was a positive weekend”.
Since your debut in Australia you have managed to be consistent in the results, apart from yesterday. Fighting Toprak is not easy, but this could be the key for the future with a view to the championship fight.
“I started this championship with the aim of scoring points and not making mistakes, because at the end of the championship you get more than just winning a race and crashing in another. It is better to finish second several times than to crash, even if it is clear that I would try if victory was within reach. This season has started well, the sensations on the bike have always been positive, which is not easy in Superbike. It is difficult to explain if you are not a rider, when you come from the Supersport championship you have to adapt your riding style a lot to the new bike, forgetting what you knew before. It is also a surprise for me, so I am satisfied. Unfortunately Toprak had more this weekend, and BMW also shows that they know how to work well. For me it is not easy, at every circuit with the team we have to start from scratch, like this weekend”.
What surprised you about Toprak and BMW?
“They have really good grip on the exit of the corners, they accelerate with great stability at the back of the bike, but I’ve seen that with other BMW riders too, they have really good grip in the corner when they open the throttle. But Toprak is also riding really well, that’s clear, he’s a champion and he’s using 100% of his bike, he’s got a good package to work with now.”
How important is it to be on the podium twice in a weekend where the feeling on the bike was not optimal?
“It’s very important, on Friday I wasn’t happy at all. I went to bed thinking I had to settle for a top 10, the feelings were really negative. But on Saturday it was better and today we made another step forward. Not the best bike I’ve ridden this season, but I’m happy because we improved, we started from the bottom and ended up on top. I’ll think about this weekend the next time we have problems”.
What happened to Iannone at the end of the superpole race?
“I really have no idea. I hit Bautista, maybe Andrea didn’t see me and he cut me off, but maybe he didn’t see me either.”
