Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) arrives at the EICMA Italian Round with his sights locked directly on history. He currently sits on 26 wins this year, meaning he is just one victory shy of matching Alvaro Bautista's (Barni Spark Racing Team) all-time single-season record of 27 wins set back in 2023.
Bulega's statistical dominance runs far deeper than just the win count. He has already piled up 16 Grand Slams this season by taking pole, leading every lap, and setting the fastest lap, which stands as an all-time record since data tracking began in 1998. On top of that, his podium streak has reached 40 races, comfortably leaving behind the next-best rival streaks of 25 held by Colin Edwards from 2002 and Toprak Razgatlioglu from 2025.
Ducati machinery continues to dictate terms across the board. The manufacturer brings a staggering streak of 17 consecutive podium lockouts and 32 fastest race laps into the weekend, alongside 10 straight pole positions. Meanwhile, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) are tied at 208 race starts for fourth-most starts by an Italian rider in WorldSBK.
Grid position has recently become an absolute iron-clad rule of engagement. The last 54 races were won exclusively from the first two grid spots, a streak completely unprecedented in the history of the championship and demolishing the previous record of 21 set between 1991's Jarama Race 1 and Mugello Race 1. The last rider to buck that trend by winning from 4th on the grid was Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) at Assen '25 Race 2.
Down the pitlane, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) sits on 127 race starts for Yamaha, meaning he needs to start all three races this weekend to pull within one of Razgatlioglu's 131 all-time starts with the manufacturer. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) returns to the scene of his famous 2024 hat trick where he swept all three races from lights to flag for his first WorldSBK wins.
