Nicolo Bulega is your 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Champion. Riding for Aruba.it Racing - Ducati, the Italian secured the crown in Race 2 at the EICMA Italian Round on home soil, following in the footsteps of Max Biaggi.
To call his season dominant is an understatement. Bulega wrapped up the title despite closing the round with a trio of P2s—ironically making it his worst round of the campaign on paper, yet easily his most important. His journey to the top step of the WorldSBK world started in 2024 after claiming the 2023 WorldSSP title, instantly making an impact by winning Race 1 in Australia. Having finished runner-up in both 2024 and 2025 behind Toprak Razgatlioglu, the arrival of the new Panigale V4 R gave him the weapon he needed to go one better.
I had to think a lot today. After the chequered flag, I started to cry, it was a very nice moment.
An emotional Bulega struggled to hold back tears of joy in Parc Ferme, saying, “I’m incredibly happy. I want to say thanks to my team, because they gave me an incredible opportunity. Thanks to them.”
Reflecting on his path, Bulega noted his early days watching paddock idols like Bayliss, Haga, and Corser while his dad ran a WorldSSP team. “I arrived here in a difficult moment. When I won the WorldSSP title, I started to believe in myself again,” he explained. “When I came to WorldSBK, I knew it would be difficult, but I found a team that always believed in me from the first race... They understood I still had something to give on the motorcycle, and they helped me bring out all my speed again. I dedicate this to everyone who believed that I had something more to give when I was in my bad moments, and to the guys for the lengths they went to help me.”
He has been practically untouchable through the close of the EICMA Italian Round, making the podium in every single race, missing the top step only three times, taking all but one pole position, and posting 25 of 29 fastest laps. Along the way, he shattered records left and right, raising the consecutive wins record to 30 (breaking Toprak Razgatlioglu’s 13-race streak) and pushing consecutive podiums to 43 (eclipsing Colin Edwards' and Toprak Razgatlioglu's previous mark of 25). His statistical haul includes 25 consecutive wins, 21 wins to start a season, 10 consecutive poles, 43 consecutive podiums, 24 fastest laps, and 8 hat-tricks in a single season.
Even with the title wrapped up in Cremona as the first Italian to win the championship on a Ducati in front of his home fans, the job isn't entirely finished. Bulega sits on 26 wins—just shy of Alvaro Bautista’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) single-campaign record of 27 set in 2023—alongside 30 podiums (Jonathan Rea holds the record at 34 from 2019) and 9 poles (Ben Spies holds the record with 11 from 2009).
“It was difficult to manage all the pressure, but in the end we did it. Especially after Friday’s crashes, it was difficult, before the race I was thinking ‘ok, don’t crash, don’t make stupid mistakes, just bring the bike home’,” Bulega said. “I had to think a lot today. After the chequered flag, I started to cry, it was a very nice moment.”
