Here's the thing about Nicolo Bulega right now: he simply refuses to stop writing history. The Aruba.it Racing - Ducati rider smashed the lap record at the Circuito Estoril to claim his first-ever pole at the venue, dropping a barely believable 1’33.884s during a blistering Tissot Superpole session in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.
That staggering time wasn't just enough for P1; it marked Bulega's 10th pole position from 11 rounds this season and handed Ducati their very first pole at Estoril. He wasn't even done extending his advantage when the second run got underway, going two tenths quicker to cement his absolute dominance.
Behind him, teammate Iker Lecuona secured a 1’34.041s on his second run to take second place, safely under the previous lap record and ensuring an Aruba.it Racing - Ducati one-two. Preventing an all-Ducati front row was Alex Lowes for the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, putting his Bimota machine into third with a gap of +0.546s to the top.
Things were spicy right from the opening minutes. Home hero Miguel Oliveira of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team threw down an early gauntlet with a 1’34.651s, only for Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) to briefly swipe provisional pole with a 1’34.511s on his first flying lap. But that order didn't last a heartbeat once Bulega found his rhythm, ultimately leaving Oliveira to start from fifth place as he hunts for more home rostrums after his trio of third-place finishes at Portimao earlier in the year. Surra couldn't improve on his second run and slipped to fourth, narrowly missing out on a third front row start of the season.
Further down the order, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) missed out on crossing the line before the chequered flag fell, leaving him unable to set a time in his second stint, but his earlier 1’34.747s was good enough for sixth on the grid. Meanwhile, Jake Dixon (Honda HRC) delivered his best Superpole result of the season by latching onto Lecuona's slipstream, posting a 1’34.888s to lead the third row. He will be joined in the top nine by Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) after a lap of 1’34.839s, sitting just half-a-tenth away from Dixon. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) takes ninth, with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) rounding out the top ten.
