WorldSBK: More than 50,000 fans attended the French Round and were treated to an exciting final day of racing, with Nicolo Bulega completing a perfect weekend for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad.
Race 2 Highlights
A red flag disrupted Race 2 and shortened the contest to 19 laps, but with Bulega already more than five seconds clear of Lecuona, there was little doubt about the outcome at the front of the field. For the first time this weekend, Bulega converted his pole position into the Lap 1 lead and from that point onwards was able to control the pace and build a commanding advantage.
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) started from the front row but dropped behind Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) in the early stages, with Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) keeping a watching brief in fifth position. Surra spent the first five laps in third before eventually dropping to fifth, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) also moving ahead in the closing stages.
The race was red-flagged following a crash for Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) at Turn 3. The rookie had been running in seventh position but came under increasing pressure during the closing stages. With three laps remaining, Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) eased past his rival at Turn 8 to take sixth position. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) was closing rapidly when Bridewell crashed, promoting the American to seventh at the chequered flag.
Championship Highlights
Bulega completed his eighth hat-trick of the season and scored 62 points across the French Round, extending his championship advantage over Lecuona to 146 points. The next round at Cremona could provide Bulega with his first opportunity to clinch the WorldSBK Riders’ Championship.
Montella’s double podium finish at Magny-Cours allowed him to extend his advantage over Alex Lowes in third position in the championship standings to 46 points.
P1 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“Iker was very strong all weekend, every time he pushes, he puts more on the table, so it’s good to win, especially in race two, the last race of the weekend. I’m in good shape with my bike, so I’m happy, I think we have a big advantage now. I’m really looking forward to Cremona. It could be a great place to win the title. But like I said before, for me the important thing is winning races. The championship is great, but what matters most to me is continuing to win.”
P2 – Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“I said yesterday it would be very difficult to beat Nicolo, but our target was to find that chance. I want to thank the team, because they worked really hard, I pushed hard on the bike setup, and they were open to making a lot of changes. This morning it was a different bike, and in the afternoon we changed it a bit more, but I struggled. It was a tough race for me, and a difficult weekend overall, but a positive one, because we gathered really important information across three different bike setups. That’s the key thing for us.”
P3 – Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)
“Today we knew we had a chance to improve a little with the bike, and in the end we managed it, thanks to some adjustments this morning. We made a big change for the Superpole race, and it paid off because I had good pace. Today was my chance to show my rhythm, and I think I had my best race ever, I felt really happy with how I was riding, and I kept a good rhythm throughout. I started to struggle a little with the front tyre toward the end, but it wasn’t a bad race. A good weekend for us overall, since we keep adding points to our championship, and that’s really important for us.”
Race 2 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.420s
3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +9.378s
4. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +13.908s
5. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) +16.387s
6. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +21.852s
Championship Standings
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 553 points
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 407
3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 247
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 201
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 198
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) 171
Superpole Race Highlights
Bulega claimed the holeshot into Turn 1 at the start of the 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race, but teammate Lecuona immediately launched an attack at Turn 5. Bulega responded one lap later before the Ducati pair ran side by side on the following tour. Lecuona ran wide at Turn 6, allowing Bulega to establish control and settle the battle for victory in his favour.
A final-lap crash for Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) at Turn 3 promoted Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) into the podium positions.
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.073s
3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +5.400s
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