Nicolo Bulega ended his WorldSBK career with victory in the final race of the 2026 season at Jerez, taking his 52nd win in the class and tying Troy Bayliss for fifth on the championship’s all-time list.
The newly crowned champion finished ahead of Aruba.it Racing - Ducati teammate Iker Lecuona, while Sam Lowes passed Alvaro Bautista on the final lap to claim third as rain complicated the closing stages. Bulega’s victory completed a perfect three-win weekend and moved his final season total to 726 points.
A fast response after the start
Lecuona took the holeshot into Turn 1, but Bulega answered at Turn 6 on the opening lap and reclaimed the lead before the race could settle. From there, the champion began building a margin while the fight behind him developed.
Bautista made the most dramatic start near the front, jumping from sixth on the grid into a provisional podium position. Sam Lowes remained close enough to keep that final rostrum place under pressure, even as Bulega and Lecuona established themselves ahead.
The race was scheduled for 20 laps, which made patience more important than it had been in the shorter Superpole contest earlier in the day. Bulega had already demonstrated outright speed through pole position, Race 1 and the sprint. Race 2 required him to manage the distance and then respond to changing grip as rain arrived in the final quarter.
He did both. Bulega crossed the line 4.696 seconds ahead of Lecuona and set the fastest lap at 1:37.573. The result gave the Ducati team another one-two and supplied a definitive final line for a season that had already broken the championship’s points and podium records.
Sam Lowes wins the late podium fight
The most visible battle in the closing laps was for third. Bautista had built a margin over Lowes, but the arrival of rain changed the risk calculation. Lowes reduced the gap and made his move at Turn 5 on the final lap.
Bautista attempted to respond at the next corner, but Lowes held the position and secured his 17th WorldSBK podium. Bautista finished fourth ahead of Yari Montella, giving the Barni Ducati riders fourth and fifth and helping the team complete the season second in the Teams’ Championship.
The pass illustrated why a race can remain unsettled even when the leader appears secure. Riders must interpret flags, drops on the visor and changes in surface grip while deciding whether the competitor ahead is slowing because of caution or because traction has already disappeared. Lowes found enough confidence to attack; Bautista was left just short of what could have been a final WorldSBK podium.
The final numbers
Bulega’s Superpole Race victory earlier on Sunday moved him to 51 WorldSBK wins and beyond 700 points for the season. Race 2 then pushed those totals higher. His final career win count in the class is 52, level with Troy Bayliss for fifth on the all-time list, and his final 2026 points total is 726.
The Superpole milestone remains historically significant because Bulega became the first rider to pass 700 points in a single WorldSBK season. Race 2 completed the picture with the figures that will stand in the final 2026 record book.
Lecuona completed the year second with 563 points after earning his 34th WorldSBK podium. Montella finished third in the standings with 318, followed by Sam Lowes on 268 and Alex Lowes on 259. Those totals close the championship rather than describing a provisional order before the final race.
What the result means beyond the paddock
For Canadian racing fans, the finale provides a compact study in execution. Bulega recovered the lead immediately, established control and remained composed when the weather threatened to rewrite the race. Lowes showed the opposite task: maintain pressure, recognize a late opportunity and complete the pass when conditions became less predictable.
Dealers and brands can celebrate the result, but the line between racing and retail must remain clear. A factory WorldSBK Ducati uses specialized components, data, personnel and setup. Its success does not mean a showroom motorcycle arrives in the same specification or will produce comparable performance without a professional racing environment.
The legitimate connection is the championship narrative and the engineering culture around it. Customers who follow superbike racing often value braking feel, chassis setup and track-day preparation, and dealers can support those interests with safe equipment and realistic guidance.
Bulega’s Jerez finale now stands as the completed result: victory 52, a tie with Bayliss, 726 points and a sweep of the season’s last three races. The sprint created the 700-point milestone. Race 2 supplied the final numbers and the last winning image of his WorldSBK career.
