Nicolo Bulega enjoyed a flawless weekend at Phillip Island, taking Superpole and winning all three WorldSBK races in both dry and wet conditions.
In Race 2, heavy rain made conditions very difficult, but the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider led from the start and built a huge advantage. He finished more than 11 seconds ahead of the field.
Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) fought hard in the early laps and secured second place, marking a strong return to the podium.
Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) benefited from a crash by teammate Yari Montella to claim third, his first podium of the season. Montella had shown impressive pace before falling at Turn 9.
Tarran Mackenzie achieved a career-best fourth place in the wet, while Andrea Locatelli led Yamaha’s effort in fifth. Danilo Petrucci and Miguel Oliveira followed for BMW.
Sam Lowes crashed at high speed and suffered a wrist fracture along with other injuries.
After the opening round, Bulega leads the championship by 20 points over Bassani. Ducati also tops the manufacturers’ standings.
In the Superpole Race, Montella briefly led before light rain allowed Bulega to take control. Bassani and Alex Lowes secured a double podium for Bimota.
In WorldSSP, Albert Arenas made a bold tyre choice in mixed conditions to win on his debut weekend. His teammate Aldi Mahendra completed a surprise one-two for AS BLU CRU Racing Team after starting from the back of the grid.
Jaume Masia, who had won on Saturday, struggled with tyre strategy and finished outside the podium positions.
Arenas now leads the championship by seven points after Round 1, with Ducati and Yamaha separated by just three points in the manufacturers’ standings.