The Aragon round has once again confirmed what the Superbike World Championship has been showing since the beginning of the season. Nicolo Bulega continues to be the absolute reference in the category, and at MotorLand Aragón he has added three new victories to a streak that is beginning to take on historic dimensions. The Italian leaves the Teruel circuit with a total of victories, further expanding his advantage at the top of the championship.
However, it would not be fair to focus only on the final result. And Iker Lecuona is not only getting closer, but he has managed to put Nicolo in trouble at some points during the weekend. The Spaniard was once again competitive at home and confirms the solidity he has been showing since Portimao.
SBK Aragón – Race 1: Lecuona starts strong, but Bulega takes the victory
The first race started with Lecuona ready to challenge for victory from the start. The Spaniard came to attack Bulega in the early stages and remained glued to his wheel during the initial laps, although the Italian managed to control the situation and began to progressively open up space. When the distance exceeded a second advantage, the race was practically decided.
The victory allowed Bulega to extend a streak that already seemed unattainable for the rest of the grid. Lecuona once again added a new podium, although victory continues to elude him, while Sam Lowes completed the box after recovering positions in the first laps and consolidating third place.
Behind him, Alex Lowes finished fourth after a consistent race, while Tommy Bridewell, who continues to grow, achieved the best result of his WorldSBK career with a brilliant fifth position. Lorenzo Baldassarri completed the top 6 after putting pressure on the Briton until the end.
The race also left several important abandonments. Álvaro Bautista, who was returning to the competition after the accident in Most, had to retire due to technical problems when barely three laps had been completed, and Andrea Locatelli was also unable to complete the test after suffering a fall.
SBK Aragón – Superpole Race: High tension
The Superpole Race may have been the most exciting moment of the weekend. Bulega encountered much more opposition this time, and was relegated to third position during the early stages while Lecuona, Sam Lowes and Alberto Surra engaged in an intense fight at the front.
The different tire choices also played a role in this fight, in which Lecuona led a good part of the race, and Lowes also momentarily took the lead. But Bulega made up ground until he joined the battle for victory. From there began a constant exchange of overtakes between the Italian and the Spaniard that maintained uncertainty until the final laps.
Finally, Bulega managed to impose his rhythm in the final stretch that led him to another victory, his twenty-first consecutive. Lecuona crossed the finish line again in second position, with Sam Lowes completing the podium. Alberto Surra was very close, who touched what would have been his first place in WorldSBK and who is growing from weekend to weekend.
Although he was not involved in the fight, the role of Álvaro Bautista must be highlighted. Less than two weeks after undergoing surgery for his ankle injuries, the Spaniard managed to finish eighth and score important points.
SBK Aragón – Race 2: another triumph for Bulega to close the triplet
The last race of the weekend began with a certain parallel to the first. Iker tried to stay close to Bulega from the start and even tried to overtake him at the beginning, the championship leader was once again getting his best rhythm and as the race stabilized, the more he became noticeable.
As the laps progressed, Bulega was building a sufficient lead to control the situation without excessive shocks. The victory allowed him to complete his sixth treble of the season out of a possible six and raise his streak to 22 consecutive victories, a figure that continues to expand his record within WorldSBK.
Lecuona finished second again and Sam Lowes closed another great weekend with a new third position. Behind them Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani with Garrett Gerloff, being the protagonist of a great comeback after beating both Alberto Surra and Álvaro Bautista.
In fact, Bautista once again put in a very creditable performance taking into account his physical condition. The two-time world champion finished seventh just a few days after his operation, while the race left Xavi Vierge and Lorenzo Baldassarri abandoned after a joint fall in Turn 1.
With this result, Bulega leaves Aragón even more leader of the championship and confirms a dominance that, race after race, continues without finding an answer. Of course, Lecuona has once again shown that he is one of the few drivers capable of challenging the pace at certain times. What is certain is that we are already halfway through the season, and right now Nicolo has a 108-point lead, practically two rounds of margin with six left to go.
