Nicolo Bulega seals 2026 Superbike World Championship title with Ducati Panigale V4 R

Nicolo Bulega has been crowned the 2026 Superbike World Champion after finishing second in Race 2 at Cremona. The Aruba.it Racing - Ducati rider secured the championship with two rounds still remaining, completing a dominant campaign in the premier production-based motorcycle racing series.

The title is particularly significant for Ducati during its centenary year. Bulega becomes the first Italian rider to win the WorldSBK Riders’ Championship with Ducati, achieving the feat at his home round in front of the Cremona crowd.

26 wins from 30 races

Bulega has been the benchmark throughout the 2026 season. After 30 races, he has collected 26 victories and four second-place finishes, with every runner-up result coming behind teammate Iker Lecuona in Ducati one-two finishes.

His qualifying record has been equally strong. Bulega has taken nine successive pole positions and established the outright lap record at every circuit visited through the Cremona round.

The championship had already become an all-Ducati contest at Donington, where only Bulega and Lecuona remained mathematically eligible for the Riders’ title with four rounds left.

Ducati completes unbeaten season

The new Panigale V4 R has matched Bulega’s results with a perfect record. Ducati’s latest generation superbike has won all 30 races contested in 2026, helping the manufacturer secure its fifth consecutive WorldSBK Manufacturers’ Championship.

The result also gives Ducati its 17th Riders’ title and 22nd Manufacturers’ crown in WorldSBK. The Italian manufacturer, which has competed in the championship since its first season in 1988, now has 479 race wins and 1,266 podium finishes.

The Panigale V4 R has also become only the third Ducati to win both the Riders’ and Manufacturers’ championships in its debut season, joining the 916 and 999.

Second World title for Bulega

Bulega’s latest success adds to the Supersport World Championship he won with Ducati in 2023. He is now the first rider to claim world titles in both categories with the manufacturer.

The Panigale V4 R combines racing-developed technology with a road-legal package, including MotoGP-derived Corner Sidepods and Ducati Racing Gearbox technology. Its 2026 campaign continues Ducati’s run of WorldSBK dominance that began with the previous generation in 2022.

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