The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season ended at Jerez with Nicolo Bulega winning all three races of the final weekend. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider swept the programme at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, closing the campaign with a combination of record figures, close podium battles and changing conditions.

Bulega’s Ducati also carried a special silver livery, paying tribute to the racing Ducati 750SS machines of the 1970s. The weekend’s substance was even more significant than its appearance: Bulega moved from 50 to 52 WorldSBK victories in three races, while Sam Lowes and Iker Lecuona fought their way into the remaining podium places.

A landmark 50th victory

Bulega controlled the opening race on Saturday after resisting Sam Lowes through the early stages. He eventually finished 1.6 seconds ahead of the ELF Marc VDS rider, with Iker Lecuona taking third. The result delivered Bulega’s 50th WorldSBK victory in only his 106th race. Troy Bayliss had needed 150 races to reach the same number, underlining the speed of Bulega’s progress through the category’s record books.

Alvaro Bautista produced the race’s leading recovery drive. He started ninth and climbed to fourth, finishing ahead of teammate Yari Montella, who took fifth. Alberto Surra, Lorenzo Baldassarri, Alex Lowes, Tommy Bridewell and Axel Bassani occupied the remaining top-ten positions. The result also placed both Bimota machines inside the leading ten.

A second win and another season record

The Tissot Superpole race on Sunday brought another Bulega victory. He held the advantage from pole position while Lowes stayed close at first. Lecuona then increased his pace, passed Lowes and finished second, with the British rider taking third. Bulega’s 51st WorldSBK win left him one short of Bayliss’s total of 52.

The result also strengthened Bulega’s season record. His 35th podium of the year surpassed Jonathan Rea’s previous benchmark. He additionally became the first rider in WorldSBK history to exceed 700 points in a single season, finishing the campaign on 701. Yari Montella was fourth, Bautista was sixth after starting ninth, and Miguel Oliveira finished 11th.

Rain could not stop the clean sweep

Rain arrived during the final five laps of the last main race, adding a fresh complication to the closing stages. Lecuona made the stronger launch and briefly took the lead, but Bulega responded on the opening lap by passing him at Turn 6. He remained in control through the changing conditions and completed the weekend unbeaten.

The third victory lifted Bulega to 52 WorldSBK wins and level with Bayliss, placing him fifth on the category’s all-time winners’ list. Lecuona finished second. The final podium position was decided on the last lap, when Lowes attacked Bautista at Turn 5 and completed the pass. He held third to the chequered flag, securing his third podium of the weekend and the 17th of his WorldSBK career.

Bautista finished fourth and Montella fifth. Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani took seventh and eighth respectively, putting both Bimota motorcycles inside the top ten. Alberto Surra and Miguel Oliveira completed the leading ten, while Barni Spark Racing Team finished the season second in the Teams’ Championship.

Bautista’s weekend carried a further question around his future. The warm reception from his team created an apparent farewell atmosphere, and the Jerez appearance may have been his last in WorldSBK. No official announcement had been made at that point, so the possibility remained unconfirmed. The competitive conclusion was less ambiguous: Bulega and Ducati left Spain with every available victory and a collection of major season milestones.