Cremona could provide Nicolo Bulega with the second world championship of his career. The Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider arrives for the Italian WorldSBK round holding a 146-point advantage, with Iker Lecuona the only remaining rider who can mathematically overturn the championship.

Bulega’s season has created that margin. He has secured all nine pole positions so far and won 26 of the 27 races. Lecuona beat him in the only race that escaped his control, Race 1 at Donington. Since the second round, the two factory Ducati riders have failed to occupy first and second together only once.

The championship would be Bulega’s second. He won the 2023 World Supersport title with Ducati, a result that led to his 2024 promotion to WorldSBK with Aruba.it Racing Ducati. He then finished runner-up to Toprak Razgatlioglu in both 2024 and 2025. The contrast with his 2026 campaign is striking: the Italian has combined pole-position consistency with a near-perfect race record.

The routes to an early title

Bulega needs to leave the opening race with a 161-point championship lead to clinch immediately. A Bulega victory would therefore require Lecuona to finish sixth or lower. If Bulega finishes second, Lecuona must be 11th or lower; if Bulega finishes third, the required result for Lecuona is 15th or lower. A Bulega result outside the top three guarantees that the title contest lasts at least into Sunday.

Sunday’s thresholds depend on what happens on Saturday. Bulega would need a 149-point advantage after the Superpole Race or a 124-point advantage after Race 2 for the title to be decided at those stages. The competitive question is unusually clear, but his physical condition adds uncertainty to the weekend. Bulega was taken to hospital after crashing at Mugello during a test of Ducati’s 850 cc MotoGP bike. No major injuries have been reported, although he missed Ducati’s subsequent 850 cc MotoGP test in Austria. Cremona therefore offers a genuine early championship opportunity, with the rider’s readiness an important part of the outcome.