Nicolo Bulega will lead the grid away for Race 1 at Jerez after taking pole in the final WorldSBK Superpole session of the 2026 season. The result is the Italian’s 11th pole from 12 rounds, setting a new record for the most poles achieved in a single WorldSBK season. Sam Lowes qualified second and Iker Lecuona third, giving Bulega two British and Spanish challengers on the front row for the opening race.

Bulega was more than three tenths clear of the field at the chequered flag. His qualifying performance continued a strong weekend on the time sheets: he had topped both Friday practice sessions before Alex Lowes went fastest in FP3 on Saturday morning. That change at the top needs context, however. Bulega had not used the SCQ tyre in FP3, and Lecuona had made the same choice in that session.

Bulega still could not better his pole position time from the 2025 Jerez meeting. The result also ended his previous distinction as the only WorldSBK rider to have lapped the Andalusian circuit in under 1m37s, after Sam Lowes joined him below that mark in Superpole. The pace should therefore be read alongside the circuit conditions: air temperature was 24°C and the track was 29°C before qualifying, while the session commentary described the track as being in poor condition compared with the improvement made by Ducati elsewhere.

Lowes recovers, Lecuona reverses FP3 form

Lowes arrived at Jerez after finishing second in both Friday practices, a marked change from the previous weekend at Estoril. There, the British rider had struggled to find the front-end feeling he wanted from the bike. His pace was restored in Spain, and he briefly moved to the top of Superpole before Bulega reclaimed first place. Lowes also has a strong Jerez record from his Moto2 career, where he won twice, although the qualifying order rather than that history will determine Saturday’s starting positions.

Lecuona’s third place was an especially notable turnaround after FP3. The Spaniard had finished 17th in that session, more than a second behind his team-mate, while also avoiding the SCQ tyre. He had already written off his chances of winning the weekend after Friday practice, and the morning result offered little reason for optimism. Superpole produced a very different outcome: Lecuona moved directly into the 1m37s on his first lap and ended the session more than four tenths behind Bulega, but only a little over a tenth away from Lowes.

Montella leads the next group

Yari Montella qualified fourth, ahead of Alex Lowes and Lorenzo Baldassarri, with Tommy Bridewell completing the leading seven. Alberto Surra and Alvaro Bautista were also among the prominent qualifiers, with Bautista securing his first top-nine qualifying result since Balaton Park. The session was less straightforward for Twan Smits, who crashed at Turn 10 after catching the outside kerb between Turns 9 and 10. The live view following the incident indicated that he appeared to be okay.

Superpole was scheduled for 11:15 local time, followed by Race 1 at 15:30. The Jerez meeting is the final round of the 2026 championship, so the qualifying result arrives alongside uncertainty over the futures of Alvaro Bautista and Danilo Petrucci. Petrucci confirmed during the weekend that Attack Performance Yamaha had approached him about a possible move to MotoAmerica for 2027. That possibility remains separate from Saturday’s grid, but it adds another storyline to the season finale.

For the immediate race picture, Bulega has secured the advantage he has repeatedly converted throughout the year: pole position and a clear gap at the front. Lowes starts close enough to challenge from second, while Lecuona’s recovery gives him a place on the front row despite his difficult FP3. Race 1 will show whether that qualifying order survives the opening laps at Jerez.