Nicolò Bulega continues to rewrite history, setting a new record for Superbike wins
Nicolò Bulega continues to rewrite Superbike history. The world champion won the Tissot Superpole Race at the Estoril round, securing his 28th victory of the season and surpassing the previous record held by Álvaro Bautista, who had 27 wins in 2023. At the Portuguese circuit, the Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider finished ahead of his teammate Iker Lecuona—who came in second after nearly losing ground due to a mistake—and Alberto Surra, who pulled off a last-lap pass on home-track favorite Miguel Oliveira.
The race began with an excellent start by Lecuona, who led the pack into the first corner. Behind him, however, contact between Yari Montella and Alex Lowes shuffled the order, helping Oliveira mount a comeback. Montella was subsequently penalized with a Long Lap Penalty, while Bulega remained in contention for the win.
At the start of the third lap, Lecuona took a big risk by running wide at Turn 1. Oliveira closed in and tried to capitalize, but the Spaniard managed to hold onto second place. Bulega, on the other hand, managed the situation and crossed the finish line first, adding another chapter to his extraordinary season. For the world champion, this marks his 28th victory of the season, a result that allows him to surpass the record set by Bautista in 2023. Lecuona, meanwhile, celebrates his 30th career podium and his 28th of the season.
The biggest surprise came in the closing stages, when Alberto Surra launched his decisive attack at Turn 3 and overtook Miguel Oliveira, snatching third place on the podium right in front of his home crowd. For the Motocorsa Racing rider, this marks his third podium finish in the last four races, a result that confirms his excellent form.
Behind them, Álvaro Bautista returns to the top five, securing a top-five finish for the first time since the Superpole Race at Balaton Park. Axel Bassani finished sixth, unable to challenge the Spaniard. The top ten was rounded out by Xavi Vierge in seventh, Jake Dixon in eighth, Lorenzo Baldassarri in ninth, and Sam Lowes in tenth.
