Nicolo Bulega survived the fiercest challenge of his record-breaking 2026 season to beat Aruba Ducati teammate Iker Lecuona by less than a second at Most on Saturday, extending his WorldSBK winning streak to 17 consecutive victories in what television commentators called the best race of the year.
The Italian was made to work for every metre of his record-extending win at the Czech round, with Lecuona equalling the unenviable WorldSBK record of 10 consecutive second-place finishes after the pair traded the lead repeatedly in the closing third of the race.
Lecuona's day was built on a brave overtake at turn one on lap 15. After several laps of patient pressure on the change of direction towards the first corner, the Spaniard finally found the run he needed, going deep into the braking zone before gathering up his Panigale V4R for the inside line and snatching track position.
"Brilliant, brilliant ride from Lecuona — a lap where he sees Bulega make a mistake and the following lap where he says now's the time to commit to the inside line," commentary on the broadcast described as Lecuona briefly looked set to deliver his first WorldSBK victory.
Bulega's response was equally decisive. The defending championship leader hit straight back four laps later, holding a Brembo-recorded 220-metre braking zone into turn one and forcing his way back through with a perfectly judged momentum carry through the final corner. "It's go time on lap 19 as Nicolo Bulega hits the front again," the broadcaster said as the points leader resumed control.
That move proved the decisive blow. Bulega set the fastest first sector of any rider on the lap that followed and steadily opened the gap through the technical second and third sectors, ultimately taking the chequered flag with the closing battle finally settled on the penultimate lap.
For Lecuona, it was the most agonising of consolation prizes. Drawing level with the WorldSBK record of 10 consecutive second-place finishes is a record most riders would prefer not to be associated with, but the Spaniard's pace and aggression marked him out as the most credible challenger to Bulega's title charge in months.
"Honestly, I'm really happy. We have a good fight. I did some mistakes. He did some mistakes," Lecuona said immediately after the race. "The last two laps I did a huge mistake in 15 and 17 and I lose the chance to try something the last lap. But in any case, I'm really really happy about my performance, honestly, about the job inside the team. So thanks to the team, to the family, my wife, to all the support that give me. Let's try tomorrow. I have two more chances."
Bulega's reply was measured. "I struggled a little bit with some little problems on the bike, but then at the end I tried to do my pace. The last two or three laps I did very fast. So I'm really happy thanks to my team and I hope to continue like this," the championship leader told the post-race interviewer.
Yari Montella took the final podium spot for Barni Ducati, providing valuable consolation to the satellite Italian team after their star Alvaro Bautista crashed out of the Czech weekend earlier in the day. Bautista's exit handed Montella the platform to score Barni's first podium of the 2026 season.
The win extends Bulega's consecutive podium record, with 17 of those finishes coming on the top step — a sequence already eclipsing the run that Toprak Razgatlioglu set during his peak 2024 WorldSBK form before the Turkish star moved to MotoGP. With two more races to come at Most on Sunday, the only meaningful question left is whether Lecuona can finally translate his pace into the maiden victory the WorldSBK paddock has been waiting to see.
