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2026 Dutch WorldSBK Superpole Race LIVE: Nicolo Bulega closing in on history
Live updates from the Superpole Race from the 2026 Dutch WorldSBK at the TT Circuit Assen.
Live coverage of the Superpole Race at the 2026 Dutch WorldSBK at Assen, which is due to start at 11:10 local time. Race 2 is coming up this afternoon at 14:30.
Nicolo Bulega comes into this morning’s Superpole Race having won all seven races so far this season, including Race 1 yesterday. Two wins for the Italian today will see him equal the record for consecutive WorldSBK wins currently held by Toprak Razgatlioglu at 13.
Iker Lecuona led the first lap yesterday, which was the first lap Bulega hadn’t led since the Australian Superpole Race in February. Later on, when rain started to fall, he led four more laps, but Bulega had more front tyre to push with when the rain eased off in the final two laps having saved it in the first part of the race. Lecuona is on a run of four consecutive second places at the moment following his trio of seconds in Portugal.
Sam Lowes ensured a Ducati podium lockout yesterday in third place. The British rider felt it was the “right result” even though the rain had brought him closer to the leaders.
Alvaro Bautista also took profit from the rain, closing in on the front three, but he was not able to make an impression on the podium. He hailed progress made since Sunday in Portimao afterwards, though, and fourth marked his best result of the season.
Alex Lowes was the best non-Ducati rider yesterday in fifth, but over 10 seconds off the lead by the end of 21 laps. He was hoping for podium finishes this weekend, but that seems unlikely now after yesterday’s race.
Yari Montella was fastest in Warm Up this morning after finishing outside the top-10 yesterday.
Somkiat Chantra didn’t take part in Warm Up and won’t race today after he was declared unfit following his FP3 crash yesterday. Jonathan Rea, who finished 17th yesterday, is therefore the only Honda due to race today.
We also have a wildcard this weekend in the form of 22-year-old Dutchman Twan Smits on the Team Apreco Yamaha.
2026 Dutch WorldSBK – Superpole Result
Nicolo Bulega takes the Superpole Race win in Assen, then Lecuona and Sam Lowes make it another all-Ducati podium.
Bautista confirms another top-four lockout for Ducati, then Alex Lowes in fifth again. So, as in Portimao, it’s a repeat top-five from Race 1 in the Superpole Race.
Vierge gets Petrucci for sixth at the final chicane, Petrucci holds on to seventh from Montella, then Locatelli beats Gardner to ninth despite a drop one position penalty on the last lap.
Gardner rounds out the top-10.
2s for Bulega going onto the final lap. Spits of rain still around but conditions are still fundamentally dry.
Lecuona still has Sam Lowes within half-a-second of him, and Alex Lowes is sticking with Bautista, too.
Plenty to be decided on the final lap.
Two to go in Assen and the closest battle is still for fourth between Lowes and Bautista. The latter clearly has much more grip, and he makes his move on the run to turn one beginning the penultimate lap.
Bassani has served a long lap penalty for cutting the chicane and not losing a second, and he’s back in 18th now.
It’s looking a bit darker out there now and there are some drops of rain on the camera at turn one and at the end of the back straight.
Bulega still leading comfortably and Lecuona found some time on Lowes that time.
Alex Lowes, meanwhile, is coming under increasing pressure from Bautista for fourth.
Half-distance now in Assen and Bulega is almost 2s clear of Lecuona, lapping consistently in the 1m32s and low-1m33s, so lap record pace on repeat for the Italian.
Lowes only 0.3s behind Lecuona now.
Crash for Tarran Mackenzie that lap at turn three. He seems okay
1.5s now for Bulega over Lecuona. 0.7s then between Lecuona and Sam Lowes, who has about the same gap over his brother.
Bautista has passed Vierge for fifth, Yamahas now 6th and 7th.
At the front, Bulega is already over a second clear of his teammate, who has both Lowes brothers for company.
Bulega leads the opening lap from Lecuona, who passed Lowes at turn three.
Alex Lowes up to fourth at the beginning of lap two passing Bautista and Vierge, who he lost out to at turn one.
It’s lights out in Assen and the Superpole Race is underway.
Bulega gets the holeshot from Sam Lowes and Lecuona, then Vierge and Locatelli 4th and 5th.
Riders are off on their warm-up lap ahead of the Superpole Race in Assen.
Nicolo Bulega heads an all-Ducati front row on the grid for the Superpole Race.
Alvaro Bautista was fourth after the first turn yesterday despite starting seventh, so look for him coming through off the line.
Full starting order for the Superpole Race is below.
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | ITA | Aruba.it Racing Ducati |
Ducati Panigale V4 R
|
|
| 2 | Sam Lowes | GBR | Marc VDS Racing Team |
Ducati Panigale V4 R
|
|
| 3 | Iker Lecuona | ESP | Aruba.it Racing Ducati |
Ducati Panigale V4 R
|
|
| 4 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | ROKiT BMW Motorrad |
BMW M1000 RR
|
|
| 5 | Xavi Vierge | ESP | Pata Maxus Yamaha |
Yamaha R1
|
|
| 6 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team |
Bimota KB998
|
|
| 7 | Alvaro Bautista | ESP | Barni Spark Racing |
Ducati Panigale V4 R
|
|
| 8 | Andrea Locatelli | ITA | Pata Maxus Yamaha |
Yamaha R1
|
|
| 9 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | ITA | Team Go Eleven |
Ducati Panigale V4 R
|
|
| 10 | Remy Gardner | AUS | GYTR GRT Yamaha |
Yamaha R1
|
|
| 11 | Tommy Bridewell | GBR | Superbike Advocates Racing |
Ducati Panigale V4 R
|
|
| 12 | Yari Montella | ITA | Barni Spark Racing |
Ducati Panigale V4 R
|
|
| 13 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | ROKiT BMW Motorrad |
BMW M1000 RR
|
|
| 14 | Tarran Mackenzie | GBR | MGM Optical Express Racing |
Ducati Panigale V4 R
|
|
| 15 | Alberto Surra | ITA | Motocorsa Racing |
Ducati Panigale V4 R
|
|
| 16 | Garrett Gerloff | USA | Kawasaki WorldSBK Team |
Kawasaki ZX-10RR
|
|
| 17 | Axel Bassani | ITA | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team |
Bimota KB998
|
|
| 18 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | Honda HRC |
Honda CBR1000RR-R
|
|
| 19 | Bahattin Sofuoglu | TUR | Motoxracing Yamaha |
Yamaha R1
|
|
| 20 | Stefano Manzi | ITA | GYTR GRT Yamaha |
Yamaha R1
|
|
| 21 | Mattia Rato | ITA | Motoxracing Yamaha |
Yamaha R1
|
|
| 22 | Twan Smits | NED | Team Apreco |
Yamaha R1
|
It was a fairly uneventful Warm Up session this morning, but Yari Montella was fastest.
The Italian was sixth at one point in Race 1 when it was raining, but dropped to 11th at the end. He’ll start on the fourth row today, so will need a good Superpole Race to set him up for a decent Race 2.
Full Warm Up results here.
Ducati has been dominant on the track this weekend, locking out the front row and the podium yesterday, and it’s topped every session so far.
Off the track has been more complicated, though, as it’s had to recall swingarms from some of its customer teams.
Full story here.
Somkiat Chantra’s FP3 crash yesterday left him ruled out of Superpole and Race 1, and this morning he’s also been declared unfit for today’s action.
He missed Warm Up and won’t race today, either.
Jonathan Rea will therefore be Honda’s only representative in WorldSBK today.
Full story here.
Welcome to live coverage of today’s WorldSBK action from Assen, where the Superpole Race is around 45 minutes away.
Live coverage of the Superpole Race at the 2026 Dutch WorldSBK at Assen, which is due to start at 11:10 local time. Race 2 is coming up this afternoon at 14:30.
Nicolo Bulega comes into this morning’s Superpole Race having won all seven races so far this season, including Race 1 yesterday. Two wins for the Italian today will see him equal the record for consecutive WorldSBK wins currently held by Toprak Razgatlioglu at 13.
Iker Lecuona led the first lap yesterday, which was the first lap Bulega hadn’t led since the Australian Superpole Race in February. Later on, when rain started to fall, he led four more laps, but Bulega had more front tyre to push with when the rain eased off in the final two laps having saved it in the first part of the race. Lecuona is on a run of four consecutive second places at the moment following his trio of seconds in Portugal.
Sam Lowes ensured a Ducati podium lockout yesterday in third place. The British rider felt it was the “right result” even though the rain had brought him closer to the leaders.
Alvaro Bautista also took profit from the rain, closing in on the front three, but he was not able to make an impression on the podium. He hailed progress made since Sunday in Portimao afterwards, though, and fourth marked his best result of the season.
Alex Lowes was the best non-Ducati rider yesterday in fifth, but over 10 seconds off the lead by the end of 21 laps. He was hoping for podium finishes this weekend, but that seems unlikely now after yesterday’s race.
Yari Montella was fastest in Warm Up this morning after finishing outside the top-10 yesterday.
Somkiat Chantra didn’t take part in Warm Up and won’t race today after he was declared unfit following his FP3 crash yesterday. Jonathan Rea, who finished 17th yesterday, is therefore the only Honda due to race today.
We also have a wildcard this weekend in the form of 22-year-old Dutchman Twan Smits on the Team Apreco Yamaha.
Live coverage of the Superpole Race at the 2026 Dutch WorldSBK at Assen, which is due to start at 11:10 local time. Race 2 is coming up this afternoon at 14:30.
Nicolo Bulega comes into this morning’s Superpole Race having won all seven races so far this season, including Race 1 yesterday. Two wins for the Italian today will see him equal the record for consecutive WorldSBK wins currently held by Toprak Razgatlioglu at 13.
Iker Lecuona led the first lap yesterday, which was the first lap Bulega hadn’t led since the Australian Superpole Race in February. Later on, when rain started to fall, he led four more laps, but Bulega had more front tyre to push with when the rain eased off in the final two laps having saved it in the first part of the race. Lecuona is on a run of four consecutive second places at the moment following his trio of seconds in Portugal.
Sam Lowes ensured a Ducati podium lockout yesterday in third place. The British rider felt it was the “right result” even though the rain had brought him closer to the leaders.
Alvaro Bautista also took profit from the rain, closing in on the front three, but he was not able to make an impression on the podium. He hailed progress made since Sunday in Portimao afterwards, though, and fourth marked his best result of the season.
Alex Lowes was the best non-Ducati rider yesterday in fifth, but over 10 seconds off the lead by the end of 21 laps. He was hoping for podium finishes this weekend, but that seems unlikely now after yesterday’s race.
Yari Montella was fastest in Warm Up this morning after finishing outside the top-10 yesterday.
Somkiat Chantra didn’t take part in Warm Up and won’t race today after he was declared unfit following his FP3 crash yesterday. Jonathan Rea, who finished 17th yesterday, is therefore the only Honda due to race today.
We also have a wildcard this weekend in the form of 22-year-old Dutchman Twan Smits on the Team Apreco Yamaha.
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