Bulega Tops Magny-Cours Free Practice But Still Not Satisfied
Lecuona making adjustments he picked up from MotoGP Photos by Ducati. Nicolò Bulega swept both Friday practice sessions for the French Round at Magny-Cours, but the runaway championship leader came away wanting more from his Panigale V4 R. [cuttext][/cuttext] The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider set the day's benchmark of 1'35.556 in FP1, taking advantage of cooler morning track conditions. When…
Nicolò Bulega, the current championship leader in the 2026 WorldSBK season, dominated the free practice sessions at the Magny-Cours circuit but expressed dissatisfaction with his performance on the Panigale V4 R. During the first practice session, Bulega set a benchmark time of 1:35.556, benefiting from the cooler morning conditions at the track.
However, as the temperature rose to approximately 113 degrees Fahrenheit during the second practice, he was unable to maintain that pace. Bulega's time in the second session was 1:35.916, which still placed him at the top in the 1:35s bracket. Despite his strong performance, Bulega was not satisfied, stating that he felt he was missing something in terms of feel and control over his bike.
He expects the team to find setup solutions overnight to improve his performance. Lecuona, Bulega's teammate, posted the third-fastest combined time after crashing early in the second session, but he too aims to make adjustments to improve his chances of catching Bulega.
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