Bulega Wins Chaotic Magny-Cours Race 1, Lecuona Second for Ducati's 21st 1-2
Nicolò Bulega won a dramatic, red-flagged Race 1 at Magny-Cours, leading teammate Iker Lecuona across the line for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati's 21st one-two finish of the season.
- 21
- Lap 9
- 1'35.030
- 3rd
What Happened
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati claimed its 21st one-two finish of the season in Race 1 at Magny-Cours, France. Nicolò Bulega started from pole position and won, with Iker Lecuona second after starting third on the grid. The race featured crashes and a red flag on lap 9 before the pair secured the result.
After the red flag forced a second start, Lecuona once again took the lead but lost ground to Bulega while defending from an attack by Lowes on the Ducati. Bulega made the most of the moment, setting a 1'35.030 on lap 2 of the restart — almost half a second faster than the previous record set last year in the Superpole Race.
Bulega, on pole, and Lecuona, third on the grid, battle for the lead.
Crashes bring out a red flag and stop the race.
Lecuona moves ahead but loses ground to Bulega while defending.
Bulega sets a 1'35.030, nearly half a second faster than last year's Superpole Race lap record.
“I'm really happy with this win, especially because when a race is interrupted by a red flag, staying focused is never easy. I was confident I could do well, even though I knew Iker would be very fast at the start. After the red flag, I kept a strong pace, and that gives me great satisfaction.”
“I have to say I'm satisfied with Race 1, especially because we made a step forward in terms of feeling compared to Superpole. In the opening laps, Nicolò and I had a great battle, but after the second start I couldn't match his pace. We'll study the data and work to make another step tomorrow.”
Previously from Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
Earlier Motorclaw coverage of this round noted that Bulega led the WorldSBK championship by 133 points as the series returned from its summer break for round nine at Magny-Cours Circuit. That coverage also reported Bulega was quickest in French Round free practice, with Lecuona third in combined order despite an FP2 crash. Today's Race 1 continues their strong weekend at the French circuit.
- Bulega tops WorldSBK French Round practice; Lecuona third despite FP2 crash
- WorldSBK Resumes in France: Bulega Leads Ducati Charge at Magny-Cours
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
A one-two finish means the team's riders finish first and second in the same race, the strongest possible team result. With 21 such finishes this season, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati continues to demonstrate an exceptional level of consistency in the championship. Bulega's win from pole and Lecuona's runner-up result also reinforce Ducati's competitive strength at this round.
Terms in This Story
- Pole position
- The first place at the start of a race, awarded to the fastest qualifier.
- Red flag
- A signal used to stop a race or session, usually because of a crash or unsafe track conditions.
- One-two finish
- When the same team's two riders finish first and second in a race.
- Superpole
- A qualifying session or short race used in some motorcycle racing series to help set the starting grid.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.