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Bulega called Balaton his worst track, then won everything…

Bulega’s perfect 2026 WorldSBK season continued at Balaton Park, where the Ducati rider completed another hat-trick weekend as Arenas and Ramos added Sunday victories in WorldSSP and WorldWCR.

Trev by Trev
May 4, 2026
in WorldSBK / SSP / SPB / WCR

WorldSBK 2026

Round Four – Balaton Park – Sunday

Bulega completes perfect Balaton weekend as Arenas and Ramos win Sunday thrillers

Nicolo Bulega completed a perfect Hungarian Round at Balaton Park on Sunday, winning the restarted Superpole Race and then controlling Race 2 to make it 12 wins from the opening 12 races of the 2026 WorldSBK season.

The Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider had already broken the all-time consecutive WorldSBK wins record on Saturday, and added two more victories on Sunday to stretch that run to 16 straight wins, dating back to the closing rounds of 2025. His Race 2 victory was also his 32nd in WorldSBK, moving him into the all-time top ten and level with Chaz Davies, while his 25th consecutive podium equals the record held by Colin Edwards and Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Aruba.it Racing Ducati celebrate with Nicolo Bulega and Iker Lecuona after another WorldSBK one-two at Balaton Park.
Another Sunday, another Aruba.it Racing Ducati one-two. Bulega and Lecuona helped the factory Ducati squad make it nine consecutive one-two finishes in the 2026 WorldSBK season.

Bulega’s weekend tally was complete: pole position, Superpole Race win, Race 1 win, Race 2 win, and fastest lap in both Sunday races. He now leaves Hungary 82 points clear of team-mate Iker Lecuona in the championship, with Ducati still unbeaten after four rounds.

Bulega’s Race 2 victory also completed the ninth consecutive Aruba.it Racing Ducati one-two of the 2026 season. Lecuona kept the pressure on through the opening seven laps and looked capable of asking a question of his team-mate, but the Spaniard was still feeling the effects of the gastric problem that had troubled him since Thursday and eventually settled for another important second place.


WorldSBK Race Two

Bulega started Race Two from pole and again made the launch he needed, leading into Turn 1 with Lecuona quickly settling into second. After the restart disruption of the morning Superpole Race, the 21-lap Sunday feature became a more direct test of whether anyone could keep Bulega within reach over full race distance.

Nicolo Bulega leads Iker Lecuona and the WorldSBK pack during Race Two at Balaton Park.
Nicolo Bulega leads Iker Lecuona and the WorldSBK pack early in Race Two at Balaton Park, where the Ducati rider completed another hat-trick weekend and stretched his 2026 record to 12 wins from 12 starts.

Lecuona did exactly that in the opening phase. The Spaniard had earned second on the Race Two grid with his runner-up finish in the Superpole Race and stayed close to his team-mate across the first seven laps. The margin was still under half a second at the start of lap five, and Lecuona looked close enough to at least force Bulega to work rather than simply disappear.

That pressure gave the race a different complexion to Saturday, when Bulega had opened a larger early margin and managed the gap from there. This time, Lecuona remained a genuine threat through the first third of the race, but Bulega’s pace and precision gradually started to tell. By the end of lap 12 the lead had edged beyond one second, and while Lecuona briefly brought it back under that mark, the leader had enough in reserve to stretch the margin again in the closing laps.

Bulega crossed the line 2.557 seconds clear, completing his fourth hat-trick from four rounds this season and setting a new benchmark for the best start to a WorldSBK campaign, with 12 wins from the first 12 races. His Balaton clean sweep also extended his outright record to 16 consecutive WorldSBK victories, while Aruba.it Racing Ducati recorded its ninth consecutive one-two finish of 2026.

Bulega also set the fastest lap of the race with a 1m38.569s, underlining that his Race Two win was not simply controlled from the front but built on outright pace at a circuit he repeatedly said did not naturally suit his riding style.

Nicolo Bulega

“Another fantastic weekend that makes me very happy. It’s no secret that this is the track that least suits my riding style. Getting these results, therefore, gives me great satisfaction. I thank the team for doing an extraordinary job. See you in Most.”

Lecuona again had to settle for second, but this was another high-quality ride from the Spaniard, particularly given the illness that had affected him since Thursday. He had the pace to stay with Bulega early, but as the race wore on the physical cost became clearer. Rather than risk throwing away another strong result, he backed away from the limit and banked another 20 points.

Iker Lecuona

“I’m happy with these results, which contributed to another extraordinary weekend for the team. Could we have done more? Yes, of course. Physically, I wasn’t 100% due to the gastric problem I had on Thursday, but my feeling improved session after session, and that gives me great confidence.”

Iker Lecuona leans the Aruba.it Racing Ducati through a left-hander at Balaton Park.
Iker Lecuona kept Bulega honest in the opening half of Race Two, but the Spaniard eventually had to settle for second as Ducati’s factory pairing again finished one-two.

Behind the factory Ducatis, the opening lap was busy. Alvaro Bautista made a strong launch from fourth and was immediately in the podium fight, while Alex Lowes also made a sharp start on the bimota and was fourth through the early turns. Baldassarri was also in the mix after his Superpole Race podium, but the first lap became messy through the final chicane.

Baldassarri attacked Bautista for third but could not get the bike stopped cleanly and had to cut the chicane. He then slowed enough to avoid a penalty, allowing another rider through, before setting about rebuilding his race. That moment cost him track position and time, but it did not end his podium chase.

The rider who made the break from the early disorder was Yari Montella. The Barni Spark Ducati rider used the opening exchanges to establish himself in third, then pushed hard to build a margin of around two seconds over the chasing group. That early buffer proved decisive later, as rear grip became more difficult and Baldassarri started cutting into his advantage.

Nicolo Bulega, Iker Lecuona and Yari Montella on the WorldSBK Race Two podium at Balaton Park.
A Ducati Race Two podium at Balaton Park, with Nicolo Bulega winning from Iker Lecuona and Yari Montella as the red tide rolled on in WorldSBK.

Montella’s third place was one of the strongest rides of his season. The Italian had already been quick throughout the weekend, but the team made another step between the Superpole Race and Race Two. Once clear in third, he managed the gap well enough to keep Baldassarri at bay and also claimed Best Independent Rider honours.

Yari Montella

“I’m extremely happy! We did a fantastic job. Getting a podium here in Balaton, on a circuit that isn’t among my favourites, is something special. We built the weekend step by step from FP1, improving session after session. Between the Superpole Race and Race 2 we made some changes that proved decisive. We managed to bring home a very important podium. The race was enjoyable in some aspects and more difficult in others. At the beginning, I used the chaos of the opening laps to create a gap and try to break away. Fortunately, I managed to build an advantage of around two seconds, which then allowed me to manage the race. Towards the end I struggled a bit with rear grip and Baldassarri got closer, but I was able to control the situation.”

Yari Montella leads Lorenzo Baldassarri during their WorldSBK Race Two podium battle at Balaton Park.
Yari Montella had Lorenzo Baldassarri closing fast in the final laps, but the Barni Ducati rider held on for third and Best Independent honours in Race Two.

Baldassarri’s fourth place was a strong response to his heavy Turn 8 crash on Saturday. Team GoEleven had rebuilt the bike overnight, and the morning warm-up was effectively a check that both rider and machine were ready to race. Baldassarri later admitted he had almost not raced due to the effects of the crash, but he found his rhythm quickly, took his first Superpole Race podium in the morning, and then came within 0.508s of another podium in Race Two.

His closing pace was particularly strong. After losing ground in the first-lap exchanges, Baldassarri chipped away at Montella in the final phase and was one of the quickest riders on track over the last seven laps. One more lap may have given him a chance to attack for third, but fourth still completed a valuable Sunday recovery after Saturday’s zero.

Lorenzo Baldassarri

“After what happened yesterday, it wasn’t given that I’d have a Sunday like this: a podium this morning, fourth place this afternoon. On the eve of the weekend, I would have signed up for two results like that, and today I almost didn’t race due to the consequences of the crash! Today, however, I woke up well, I wasn’t in too much pain, and I immediately regained the right confidence with the bike. I’m a little disappointed about the end of Race 2. My pace was incredible and I knew I was faster, but I started from far away after the chaos of the first laps. This morning, however, the podium in the Superpole Race was incredible and perhaps even more valuable than the one in Australia, because it’s a race where I struggle.”

Lorenzo Baldassarri rides the Team GoEleven Ducati during WorldSBK Race Two at Balaton Park.
Lorenzo Baldassarri bounced back strongly from Saturday’s heavy crash, taking a Superpole Race podium before charging to fourth in Race Two, only half a second from another rostrum.

Garrett Gerloff was the best of the non-Ducati riders, bringing the factory Kawasaki home fifth for his best result since joining the brand in 2025. It was also a clear weekend progression for the Texan, who had finished 13th in Race One, eighth in the Superpole Race and then fifth in Race Two.

Gerloff started eighth and wasted little time moving forward. He passed Tarran Mackenzie on lap five, then closed on Alberto Surra and made the move at Turn 9 on lap 11. His mid-race pace stood out, with three consecutive laps below the 1m39.8s mark from lap 11 to lap 13, the strongest sequence at that point from any rider not on a Ducati.

After a difficult Assen round, fifth at Balaton was an important reset for both Gerloff and Kawasaki. It also made him the first non-Ducati rider home in a race where Ducati again packed the front order.

Garrett Gerloff

“I felt a lot better today than I did at Assen last time out. That was one of the worst weekends I have had, and it felt difficult to explain, because I felt I was doing pretty well with my riding and I felt the bike was working not too badly, but we seemed to have no speed all weekend. It is so difficult as a rider not to think that you are just slow now. So it was nice to come here to Balaton, make changes, and every change we made was helping me feel better and better. To finish with a top five in Race Two was one of the best things I could do for the team and myself. It has given us a lot of motivation to stay strong for the rest of the season.”

Sam Lowes came through from the fourth row to finish sixth on the ELF Marc VDS Ducati, ahead of Surra, who completed a strong Hungarian weekend in seventh. Surra had been one of the surprise packages of the round, qualifying and racing inside the leading group across the weekend, and again held a place in the top seven.

Sam Lowes leads Alberto Surra during WorldSBK Race Two at Balaton Park
Sam Lowes came through to sixth in Race Two, finishing ahead of Alberto Surra as Ducati again packed the sharp end of the WorldSBK order.

Mackenzie finished eighth, while the GYTR GRT Yamaha pairing of Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi completed the top ten. Gardner came from 12th on the grid to ninth and maintained stronger race pace than he had shown on Saturday, while Manzi climbed from 17th to tenth and closed right onto his team-mate by the flag. The pair were split by only 0.074s, giving GRT Yamaha a double top-ten finish to end the weekend.

Remy Gardner

“Overall, it was a positive end to the weekend. We made some solid improvements from yesterday, and we need to focus on the positives. In the Superpole Race, we were close to the top nine, which would have helped for Race 2, but it wasn’t a bad result. In Race 2, I was able to maintain a good pace until the end, which is encouraging, and finishing ninth shows good progress considering where we started. We’ll aim to carry this momentum into Most with confidence, as it’s a track where we’ve performed well in the past.”

Alvaro Bautista leads Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi during WorldSBK Race Two at Balaton Park.
Alvaro Bautista came under pressure from the GYTR GRT Yamaha pair in Race Two, with Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi both finishing inside the top ten after a stronger Sunday showing.

Bautista’s Race Two went the other way after a promising start. The Spaniard was in the early podium fight but gradually dropped into the chasing group as he struggled to get the feeling he wanted from the Barni Ducati. A Long Lap Penalty for course cutting at Turn 9 without losing a second then ended any chance of a stronger finish, and he crossed the line 11th.

Alvaro Bautista

“Today was a bit of a bittersweet Sunday. We kept working to improve the feeling with the bike, and during warm-up we tried a change that seemed promising. In the Superpole Race the pace was quite good, but unfortunately in Race 2 it didn’t deliver the results we expected. I never really felt comfortable on the bike and I struggled a lot. I made a good start, but afterwards I couldn’t ride the way I wanted. At that point, the only thing I could do was bring the bike to the finish line.”

Xavi Vierge finished 12th on the Pata Maxus Yamaha, ahead of Bahattin Sofuoglu and Mattia Rato. Somkiat Chantra completed the points in 15th for Honda HRC, moving into the points on lap seven and then setting his best lap of the weekend on the penultimate lap. Substitute team-mate Yuki Kunii finished 16th as he completed his first WorldSBK weekend with the factory Honda squad.

Somkiat Chantra

“In Race 2, we struggled more in the early laps because I had some rear spinning but during the race I was able to improve my pace. I focused on being more consistent and was able to set my best lap of the weekend. Overall, there are some small positives, like finishing in the points today. I want to thank the team for their hard work. We know we are still not where we want to be, so we will keep working hard and pushing step by step to move closer to the front.”

There were several notable retirements. Andrea Locatelli crashed heavily at Turn 17 at the end of the opening lap, with Yamaha still looking into the cause. He escaped with relatively minor injuries after what was a sizeable high-side. Alex Lowes had been well placed early after running fourth through the opening turns, but was pushed wide in the early exchanges and lost several places. While trying to recover, he misjudged Mackenzie’s speed through the second apex of the Turn 9-10 chicane, touched the bike ahead and lost the front.

Axel Bassani also retired, pulling in with a front-brake issue that he said was causing vibration and locking on the straight. Tommy Bridewell crashed at the Turn 9-10 chicane, while Danilo Petrucci and Miguel Oliveira were both absent after being declared unfit following incidents in the Superpole Race.

Bulega now leads the championship on 248 points, 82 clear of Lecuona. Sam Lowes remains third on 99, ahead of Oliveira on 85, with Montella and Alex Lowes tied on 8

WorldSBK Race Two Results

Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
Speed
1
N. Bulega
Duc
34m39.980
279.8
2
I. Lecuona
Duc
+2.557
281.3
3
Y. Montella
Duc
+11.970
279.1
4
L. Baldassarri
Duc
+12.478
278.4
5
G. Gerloff
Kaw
+24.903
278.4
6
S. Lowes
Duc
+26.510
279.8
7
A. Surra
Duc
+30.043
279.1
8
T. Mackenzie
Duc
+32.647
279.1
9
R. Gardner
Yam
+35.768
276.2
10
S. Manzi
Yam
+35.842
276.2
11
A. Bautista
Duc
+38.515
282.7
12
X. Vierge
Yam
+41.864
279.8
13
B. Sofuoglu
Yam
+52.263
274.8
14
M. Rato
Yam
+52.506
273.4
15
S. Chantra
Hon
+53.113
277.6
16
Y. Kunii
Hon
+1m03.573
276.9
Not Classified
RET
A. Lowes
Bim
14 Laps
281.3
RET
T. Bridewell
Duc
16 Laps
279.8
RET
A. Bassani
Bim
18 Laps
283.5
RET
A. Locatelli
Yam
20 Laps
276.9

WorldSBK Superpole Race

Sunday’s Superpole Race began with a chaotic opening lap. Yari Montella had a major moment under brakes at Turn 1, forcing traffic behind to react and shuffling Bulega down the order in the first corners.

The race was then red-flagged after a serious incident at Turn 6 involving Miguel Oliveira, Andrea Locatelli and Sam Lowes. Oliveira was struck after contact between Locatelli and Lowes sent the Yamaha rider into the right side of Oliveira’s BMW. The Portuguese rider was taken to the medical centre and declared unfit with concussion and a left shoulder injury before being transported to hospital for further checks. Locatelli was handed a double Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding on the opening lap.

Pata Maxus Yamaha strongly disputed the severity of the penalty, with team principal Paul Denning describing the double Long Lap as “extremely questionable”. Locatelli said his first thought was for Oliveira, but declined to expand on the Race Direction decision.

For BMW, the incident turned a promising weekend into a brutal Sunday. Oliveira had put the M 1000 RR fourth on the grid, then converted that into third in Race 1 on Saturday, and the BMW camp believed the pace was there to fight for podiums across the weekend. Instead, Oliveira was taken to hospital for further checks, while team-mate Danilo Petrucci was later ruled out of Race 2 with a left hip contusion after contact in the restarted Superpole Race.

The race restarted over eight laps, using the original grid. This time Bulega launched cleanly and led from the front, with Lecuona climbing to second on the opening lap. The factory Ducati pair quickly opened a gap, Bulega eventually taking the win by 0.894s as he set a new race lap record of 1m38.230s.

Lorenzo Baldassarri converted his front-row start into third for Team GoEleven, securing his second WorldSBK podium and his first in the Superpole Race format, while Alvaro Bautista and Yari Montella made it five Ducatis in the top five.

Baldassarri’s Sunday was a strong response to Saturday’s heavy Turn 8 crash. Team GoEleven rebuilt the bike overnight, and the morning warm-up was effectively a confidence check for both rider and crew. Baldassarri later admitted he had almost not raced due to the effects of the crash, but he reset quickly and repaid the team with a podium in the shortened Superpole Race.

Alberto Surra continued his strong weekend in sixth, ahead of Alex Lowes, Garrett Gerloff and Tarran Mackenzie, the top nine earning the first three rows for Race 2.

WorldSBK Superpole Race Results

Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
Speed
1
N. Bulega
Duc
13m10.468
279.8
2
I. Lecuona
Duc
+0.894
282.7
3
L. Baldassarri
Duc
+5.103
279.8
4
A. Bautista
Duc
+7.955
284.2
5
Y. Montella
Duc
+8.674
283.5
6
A. Surra
Duc
+9.323
282.7
7
A. Lowes
Bim
+10.263
284.2
8
G. Gerloff
Kaw
+11.248
283.5
9
T. Mackenzie
Duc
+13.631
282.0
10
X. Vierge
Yam
+15.186
280.5
11
R. Gardner
Yam
+15.513
279.1
12
T. Bridewell
Duc
+15.742
282.7
13
A. Locatelli
Yam
+15.906
282.0
14
S. Manzi
Yam
+17.333
278.4
15
A. Bassani
Bim
+17.738
282.7
16
D. Petrucci
BMW
+18.736
282.7
17
M. Rato
Yam
+22.225
274.8
18
B. Sofuoglu
Yam
+22.241
277.6
19
S. Chantra
Hon
+25.373
279.1
20
S. Lowes
Duc
+26.333
282.0
21
Y. Kunii
Hon
+29.476
276.2
Not Classified
RET
M. Oliveira
BMW
0 Laps
285.0

WorldSBK Championship Points

Pos
Rider
Points
1
N. Bulega
248
2
I. Lecuona
166
3
S. Lowes
99
4
M. Oliveira
85
5
Y. Montella
82
6
A. Lowes
82
7
A. Bautista
81
8
L. Baldassarri
78
9
A. Bassani
67
10
A. Locatelli
53
11
D. Petrucci
46
12
T. Mackenzie
45
13
X. Vierge
44
14
G. Gerloff
40
15
A. Surra
34
16
R. Gardner
23
17
S. Manzi
15
18
T. Bridewell
8
19
T. Nagashima
7
20
J. Rea
4
21
B. Sofuoglu
4
22
M. Rato
2
23
S. Chantra
2
24
R. Vickers
1

WorldSSP Race Two

Albert Arenas completed a strong Balaton Park weekend by winning WorldSSP Race 2 from pole, the AS BLU CRU Yamaha rider defeating Can Oncu and Roberto Garcia in a race that put the Yamaha R9 at the front of the category.

Arenas led a Yamaha R9 podium lockout, with Oncu second and Garcia third, strengthening Yamaha’s hand in the title fight and giving Arenas a 33-point championship lead.

The WorldSSP field enters Turn 1 at the start of Race Two at Balaton Park.
Can Oncu leads the WorldSSP field into the early corners at Balaton Park, with Albert Arenas and Roberto Garcia already positioned for what became a Yamaha podium lockout.

Arenas made a strong launch from pole, but Oncu took the holeshot and led through the early stages. Garcia again started well on the GMT94 Yamaha and quickly moved into third, putting himself in the podium frame a day after crashing out of the lead in Race 1.

Roberto Garcia, Jeremy Alcoba and Matteo Ferrari battle during WorldSSP Race Two at Balaton Park.
Roberto Garcia stayed in the WorldSSP podium fight on Sunday and made good on his Saturday disappointment, claiming his maiden WorldSSP rostrum behind Arenas and Oncu.

Oncu led for most of the race, with Arenas sitting close and Garcia holding third, while Matteo Ferrari kept the top three within reach. The final five laps brought repeated exchanges between Arenas and Oncu, before Arenas made the decisive move and then produced a strong final lap to pull a small but decisive gap.

Can Oncu leads Albert Arenas and Roberto Garcia during WorldSSP Race Two at Balaton Park.
Can Oncu, Albert Arenas and Roberto Garcia turned WorldSSP Race Two into a Yamaha R9 showcase, the trio sweeping the Balaton Park podium.

Arenas crossed the line 0.419s clear of Oncu, while Garcia missed second by only 0.090s but still secured his maiden WorldSSP podium. It was a significant rebound for the GMT94 rider after his Saturday disappointment, and completed Yamaha’s first WorldSSP podium lockout since Magny-Cours last season.

Albert Arenas

“This win means a lot, I am very happy with our performance today – especially after yesterday! I knew we could make a step, and I am happy that we could do that. I enjoyed the battle quite a lot, it was tough because again the pace was fast! I was able to learn that there are still things we can learn from the other Yamahas, in terms of riding and in set-up, gearing etc so it is a nice feeling to win when you feel you can still improve. I am super happy for the team and everybody who has worked hard for this.”

Albert Arenas celebrates on the WorldSSP podium after winning Race Two at Balaton Park.
Albert Arenas had plenty to smile about after Race Two, converting pole into victory and extending his WorldSSP championship lead as Yamaha’s R9 locked out the podium.

Jaume Masia produced a recovery ride to salvage fifth after starting from 25th on the grid. The Orelac Racing Verdnatura rider was already inside the top 15 after the opening lap, inside the top ten by lap two, and eventually worked past Jeremy Alcoba to take fifth and bank 11 points from a difficult weekend.

Saturday winner Valentin Debise retired with a technical problem after only two laps, while Filippo Farioli also retired early after a crash and Philipp Oettl’s race was compromised by a Turn 5 fall.

Albert Arenas crosses the finish line to win WorldSSP Race Two at Balaton Park.
Albert Arenas takes the chequered flag at Balaton Park, the Spaniard holding off Can Oncu and Roberto Garcia after a late Yamaha R9 scrap for WorldSSP Race Two honours.

Tom Booth-Amos again made good use of race pace after a difficult qualifying. Having started Saturday’s race from 22nd and climbed to seventh, the PTR Triumph rider backed it up with sixth on Sunday after briefly posting the fastest lap of the race. Considering he had qualified 25th and described Balaton as his least favourite circuit, it was a strong damage-limitation weekend.

Jeremy Alcoba had looked capable of fighting much closer to the podium after starting from second and running fourth, but the Kawasaki rider faded to seventh as rear tyre traction dropped away. He still left Balaton level on points with sixth in the championship and confident the ZX-6R 636 had shown front-group speed.

Albert Arenas, Can Oncu and Roberto Garcia on the WorldSSP Race Two podium at Balaton Park.
A Yamaha R9 podium sweep at Balaton Park, with Albert Arenas on the top step ahead of Can Oncu and Roberto Garcia after a tight WorldSSP Race Two.

Aldi Satya Mahendra was eighth, matching his Saturday result and his best finish since the Phillip Island podium. Simon Jespersen and Lucas Mahias completed the top ten.

Oli Bayliss was unable to take the Race 2 start after a Sunday warm-up crash left him with elbow and lower-back pain, with the Australian declared unfit by the medical team. That was a frustrating end to a weekend in which he had shown useful speed; after crashing at Turn 5 in Race 1, he remounted, pitted for a new rear tyre and set a lap fast enough to earn a strong Race 2 grid position.

Oli Bayliss

“Not the best weekend here in Balaton Park. We had a small problem in morning warm up which resulted in a big crash. I hit my elbow and my lower back which has left me in a bit of pain, but hopefully we’ll be back fully fit for Most. We had the pace this weekend, so it’s time to reset and go again in two weeks.”

Arenas now leads the championship with 150 points, 33 clear of Masia. Debise remains third on 97, ahead of Oettl on 89 and Oncu on 88.

WorldSSP Race Two Results

Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
Speed
1
A. Arenas
Yam
30m59.919
243.2
2
C. Oncu
Yam
+0.419
242.2
3
R. Garcia
Yam
+0.509
244.3
4
M. Ferrari
Duc
+1.017
248.8
5
J. Masia
Duc
+2.524
245.5
6
T. Booth-Amos
Tri
+3.864
246.0
7
J. Alcoba
Kaw
+5.588
245.5
8
A. Mahendra
Yam
+12.117
243.2
9
S. Jespersen
Duc
+13.801
241.6
10
L. Mahias
Yam
+14.033
241.1
11
M. Casadei
Duc
+14.566
244.3
12
O. Vostatek
Tri
+16.012
246.0
13
A. Zaccone
Duc
+17.981
245.5
14
J. Whatley
Duc
+20.594
244.3
15
D. Aegerter
Kaw
+22.741
246.6
16
F. Caricasulo
ZXM
+25.134
244.3
17
C. Perolari
Hon
+25.285
242.2
18
L. Taccini
Duc
+25.976
248.3
19
M. Ramirez
QJM
+26.192
247.7
20
B. Jimenez
Duc
+26.642
246.6
21
J. Cretaro
MVA
+32.791
249.4
22
O. Konig
Tri
+33.874
242.7
23
X. Cardelus
Yam
+35.375
242.2
24
A. Giombini
MVA
+39.855
247.7
25
R. Rossi
Duc
+47.764
244.3
26
Y. Okamoto
Yam
+49.013
243.8
27
A. Kofler
Yam
+1m00.728
241.6
Not Classified
NC
P. Oettl
Duc
6 Laps
248.3
RET
R. De Rosa
QJM
7 Laps
244.9
RET
A. Carrasco
Hon
7 Laps
242.2
RET
V. Debise
ZXM
16 Laps
243.8
RET
F. Farioli
Yam
16 Laps
241.1

WorldSSP Championship Points

Pos
Rider
Points
1
A. Arenas
150
2
J. Masia
117
3
V. Debise
97
4
P. Oettl
89
5
C. Oncu
88
6
L. Mahias
65
7
J. Alcoba
65
8
R. Garcia
57
9
T. Booth-Amos
57
10
M. Ferrari
56
11
A. Zaccone
53
12
A. Mahendra
41
13
S. Jespersen
34
14
M. Casadei
26
15
D. Aegerter
21
16
O. Bayliss
20
17
C. Perolari
16
18
O. Vostatek
16
19
F. Farioli
14
20
A. Giombini
13
21
J. Whatley
13
22
F. Caricasulo
10
23
X. Cardelus
2

WorldWCR Race Two

Paola Ramos completed a strong Hungarian Round with victory in WorldWCR Race 2, the Klint Racing rookie coming out on top after a late four-rider fight with Beatriz Neila, Maria Herrera and Muklada Sarapuech.

Ramos started from pole after setting the fastest lap in Saturday’s Race 1 and led into Turn 1, but the race quickly settled into a battle between Herrera and Neila at the front. Herrera led from lap two through lap five, before Neila reclaimed the lead on lap six and held it through to lap nine.

Beatriz Neila leads Paola Ramos and the WorldWCR front group during Race Two at Balaton Park.
Beatriz Neila did plenty of the heavy lifting in WorldWCR Race Two, but Paola Ramos came alive late to snatch victory in a four-rider fight.

Sarapuech joined the front pair by lap three, towing Ramos back into contention, and the Thai rider briefly moved as high as second at Turn 9 on lap five. But as the race approached its final phase, Ramos came alive.

The 19-year-old moved into third late on lap eight, then picked her way through the lead group on lap nine. She set a new race lap record of 1m51.935s on lap ten and led the final two laps, resisting Neila through the final chicane to win by 0.227s. Herrera crossed the line only 0.014s behind Neila in third, and just 0.241s from the win.

Ramos’ second victory of the season lifted her ahead of team-mate Roberta Ponziani and into third in the championship.

Paola Ramos

“I feel incredible and was actually smiling inside my helmet during that race! I really enjoyed myself today; we made some changes to the bike, and I felt a lot better compared to Race 1. It’s my first time here and I was able to win and set the best lap; it’s amazing. I’m so happy, particularly after Assen and the injury, and now we need to see what we can do at Misano. As I said yesterday, I’ve nothing to lose.”

Paola Ramos lifts the WorldWCR Race Two winner’s trophy on the podium at Balaton Park.
Paola Ramos lifts the winner’s trophy after a superb WorldWCR Race Two, the 19-year-old setting a new race lap record on her way to victory at Balaton Park.

Neila’s second place was her 20th consecutive WorldWCR podium and keeps her championship challenge alive, now 14 points behind Herrera as the series heads into a calendar break before Misano.

Beatriz Neila

“I pushed until the end, doing my best to close the door to my rivals. I think I deserved the win today; it’s a victory in the sense that I know I ran a good race but ultimately, I lost, so I need to keep working and training hard to try and achieve better results. That said, I started the weekend with a lot of problems but was able to place P2 yesterday and again today. The championship is still open, but every point counts of course so I’m going to keep fighting. I want to dedicate today’s podium to my mum, as it’s Mother’s Day in Spain.”

Paola Ramos, Beatriz Neila and Maria Herrera on the WorldWCR Race Two podium at Balaton Park.
Paola Ramos topped the WorldWCR Race Two podium at Balaton Park ahead of Beatriz Neila and Maria Herrera after the top three were covered by just 0.241 seconds.

Herrera, still managing injury pain, completed the podium and preserved the championship lead with her sixth rostrum from six races.

Maria Herrera

“I expected more from this race to be honest, as I know I had the speed. I lost ground in battling a few laps from the end and although I was able to recover on the final lap, closing back in on Paola and Beatriz, I couldn’t do more than P3 in the end. I’m pleased to still be leading the championship, as I’m coming off injury and was actually suffering some pain in today’s race. Yesterday I felt good but less so today, so I want to thank my team for doing such a good job.”

Sarapuech finished fourth for her best WorldWCR result, while Ponziani was fifth and Astrid Madrigal sixth, also her best result of the season. Lucie Boudesseul, Natalia Rivera, Chloe Jones and Pakita Ruiz completed the top ten. Australia’s Tayla Relph finished 11th, less than eight-tenths behind Ruiz.

Tayla Relph battles in the WorldWCR pack during Race Two at Balaton Park.
Tayla Relph was in the thick of the WorldWCR chasing group again on Sunday, the Australian finishing 11th and less than a second outside the top ten.

With the WorldWCR series now pausing until Misano, Herrera leads Neila by 14 points at the halfway mark. Ramos sits third in the standings on 86 points, ten clear of Ponziani.

WorldWCR Race Two Results

Pos
Rider
Bike
TimeGap
Speed
1
P. Ramos
Yam
 20m46.328
198.2
2
B. Neila
Yam
+0.227
193.9
3
M. Herrera
Yam
+0.241
196.4
4
M. Sarapuech
Yam
+2.715
196.7
5
R. Ponziani
Yam
+10.429
196.4
6
A. Madrigal
Yam
+12.573
196.0
7
L. Boudesseul
Yam
+15.662
196.4
8
N. Rivera
Yam
+15.774
197.1
9
C. Jones
Yam
+15.844
197.8
10
P. Ruiz
Yam
+16.174
194.2
11
T. Relph
Yam
+16.970
196.4
12
Y. Cerpa
Yam
+19.970
199.3
13
I. Carreno
Yam
+33.995
190.8
14
E. Bondi
Yam
+42.187
193.2
15
L. Vieillard
Yam
+42.720
193.9
16
A. Ourednickova
Yam
+43.143
196.4
17
D. Dal Zotto
Yam
+43.586
198.5
18
L. Michel
Yam
+44.047
196.7
19
K. Hand
Yam
+49.619
195.7
20
A. Barale
Yam
+51.930
192.5
21
M. Dobbs
Yam
+53.804
196.4
22
P. Sowa
Yam
+54.918
194.9
RET
M. Guarino
Yam
1 Lap
193.9
RET
K. Danak
Yam
10 Laps
194.6

 

WorldWCR Championship Points

Pos
Rider
Points
1
M. Herrera
131
2
B. Neila
117
3
P. Ramos
86
4
R. Ponziani
76
5
M. Sarapuech
58
6
N. Rivera
49
7
L. Boudesseul
45
8
C. Jones
45
9
P. Ruiz
41
10
A. Madrigal
34
11
Y. Cerpa
32
12
T. Relph
32
13
S. Sanchez
20
14
K. Danak
18
15
I. Carreno
12
16
D. Dal Zotto
9
17
L. Vieillard
8
18
A. Barale
7
19
M. Dobbs
6
20
P. Sowa
4
21
L. Michel
3
22
E. Bondi
3
23
K. Hand
2
24
A. Ourednickova
2

2026 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship calendar

.Date
Country
Circuit
WorldSBK
WorldSSP
WorldSPB
20-22 Feb
AUS
Phillip Island GP
X
X
27-29 Mar
POR
Portimao
X
X
X
17-19 Apr
NED
TT Assen
X
X
X
1-3 May
HUN
Balaton Park
X
X
15-17 May
CZE
Most
X
X
X
29-31 May
ESP
MotorLand Aragon
X
X
X
12-14 Jun
ITA
Misano – Marco Simoncelli
X
X
X
10-12 Jul
UK
Donington Park
X
X
4-6 Sep
FRA
Nevers Magny-Cours
X
X
X
25-27 Sep
ITA
Cremona
X
X
X
9-11 Oct
POR
Estoril
X
X
16-18 Oct
ESP
Jerez – Angel Nieto*
X
X
X

2026 World Superbike Championship Entry List

Rider
Bike
Team
I.Lecuona
Duc
Aruba.It Ducati
N.Bulega
Duc
Aruba.It Ducati
D.Petrucci
BMW
ROKiT BMW Motorrad
M.Oliveira
BMW
ROKiT BMW Motorrad
A.Locatelli
Yam
Pata Maxus Yamaha
X.Vierge
Yam
Pata Maxus Yamaha
Y.Montella
Duc
Barni Spark
A.Bautista
Duc
Barni Spark
A.Lowes
Bim
bimota by Kawasaki
A.Bassani
Bim
bimota by Kawasaki
S.Chantra
Hon
Honda HRC
J.Dixon
Hon
Honda HRC
S.Manzi
Yam
GYTR GRT Yamaha
R.Gardner
Yam
GYTR GRT Yamaha
S.Lowes
Duc
ELF Marc VDS
L.Baldassarri
Duc
Goeleven
T.Mackenzie
Duc
MGM Racing
G.Gerloff
Kaw
Kawasaki WorldSBK
A.Surra
Duc
Motocorsa
M.Rato
Yam
Motoxracing
B.Sofuoglu
Yam
Motoxracing
A.Iannone
Duc
Cainam Racing

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