MATCHING A LEGEND: Bulega nets a third straight Phillip Island pole as Montella earns first WorldSBK front row start
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) etched another historic moment at Phillip Island, becoming the first rider since Troy Bayliss to claim three consecutive poles at the venue. His pole also gives Ducati a 200th championship pole. Bulega’s margin was 0.419 seconds clear of the field, marking the largest pole gap at Phillip Island since Bayliss beat Troy Corser by 0.518s in 2008 and fueling a Ducati front-row lockout. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) will sit on the front row for the first time in WorldSBK, with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) joining them on the front row for the Australian round.
THE OPENING RUN: Bulega sets the tone, Oliveira crashes
Bulega led the way early with a 1’28.610s provisional pole, leaving Montella and Lowes close behind in the early top trio. The session was briefly interrupted when Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashed at Turn 2 on his opening flying lap. He managed to remount and return to the pits for repairs but could not rejoin the track, ending his run without a competitive lap time.
BULEGA SEALS THE ISLAND TRIPLE: Bayliss-style domination, Montella secures front row
Entering the second runs with a 0.266s cushion, Bulega dropped even more time, clocking 1’29.392s to solidify pole as one of the first riders out for a second run. He then improved again on the second lap of his second stint to a 1’28.244s, claiming his third consecutive pole at The Island and becoming the first rider to achieve this feat since Bayliss between 2006 and 2008. Montella continued his strong form at Phillip Island, claiming second place just 0.419s adrift and earning his first WorldSBK front-row start. The front row was completed by Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) with a 1’28.729s, moving Montella down a slot in the process.
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) February 21, 2026
BIMOTAS IN THE MIX: Quick starts and a steady second row
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) secured fourth with a 1’28.943s, just behind twin-brother-in-arms, while Axel Bassani slotted in fifth at 0.029s off the previous place. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) found pace to register 1’29.049s and claim a second-row start.
BALDASSARRI SHINES: Top-ten debut in Superpole for the GoEleven rider
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) delivered his first top-ten Superpole result, grabbing seventh with a 1’29.191s after following Bulega late in the session. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) took eighth, with Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) ninth as the best Yamaha rider. Rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) completed the top ten.
A FEW GUYS WILL FEEL THE PRESSURE: Bautista, Lecuona, Locatelli outside the top six
Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) is the standout rider outside the front cluster, lining up 12th. He sits just ahead of Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) in 13th. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) has been consistently strong at Phillip Island but will start 15th, a surprising position given his recent form.
Top six from WorldSBK Superpole, full results here: [link to results]
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) 1’28.244
- Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.419
- Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.485
- Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.699
- Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.728
- Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.805
The season opener is up next! Catch all the action from 13:00 local time (UTC+11) with the WorldSBK VideoPass.
_full.jpg)
