Bulega claims top spot in WorldSBK's Free Practice 1 at Phillip Island, with Sam Lowes second and Bimota's Bassani third.
The #11 rider started the weekend as he envisioned, leading the timesheets in the 45-minute FP1 session with a 0.524s advantage over Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team). Bulega's performance was a clear indication of his strength in Australia, as he set his best time at the end of a long run, leaving his competitors in awe.
Bulega's dominance continued as he finished the session with a 1'28.858s lap, half a second ahead of Lowes in second place. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was more than a tenth behind Lowes, in third place, showcasing 'El Bocia's' pace once again after a strong test.
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was another standout performer, claiming fourth place with a 1'29.561s lap. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was fifth, just 0.757s behind Bulega's pace-setting time. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) secured sixth place, indicating a strong return to the WorldSBK championship.
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) impressed with a 1'29.962s lap, finishing in the top seven on his new ZX-10RR machine. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) secured a top-ten spot, while Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished ninth, 0.888s slower than Bulega. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) rounded out the top ten, beating former teammate Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) by 0.050s.
The top six results from WorldSBK FP1 are as follows:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) - 1'28.858s
2. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) - +0.524s
3. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) - +0.689s
4. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) - +0.703s
5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) - +0.757s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) - +0.811s
Free Practice 2 will take place at 16:00 Local Time (UTC+11), and viewers can access it via the WorldSBK VideoPass.
