Superbike Assen 2026: Bulega dominates Friday and pulls clear in the World Championship

Ducati rules at Assen: Bulega ahead of everyone

ASSEN — The 2026 Superbike World Championship gets underway at the historic TT Circuit Assen, and the first day of free practice has already outlined a clear script: Nicolò Bulega is the outright benchmark.

The Ducati rider ended Friday with the fastest time, showing not only outright speed over one lap, but above all an extremely consistent race pace. On a technical, fast and unpredictable track like the Dutch one, the message is clear: Bulega is not just in form, he is in total control of the championship.

His clean, precise riding through Assen's fast corners — long a test of balance and feeling — made the difference compared with the opposition, highlighting a Ducati perfectly suited to the circuit.

FP2 Superbike Assen: Baldassarri surprise, Ducati monopolises the top 3

Behind the leader, the performance of Lorenzo Baldassarri stands out, a genuine surprise of the day. The Italian rider posted a second-fastest time that is worth far more than the position: it is the sign of a rediscovered competitiveness after a difficult start to the season.

Baldassarri looked fast, consistent and, above all, competitive also on the long run, a key factor ahead of the weekend races.

Third place for Iker Lecuona, completing an all-Ducati top 3, confirming the technical dominance of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer. A significant fact that perfectly captures the current balance of the World Championship.

Petrucci and Vierge chase: balance in the midfield

Behind the leading trio, the battle heats up. Danilo Petrucci and Xavi Vierge remain in touch with the front of the standings, but the gap shows a real difficulty in matching the pace of the front-runners.

Petrucci, in particular, showed positive signs on race pace, but he will have to find a little more over one lap to fight for Superpole.

Vierge, meanwhile, continues to confirm Honda's progress, although the spark needed to challenge for the podium is still missing.

Further back, other expected protagonists, including some BMW riders, endured a difficult day amid technical problems and set-ups still to be fine-tuned.

2026 Superbike World Championship standings: Bulega already breaking away

The dominance seen at Assen is not an isolated episode. Bulega arrives in the Netherlands as World Championship leader after a virtually perfect start to the season.

His performances in Australia and Portugal have built up a significant margin in the standings, and Friday at Assen seems to strengthen that trend even further.

If the trend were to be confirmed in the race as well, the championship could start to take a very clear direction already after the third round.

Technical analysis: why Ducati is unbeatable at Assen

The secret behind Ducati's dominance at Assen lies in a combination of factors:

Stability through fast corners, essential on a circuit like the Dutch one

Excellent traction on corner exit, which allows gains in the more technical sectors

Perfect chassis balance, which allows the riders to push with confidence

Bulega, in particular, seems to be making the most of these characteristics, able to keep a consistent pace without excessively stressing the rear tyre.

Superbike Assen 2026 schedule: times and events

The Dutch weekend now enters its decisive phase:

Saturday: Superpole and Race 1

Sunday: Superpole Race and Race 2

The changeable weather conditions typical of Assen could play a decisive role, shuffling the order especially in qualifying.

Prediction: Bulega favourite, but watch out for surprises

After what we saw today, there is only one favourite: Nicolò Bulega.

But Assen is a track that has historically delivered surprises. Baldassarri seems ready to join the fight, while Petrucci could improve over race distance.

The feeling, however, is that to beat Bulega, more than a good performance will be needed: a perfect race will be required.

Conclusion: the championship passes through Assen

The Dutch Friday sent a strong message to the championship: Ducati is here, and it is dominant.

Bulega has already taken control of the championship, and Assen could represent a decisive turning point in the season.

The hunt is on. But the target, for now, seems far away.