Superbike Most 2026: Bulega wins again, but Lecuona changes the World Championship balance

At Most, the most intense race of the Superbike season unfolds: Ducati dominates, but the internal duel heats up

The 2026 Superbike World Championship continues to be all about Ducati and above all Nicolò Bulega, but the Most weekend left very different impressions compared with the previous rounds of the championship. The Aruba Racing rider took another crucial victory for the World Championship standings, confirming himself as the absolute leader of the season, but this time the success came at the end of a very hard race, fought until the final laps against an Iker Lecuona increasingly close to the level of his team-mate.

On the Czech track, probably the most spectacular battle of the year took place. Bulega and Lecuona set an impressive pace from the opening laps, quickly opening a gap behind them and turning Race 2 into a direct confrontation defined by constant pressure, aggressive braking and millimetric tyre management.

For the first time this season, the dominance of the World Championship leader did not appear total. And this detail could be the most important sign to emerge from the Most round.

Bulega: “I had to ride at the limit throughout the race”

The Ducati leader recounts a difficult and risky race

After the race, Nicolò Bulega admitted without hesitation how difficult it was to manage the race. The Italian rider explained that he had front-end feel problems for much of the race, especially in the slower corners of the Czech circuit, a situation that forced him to continually change his braking approach.

Despite the difficulties, the championship leader managed to keep his cool at the decisive moments, controlling Lecuona’s attacks without ever really losing command of the situation. Bulega said that he came close to a crash on at least two occasions, a detail that highlights how high the level of the battle was.

The feeling that emerged at Most is that of a rider who is now complete in every respect. Not only pure speed, but also the ability to read the race, adapt to technical problems and manage pressure when the margin over the rivals shrinks.

And this is precisely one of the aspects that is making the difference in his season.

Lecuona keeps growing: “Now I know I can stay with him”

The Spaniard almost lands the big blow and relaunches the world title fight

If Bulega leaves Most with yet another success, Iker Lecuona leaves the Czech Republic with something just as important: the awareness that he can really fight on equal terms with his team-mate.

The Spaniard was the protagonist of an extremely aggressive but at the same time intelligent race. After a slightly more cautious start, Lecuona began to close the gap with great determination, staying glued to the number 11 Ducati for long periods and forcing Bulega to push beyond the limit.

After the race, the Aruba rider explained how this was one of the first times this season in which he had really felt competitive for the victory until the end. Lecuona underlined the work done together with the team during the weekend, saying that he had finally found a much more natural feeling with the bike.

Also interesting was the background the Spaniard gave on the direct comparison with Bulega. In some moments of the race, in fact, Lecuona had deliberately chosen to stay behind his team-mate to study his lines and strengths, convinced that the internal comparison can help both to improve further.

In the end, however, the rear tyre degradation limited the final chances to mount an attack. The rider himself admitted that the effort made to recover in the opening laps inevitably compromised the management of the final stages.

Ducati remains the absolute benchmark of Superbike 2026

The Panigale V4 R still dominates on race pace

Beyond the splendid battle between the two factory riders, Most once again confirmed the technical superiority of the Ducati Panigale V4 R. On the Czech track, the pace set by the Borgo Panigale manufacturer’s bikes appeared superior to the competition, especially in tyre management and consistency over race pace.

Yari Montella also confirmed Ducati’s strong form by taking another important podium. The Italian rider finished behind the Aruba pair after a very solid race, saying after the race that he had been impressed by the speed shown by Bulega and Lecuona over the full distance.

The level shown by the Aruba Racing team is progressively changing the balance of the championship. The feeling is that Ducati has not only found the best bike on the grid, but also two riders capable of continuously raising the bar of internal competition.

Superbike World Championship: Most could be a turning point

The Czech round could represent a key moment in the 2026 season. Until a few weeks ago, Bulega seemed to have total control of the championship, while now the World Championship is beginning to show different scenarios.

Lecuona has shown that he has the speed to put pressure on the leader and the next races could turn the Ducati internal battle into a real title fight. At the same time, however, Bulega continues to give the impression that he has something extra at decisive moments.

Most has therefore sent a very clear message to the Superbike paddock: the championship is still in Nicolò Bulega’s hands, but the battle for the world title has just entered its most interesting phase.