The 2026 Superbike World Championship could not have started better for Nicolò Bulega, who stamped his authority on Race 1 at Phillip Island with a flawless performance. Unstoppable throughout free practice and Superpole, the Ducati rider launched decisively from the front row and immediately set a crushing pace, pulling away from his rivals and building a gap of more than five seconds.
And behind him, it was an all-Italian celebration: Yari Montella, Lorenzo Baldassarri, and Axel Bassani locked out the next three positions, completing an extraordinary tricolour top four.
Bulega knows Phillip Island extremely well and exploited the strengths of the Ducati on a track that rewards stability and high corner speed. Three red bikes in the top three and five in the top six perfectly reflect the outstanding form of the Bologna manufacturer.
Montella’s second place was no surprise: already second in Superpole, he confirmed his pace with a consistent, mistake-free race. The same applies to Baldassarri, who turned strong free-practice speed into his first Superbike podium, bravely defending against a late charge from an inspired Bassani.
Further down the order, there were more noteworthy performances.
Sam Lowes finished fifth without errors, followed by his twin brother Alex Lowes.
Miguel Oliveira climbed from last on the grid after a Superpole crash and secured eighth place despite heavy tyre wear.
The revelation of the day was Alberto Surra, an impressive ninth on his Superbike debut.
Danilo Petrucci held on to a top-ten finish but struggled with a race pace not yet competitive enough to stay with the chasing group.
Garrett Gerloff narrowly missed the top ten due to a mistake six laps from the end.
For Yamaha, it was a difficult day: Tarran Mackenzie and Andrea Locatelli (13th) salvaged what they could, while Xavi Vierge crashed heavily just as he was set to finish as the top R1.
Among the retirements were Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi.
The remaining Honda riders, Tetsuta Nagashima and Ryan Vickers, managed to stay inside the points, while Motoxracing rookies Bahattin Sofuoglu and Mattia Rato finished outside the scoring positions.
A separate chapter goes to Álvaro Bautista, who crashed on lap three while trying to recover from a disappointing 12th place in Superpole. Forced to push hard in the early laps, the Spaniard once again paid the price for an aggressive approach — a worrying déjà-vu reminiscent of several races last season.
Matteo Averna
