Iker Lecuona ends Bulaga’s streak with first WorldSBK win at Donington: “I was ready to risk everything on that last lap”
Iker Lecuona broke the status quo in World Superbike at Donington Park, taking his first win in the category and decisively ending Nicolo Bulega’s remarkable 25-race win streak. The Spanish rider performed brilliantly in Race 1 and finally climbed to the top step of the podium after a consistent effort throughout the season.
Lecuona’s victory came through a dramatic duel with Bulega, who launched repeated attacks in the early stages but could not find a way past the determined Spaniard. “It was a great victory,” Lecuona began, reflecting on his success. “At the beginning of the race I had great emotions and a lot of confidence. After a few laps, Niccolo tried to attack, but he stayed behind. That’s when I realized that my pace was strong: I was doing consistent laps in the low 1:25 seconds and managed to stay fast. It was a surprise for me, so I tried to stay calm and handle the situation.”
The Honda rider revealed the tactical complexity of leading from the front, acknowledging the mental challenge of being without any reference point: “It is never easy to be ahead because it is always easy to follow someone. I knew Nicolo was fast in the first two sectors, while I was strong in the last two sectors. When he drew with me, especially during braking, he was always very aggressive. I had to defend my rhythm and recover it.”
The final laps saw heart-stopping action, with Bulega pushing hard in the closing stages. Lecuona described the intensity: “After two laps, Nicolo made a very strong move on the inside. He told me he didn’t want to take too many risks, he just braked too late. I’m really happy with the way we fought and the work we did on the bike. I feel comfortable and at ease. There’s still something missing, but we’ve taken a step forward and won, and that makes us happy.”
Lecuona addressed the significance of his long-awaited victory and the psychological work that underpinned his progress: “Throughout the season, every time I sat on the bike I felt close to the best. I have worked with my psychologist to relax and enjoy racing, even while finishing second. This morning in the Superpole I was a little disappointed after making a mistake, but we were less than a tenth off. In the end, we got the win. Even though I Finishing second, I would have been satisfied because we were ahead, we fought with Bulega, it is important for me to see if we can continue the progress.
The final lap was a no-holds-barred contest, with Lecuona giving everything to ensure victory: “Yes! I braked really late to close the lines. Even at Turn 12 on the last lap, I braked too hard. When I saw him run a little wide, I thought, ‘Okay.’ I stopped the bike better, turned it around, and tried to get out of the corner as fast as possible. I gave everything I had. Bulega played his cards, I played mine and in the end I won. Of course, I didn’t want to crash; If necessary, I would have accepted another position. But I tried till the last corner.
Reflecting on the technical side, Lecuona acknowledged progress with his current machine: “With the previous bike, it was very difficult. It works well on almost every track. It’s up to me to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, and step by step we are understanding more. Yesterday, however, the Panigale did not work the way we wanted. This morning we made an important change and the behavior immediately improved. We are starting to understand better the direction to follow, and the team’s My reaction is becoming more accurate.”
