Another day, another trophy added to Ducati’s cabinet. The Italian motorcycle brand has been dominating motorsports in recent years, and now it’s added the title of 2026 World Superbike Champions to its growing list of achievements.
Ducati secured the win in spectacular fashion, with Italian rider Nicolo Bulega earning the victory on home soil at the Cremona Circuit in Italy. With this, Bulega also becomes the first Italian to win the World Superbike Championship with Ducati.
PHOTO BY Ducati
The season has been nothing short of dominant for Ducati and Bulega. The 26-year-old Italian, astride the Ducati Panigale V4 R, smashed the records for most consecutive wins (25), most wins to start a season (21), and most consecutive podiums (43), and upped the records for most consecutive poles (10) and most fastest laps (25). With plenty more races to go, Bulega is on pace to break even more.
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This win also further cements Ducati’s legacy as the winningest manufacturer in WorldSBK history. From the championship’s inaugural year in 1988 to today, the Italian motorcycle giant has officially nabbed 17 riders’ titles, 22 manufacturer’s titles, 479 race wins, and 1,266 podium finishes.
PHOTO BY Ducati
“To win here in Cremona is fantastic. In Italy, with Ducati, I’m the first Italian to win the title on a Ducati; and doing it in front of all the people who support me is fantastic,” said the newly minted champion. “It’s been a fantastic season; this weekend was quite emotional with the opportunity to close the title. It was difficult to manage all the pressure, but in the end we did it.
“After the chequered flag, I started to cry, it was a very nice moment.”
PHOTO BY Ducati
“There are victories whose meaning goes beyond the sporting result, and this is certainly one of them,” said Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali. “Nicolò is the first Italian rider to become Superbike World Champion with Ducati, and he has done it in front of his home crowd, in the year in which we celebrate our centenary. It is difficult to imagine a more beautiful way to experience this moment!
“This title will forever remain an important part of our history, and it is a wonderful feeling to know that from next year we will continue this journey together, with an exciting new chapter for Nicolò in the MotoGP World Championship.”
Yep, you read that right—Bulega is headed to MotoGP next season. He’ll be riding alongside a number of rookies, and with the championship set to begin a new era, it’ll be interesting to see how Ducati will perform in the coming year.
Congratulations, Bulega and the rest of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team!