Lecuona making adjustments he picked up from MotoGP
Photos by Ducati.
Nicolò Bulega swept both Friday practice sessions for the French Round at Magny-Cours, but the runaway championship leader came away wanting more from his Panigale V4 R.
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider set the day’s benchmark of 1’35.556 in FP1, taking advantage of cooler morning track conditions. When temperatures climbed to around 113 degrees Fahrenheit on the tarmac in the afternoon, he couldn’t beat that mark. He still topped FP2 with a 1’35.916, the only lap in the 1’35s bracket that session. His FP1 margin was almost three-tenths of a second, making him the clear favorite for pole.
None of that satisfied Bulega. “I can’t say I’m satisfied with this first day. I’m still missing something in terms of feel because I can’t ride my Panigale V4 R the way I’d like to,” he said, though he added he expected the team to find setup solutions overnight.
Speaking to WorldSBK.com after FP2, the Italian was blunter about where the trouble lies. “Good way [to start the weekend] for the position, but honestly the feeling was not the best,” he said. “I would like to improve in some areas because I feel that I can go faster, but it’s a bit difficult right now for the feeling.” He described the bike as being too physical, and saying he wanted to be more precise and ride with a more natural style.
Magny-Cours is the first round at which Bulega can mathematically clinch the 2026 title, sitting on a 133-point lead over teammate Iker Lecuona.
Lecuona posted the third-quickest combined time on the strength of his FP1 lap despite crashing early in FP2. But if he wants to catch Bulega, he will need to make adjustments. Lecuona says his crew is making some changes he picked up from his stint as a fill-in rider with the Gresini MotoGP team earlier this year.
“If I want to find that last tenth, I need to try something different on the bike. On the Ducati in MotoGP, I tried something different from my standard base,” Lecuona said to WorldSBK.com. “I liked it in MotoGP, and thought, why can’t we try it here?”
After seeing how fast Bulega can go when he’s not satisfied, it’s definitely worth a shot if Lecuona wants to keep his title hopes alive.
Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter Bulega Tops Magny-Cours Free Practice But.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
