Nicolo Bulega “very happy” with Estoril WorldSBK Race 1: “Second is the best result I can achieve”

A second place finish for Nicolo Bulega in WorldSBK Race 1 at this weekend’s Estoril World Superbike round was hard fought after being set back early on, and with a lack of information available beforehand due to mixed weather in practice.

Bulega explained that his race was about learning, because he hadn’t before ridden Estoril in full dry conditions on a Superbike.

“I think more than [second place] today was very difficult,” the Italian told WorldSBK.com, “because it was my first full dry session of my life here in Estoril with the Superbike.

“I started well, I saw that I was fast, but I needed the point of reference in dry conditions, so the first laps I had to understand a lot of things.

“Lap-by-lap I was getting more confidence, and a good pace with my bike.”

Bulega was set back after running off-track in a battle with Jonathan Rea, but recovered from there to rejoin the podium battle.

“I was coming back,” he said. “I was third, catching Alvaro [Bautista], then Alvaro crashed and I was second.

“Unfortunately, Toprak [Razgatlioglu] was already gone, but he was very fast today, like always. I think second is the best result I can achieve today.”

Although the battle with Rea cost him time — Bulega was 1.8 seconds behind Bautista when the reigning champion took second place from Andrea Locatelli — Bulega was able to prove his speed in the following laps, passing his way up to third and closing to the rear wheel of Bautista before his fall.

“I was very fast, because I was really in the back,” Bulega said.

“I was coming, and I think I overtake Loka [Andrea Locatelli], and then Alvaro crashed in front of me.

“But I was very fast. I’m happy with my race, because I did the best I can do today.”

The result of Race 1 means that if Bulega finishes on the podium in both Sunday races, the title fight — now mathematically between only himself and Razgatlioglu after Bautista’s crash — will go on to next weekend’s final round in Jerez.

“I will try to do my best like always,” Bulega said when asked if he can take the fight to Razgatlioglu in the remaining races.

“It’s very difficult because Toprak now has a lot of margin [in the championship]. He’s very strong, so if he wins the title he deserves it, but I will try to do my best like I did all the season.”