Nicolo Bulega Secures Second Consecutive Victory, Holding Off Andrea Iannone in Australia
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continued his dominant form in the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, claiming another commanding win in the Tissot Superpole Race. The Italian rider, in just his second season, showcased his impressive pace once again, securing P1. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) rebounded strongly from a P6 finish in Race 1, putting up a fierce challenge before Bulega ultimately pulled away. A chaotic incident at Turn 4 saw Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Racing Team) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) run off track, compromising their race positions. Razgatlioglu’s P14 finish marked the end of his impressive streak of P1 or P2 finishes, which had been unbroken since his return from injury in Round 10 at Aragon in 2024.
Despite facing more competition than in his dominant Race 1 victory, Bulega still clinched P1 with a 2.3-second margin over Andrea Iannone. The win puts Bulega in prime position to secure his first-ever WorldSBK hat-trick in the final race of the round. Iannone made a strong start, surging from P6 to P2 in the first corner and applying early pressure on Bulega before settling for second. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) completed the podium, maintaining P3 despite a determined challenge from Scott Redding (MGM Bonovo). Meanwhile, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista saw their race hopes dashed after running wide at Turn 4 on Lap 1, severely impacting their final standings.
Scott Redding found himself in another fierce battle with fellow Independent Ducati riders, this time contesting P3 against Danilo Petrucci. As Petrucci pulled away, Redding faced a new challenger in Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), who mounted a strong push for P4. Lowes ultimately secured his best-ever World Superbike finish in P5, surpassing his previous best of P6 from Race 2 in Assen last year. Andrea Locatelli also continued his consistent form at Phillip Island, finishing in P6 and collecting valuable championship points.
The Bimota project continues to make strides, with both Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani finishing in the points, securing P7 and P9 respectively. Rookie Yari Montella made a notable breakthrough, claiming his first-ever WorldSBK points in P8. The young Italian’s strong performance adds to his growing confidence as he looks to build on this momentum in future rounds.
