Bulega clinches WorldSSP title with Portimao Race 1 win

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) captured the FIM Supersport World Championship in Portimao Race 1. Despite a shaky start, Bulega swiftly regained the lead, fending off relentless pressure from rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha). Bulega’s triumph not only secured his Championship title but also marked Ducati’s first WorldSSP Manufacturers’ title, underlining their dominance in the series.

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) briefly challenged Manzi for second place but suffered a technical issue, allowing Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) to seize third. Meanwhile, Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) fought tenaciously to clinch fourth place, narrowly ahead of Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha), while Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) completed the top six, despite losing ground in the closing stages.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +2.637s
3. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +6.521s
4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +14.090s
5. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +14.250s
6. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +15.410s

WorldSSP Championship standings
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 433 points
2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 343 points
3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 280 points

WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results
1. Nicolo Bulega | Ducati | 1’42.769s
2. Stefano Manzi | Yamaha | +0.523s
3. Yari Montella | Ducati | +0.735s

P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team
“I arrived in Portimao with an 85-point advantage, but I wasn’t thinking about the Championship until the last lap. Maybe I started to think about it with two or three laps to go. But I began this race with the desire to win the title and the race itself. Winning the title was very important, but I also wanted to win the race along with the title.
I think I will maintain the same mentality for the remaining races because I feel very good. When I see the smiles on my team’s faces, it makes me very proud, and I want to win more races.”

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