Bulega second in Race-2 at Estoril following his superb Superpole Race win. Another podium for Bautista (P3). Huertas (P2) needs five points for the WorldSSP title.
It was an emotional Sunday for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team.
The show started in the morning with a Superpole Race that will go down in history. Nicolò Bulega won the race by beating Razgatlioglu (BMW) at the photo finish with a lead of 3 thousandths of a second, the lowest ever recorded in Superbike. It is also a performance to remember for Bautista, who starts 11th, loses two positions, but then is the protagonist of a fantastic comeback and finishes on the podium (P3).
In Race 2, the two Aruba.it Racing – Ducati riders start well from the front row, with Bautista holding the lead for seven laps before Razgatlioglu attacks. Bulega manages to pass his teammate on the following lap, and the positions remain unchanged until the chequered flag.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11)
“I’m thrilled with the results this Sunday. In particular, I feel that this morning’s Superpole Race was one of my best races, not only this season. I am pleased to have extended the title fight to Jerez. I think it is an important result for a rookie”.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11)
“Unfortunately, in the Superpole Race, I had to deal with a starting position that wasn’t easy. However, the feeling was excellent during the race and allowed me to recover. In Race 2 I tried to keep the lead but when Toprak passed me it was impossible to keep up with his pace. I managed to get third position behind Nicolò without taking the slightest risk to overtake him and thus allow him to score some more points”.
WorldSSP
Adrian Huertas ends the weekend at Estoril with a vital lead in the Supersport World Championship standings. After Montella’s (Ducati) crash, the Spanish rider cherishes the dream of winning the title but prefers to manage second place, which allows him to arrive at Jerez with a 45-point lead over Manzi (Yamaha).
Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #99)
“The first few laps were difficult, but I stayed with the leading group. There is little to say: we took important points. Now, the only thing to do is to stay focused. See you at Jerez”.
