It’s the Nico Show in Cremona

Ducati star pulls clear after tough scrap with Razgatlioglu, Gardner top Yamaha in sixth

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had some real trouble with his fellow championship contender, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), in the early laps of the opening 23-lap WorldSBK race at Cremona, but it all came right for Nico and Ducati long before the end.

After some great passes and attempted passes in the early laps from the top Ducati and BMW riders in the field, Bulega got the hammer down after the first half dozen laps and ended up winning from Razgatlioglu by almost three seconds.

In third place Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had a lonely but effective race to leave with the remaining Race One podium place, albeit over 11 seconds down on his team-mate Bulega.

Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven Ducati) was fully 23.247 seconds down on Bulega at the flag – over a second a lap from the best across the whole race, but he was still the eventual ‘victor’ of a wildly close and competitive contest for first of the off-podium places.

After Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) had crashed out shortly after taking over fourth place, Iannone had the better of eventual fifth place rider Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC). Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was sixth, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) placed seventh and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was eighth. The top ten was completed by Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Scott Redding.

From Iannone in fourth place to Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati) in 12th there was a gap of only three and a half seconds over the finish line, after a tense midfield squabble that lasted all race long.