2023-09-30 18:09:37
Nicolò Bulega clinched the Supersport title today in Portimao, and he did so like a true champion. The Italian driver has added his 14th victory of the year in Portuguese lands to take home the World Supersport crown, the first that Ducati has achieved in this category, quite an achievement for a rider who in 2024 will have to face the challenge of sharing a box with Álvaro Bautista in Superbikes.
Following the script that the Talavera native set in Race 1 in Portimao, Bulega also needed a few laps before leaving his rivals behind; The one who bothered him the most was his compatriot Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), who after passing Stefano Manzi cleanly on the fourth lap, set a race record pace to avoid the escape of a Bulega who wanted to avoid problems today. .
Montella did not take long to contact his rival from the Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team, but luck was not on his side, with 11 laps left to finish. He had to go to the side of the track due to a mechanical problem with his Ducati. Yari’s goodbye left Bulega with a cushion of almost 1.5 seconds over Stefano Manzi, the only driver with mathematical possibilities of making Nicolò uncomfortable in achieving the title.
The Ten Kate Racing Yamaha rider narrowed the gap between them to half a second, but Bulega controlled the distance well and ended up making a final push that was impossible for Manzi to replicate, who had to be content with second place. The podium was completed by Jorge Navarro (3rd)the first since the Spaniard made the jump to the World Supersport Championship.
With your victory today, Bulega has 433 points in his locker, 90 more than Manzi, a difference that automatically makes him Supersport World Champion in the absence of Sunday’s race and the final round to be held in Jerez on October 28 and 29.
#Bu1eGAS The celebrations begin for the 2023 #WorldSSP World Champion @nbulega! ???????????????? #PRTWorldSBK ???????? pic.twitter.com/6iK50GnolD
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) September 30, 2023
For Bulega, winning this title has been a real morale booster after having abandoned the Moto2 World Championship in 2021; the one from Montecchio Emilia said goodbye to a paddock where he had landed in 2016within the ranks of the Sky Racing Team VR46 in the Moto3 category, the same one with which he later made the jump to Moto2 in 2019 before racing for the Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 in 2020 and 2021, his last two years in the championship .
In 2022, without attractive offers to compete in Moto2, Bulega decided to change scene and opted for the World Supersport Championship, carrying on his shoulders the responsibility of debuting the Ducati Panigale V2 in the renewed Supersport category. In his first year with Borgo Panigale, Bulega achieved nine podiums and a fourth final position, figures that this year he has improved considerably with 14 wins in 21 races.
A highly emotional interview with the new 2023 #WorldSSP World Champion @nbulega! ❤️
That’s how much it means when you reach the top! ???? #PRTWorldSBK ???????? pic.twitter.com/4aw5b9ay7B
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) September 30, 2023
Read also: Joan Mir, “disappointed and frustrated” today in Motegi
After getting off the podium in Portimao, a visibly moved Nicolò Bulega dedicated a few words of gratitude to all the people who have been there with him, both in the good and bad times: “Is incredible. Thanks to my team, because they have given me incredible support, not only with the bike. Thanks to all the people who have supported me from home. Thank you!!”.
#Nicolò #Bulega #Supersport #World #Champion #Ducati