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After missing out on success in Race 2 at Portimao, Nicolò Bulega made up for it in Race 1 at Assen with a noteworthy performance in which he never really came under pressure from his direct pursuers. However, not everything on this Saturday went according to expectations, in particular, during the hunt for pole, an unexpected episode spoiled the party for the Ducati man.
"I am very happy because since free practice 1 I was fast and felt very good. Only the last 5/6 laps I had some problems with the soft on the front, but I was able to manage the advantage well. I would say it was a perfect race on my part. A very good start, then I followed my pace and went," he declared after the race.
In a Saturday to remember, the only blemish was the Superpole where traffic caused him to miss a pole start that seemed assured. "I got angry because I was pushing and had a red helmet. I could have been fighting for the pole, but after Turn 5 I ran into some rivals who saw me but then lost interest. I understand if you don't notice, but if you see a rider coming in on his fast lap and you don't move...," he left off a sentence that well conveys his disappointment not so much with the missed advantageous placing, but with the behavior of his rivals.
Asked to reveal the identity of those who had annoyed him the most, the Aruba team's rider said, "Bassani. How did I react? I told him to fuck off. Even a calm guy like me can lose his temper sometimes. I have to say, however, this episode gave me motivation. When I get angry I bring out that extra something."
On the race strategy he then revealed, "I didn't really have anything planned. I just wanted to start, make my own lines, go at my own pace and then administer the tires in case of strange movements. When the latter occurred, I tried to administer towards the finish and everything went smoothly. Perhaps thanks to an extra year of experience I can use the used tires better and I know what to expect."
Widening the analysis about his own form this season, the 2023 Supersport champion said, "I took a step forward by having more experience. In 2024 I was fast, but I had to think about a lot of things. Now everything comes more naturally to me and I always know how to move. The fuel flow issue? I personally prefer to keep myself out of all this talk and focus on my work, trying to improve and copy other riders in what they do better than me. If the regulations penalized BMW I don't know and I don't think about it."
Decidedly less euphoric and smiling was his teammate Alvaro Bautista, who ended up on the ground, without any physical consequences, along with poleman Sam Lowes.
"I can't say I was unlucky. The crash is my fault in that I did not know how to be patient. As for my performance however, I am satisfied and even in Superpole I was able to do a good lap on my own and gain a position (fifth) on the grid that was not bad. The feeling on the bike was good in the race as well, but when I saw that I was faster than the others in the small group next to me, I overdid it in the eagerness to catch up. I could have been second and threw the result away. As times go I was in good shape, I even managed to set a couple of 1'33". I don't know if I could have battled with Nicolo, but I feel more confident now. I just have to be able to put it all together," he analyzed his race that ended in the gravel.
Returning to the crash and what happened next, the Spaniard instead revealed, "I went to Sam to explain what happened and he understood. Already the lap before I risked going out in an overtaking attempt. Petrucci at turn 7 also pushed me, but that's racing and that's how it is. Hopefully we can fight for it on Sunday. It's definitely a frustrating situation knowing we had the potential. Races have to be completed and you have to be consistent."
