Nicolo Bulega apologises to Yamaha rider after "strange" WorldSBK testing crash

WorldSBK points leader Nicolo Bulega has apologised to Xavi Vierge after the Spaniard was a victim of Bulega’s own crash at this week’s Portimao WorldSBK test.

Bulega was second-fastest on the first of two testing days for World Superbike at Portimao this week, beaten only by Alex Lowes. The second half of the day was affected by rain, and Bulega’s crash in the morning compromised his running there as well.

The Italian described it afterwards as a “strange crash”, and apologised to Xavi Vierge for it, the Yamaha rider having been unable to avoid the Italian’s Ducati after he fell and crashing himself as a result.

“Physically, I feel fine after the crash; there are no lingering issues,” Nicolo Bulega told WorldSBK.com after the first day of running at Portimao.

“It was a strange crash, but we’ve already checked the data and understood why it happened. 

“I’m really sorry for Vierge because he also crashed behind me. 

“After the crash it started raining, and I spent most of the day in the garage apart from five laps at the end of the day to make sure the bike was working well for tomorrow.”

Although he crashed and the afternoon running was limited by the weather, Bulega was pleased with his work on the opening day of the test, having been able to work a bit on bike setup in the morning before the crash.

“The feeling with the bike this morning was actually very good,” he said.

“Despite the crash, I’m happy with how I felt on track; I was able to ride naturally. 

“Today’s goal was to work on the bike's setup ahead of the next race here in Portimao.

“Unfortunately, due to the rain, we couldn't get as much track time as we hoped, and we didn't manage to finish the full work program we had planned.”

The Portimao WorldSBK test continues for its second and final day today (10 March). WorldSBK will return there on 27–29 March for the second round of the 2026 season, where Bulega will defend a 20-point championship lead over Bimota’s Axel Bassani.