Ducati’s factory riders made an impressive impact on the opening day of the Emilia-Romagna Round at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Nicolò Bulega topped the combined timesheets, while teammate Álvaro Bautista secured a solid third-place finish after two productive free practice sessions.
Bulega showed exceptional pace and consistency throughout Friday. After placing second in FP1, the Italian rider found an ideal setup in the afternoon, allowing him to maintain a competitive race rhythm. He ultimately posted the fastest lap of the day with an impressive time of 1’32.722.
Álvaro Bautista also delivered a strong performance, completing essential setup work during FP1. The reigning WorldSBK champion maintained third position in both sessions, demonstrating promising form heading into Saturday’s qualifying and races.
The Ducati Aruba.it Racing team now looks ahead with confidence as the weekend action continues at Misano.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11)
“I’m satisfied with this Friday. The temperatures are quite high compared to the test a few days ago, but this is the same for everyone. We’ve taken a step forward but still have a few details to sort out to be 100%”.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“We started well and did a good job choosing tyres for the weekend’s races. We’re still missing something to be at the level of Nicolò and Toprak, but I’m sure we can be competitive during the race. It will be crucial to have a good qualifying session tomorrow”.
