Nicolo Bulega revealed that a minor setup change by him and Ducati ruined Toprak Razgatlioglu’s chances of securing a WorldSBK treble at Estoril.
The Ducati rider finished runner-up to Razgatlioglu in both Race 1 and the Superpole Race, but claimed victory in Race 2 by a commanding 4.8 seconds.
Bulega explained that he felt a notable drop-off in the new front tyre that Pirelli brought for Race 1, but still managed to deliver a crucial win and force the title decider to the season finale in Jerez.
“[In Race 1], I used a lot of time, the first laps, and then when I tried to catch Toprak, I finished the tyre,” Bulega shared with media, including Motorsport Week, after Race 2.
“In the Superpole Race, for 10 laps, you don’t need to save tyres. You have to push 100% and Toprak was still a little bit faster than me.
“Today I understand, we made a little step on the bike for corner entry, and I knew that if I can start well, keep my pace, and try to be gentle with the front tyre, try to save until the end, I can win the race.
“My plan worked. So I’m quite at peace with myself.”
Nicolo Bulega left feeling more tired after Race 2 due to battling illness
Although suffering from a stomach virus, Bulega still rocked up to Estoril and sealed two second places and a victory.
The Italian explained that he had been feeling increasingly exhausted, but despite his illness, he believes he wouldn’t have been able to compete with Razgatlioglu given his current package.
“The problem is, like I said yesterday, unfortunately, when I was coming here, I had some problems with a stomach virus.
“So I’m still not 100% with my stomach. So, I didn’t eat a lot during the weekend, so I’m more tired for this one.
“But [after Saturday] also I’m a bit disappointed because second again, we are trying to improve, but every time it’s the same. We have our package, we are trying to use it 100% but sometimes it’s not enough.”
READ MORE – Nicolo Bulega keeps WorldSBK title hopes alive with Estoril Race 2 victory
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