Iker Lecuona admitted he doesn’t feel any “different” despite finally claiming his maiden WorldSBK victory at the Donington Park weekend.
Lecuona stormed from second on the grid into an immediate lead in Saturday’s Race 1, before running out victorious in a monumental battle against team-mate Nicolo Bulega.
Lecuona’s victory marked the first time he won a race in the series, and brought an end to Bulega’s 22 race unbeaten streak dating back to October last year.
The Spaniard was delighted with his victory, but admitted he didn’t feel any more or less pressure after his first win in the series.
“I don’t feel different. I think it’s a really good victory, because if I’m honest, when I started, I was better than Nicolo and I thought that he’d overtook me after a few laps,” Lecuona told media including Motorsport Week.
“He tried, and I think in the third or fourth lap, but then he stayed behind, because on that moment I realised that, ok, my pace was quite good, honestly, 29 average.
“So I go quite fast, alone. That is also new for me during the race, trying to be calm, trying to learn, because it’s not easy to go first. Honestly, it’s always easier to have the reference, but even at that I go quite fast.
“But I know Nicolo goes faster in the first two parts of the track, but I’m faster in the last two, second part of the track. So, I’m stronger in the points that he can overtake, that is the braking, and when he tries always he goes wide, so I try to go inside again.”
Iker Lecuona relishes Donington Park fight against Nicolo Bulega
It was perhaps the first time we have seen the Ducati team-mates battle on a level playing field in the 2026 season so far.
Lecuona shared that he enjoyed the battle against Bulega, but was frustrated by a couple of mistakes that allowed the title leader to close in towards the end of the race.
“It’s just that I did one mistake, that I almost went to the grass on the back straight, and he overtook me on the braking. He goes a bit wide, and then I do a block pass, but I need to fight,” Lecuona added.
“Honestly, it was nice to fight with him, there was that margin to say we are teammates and we don’t want to crash. Also, one or two laps before the end, he goes too fast inside and he tell me ‘I don’t want, but it’s just that I brake too late’.
“Also I’m really happy, because we did a really good job on the bike, I feel good, comfortable, still I miss something, honestly, but we did a step, we find a victory, honestly, and we are happy, we are happy.
“Everyone says when you have a daughter or a baby, you go like a second slower, I go faster, so I don’t know what the people say, it’s not the same feeling for me.
“I start to shout, I’m really happy, I’m like a kid on the bike, thinking everything. I’m just so happy.”
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