Bulega unstoppable at Magny-Cours with another hat-trick of wins and a 26th seasonal triumph. Lecuona holds out for three second places to keep the championship race alive.

The Italian rider claimed his 26th win of the season at Magny-Cours, completing his seventh hat-trick after a perfect weekend that saw him top every session from Friday's FP1 through to Race 2. In the final race of the weekend, Bulega grabbed the lead from the start and never looked back.

Iker Lecuona, who finished second in every race, tried to stay with his teammate, particularly in the Superpole Race, even taking the lead through the opening corners. However, a mistake on lap three saw him lose touch with Bulega. In Race 2, the Spaniard's race pace was not strong enough to put him in contention for the victory.

The fight for the World Championship title now moves to Cremona in three weeks' time.

Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11)
“I'm very happy with this hat-trick. I've never hidden the fact that this isn't one of my favourite circuits, so that makes the satisfaction even greater. In Race 2, I had a great feeling with the bike, which allowed me to push a very strong pace. I want to thank the team for giving me a fantastic bike. See you in Cremona: I hope there will be plenty of fans there.”

Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7)
“It was a tough Sunday, I can't hide that, but I'm happy. Of course, it's not the result I would have wanted, but the work we did with the team was really intense. We tried many different solutions that could prove useful in the future, and that was one of the key objectives of the weekend. In Race 2, my pace wasn't enough to stay close to Nicolò, but taking everything into account, I'm satisfied with the weekend.”