Danilo Petrucci continued his stunning form by clinching a historic treble at the Cremona Circuit, taking a commanding victory in World Superbikes Race 2. The Italian rider led a dominant Ducati 1-2-3, sharing the podium with Alvaro Bautista and Nicolo Bulega in a display of the manufacturer’s supremacy.
Petrucci held his lead from pole position into Turn 1, while Kawasaki’s Alex Lowes dropped from second to fourth, allowing Bulega and Andrea Iannone to battle for position. Bulega eventually seized second, setting his sights on Petrucci, who was already stretching his advantage.
Meanwhile, Axel Bassani’s race came to an early end after a crash, capping off a mixed weekend that saw him finish fifth in the first race. Bautista, starting from sixth, was on a mission, steadily climbing the ranks to secure his second podium finish of the weekend.
Petrucci and Bulega quickly pulled away from the pack, their blistering pace setting the tone for the race. Ducati’s presence in the top five was overwhelming, with only Lowes in his Kawasaki breaking up their ranks in the early laps.
BMW’s Michael van der Mark experienced a near-disaster with a wobble at Turn 10 but managed to recover, battling with Tito Rabat before reclaiming 10th. Iannone’s wide line on Lap 6 opened the door for Bautista, who seized the opportunity to move into third, overtaking both Iannone and Lowes.
By the race’s halfway point, Petrucci extended his lead over Bulega to nearly two seconds, solidifying his quest for the treble. Lowes made a move on Iannone for fourth, but the Italian rider, still struggling with injuries, couldn’t keep pace.
American Garrett Gerloff put in a solid performance, advancing to sixth and eventually overtaking the struggling Iannone on Lap 11. Iker Lecuona followed suit, executing a precise block pass to snatch sixth from Iannone.
The top three—Petrucci, Bulega, and Bautista—remained unchallenged at the front, with Petrucci holding his ground. Gerloff continued his charge, overtaking Lowes in the final laps to secure fourth, leaving the Kawasaki rider to settle for fifth.
Bautista’s persistence paid off late in the race as he overtook Bulega, securing second place. Petrucci crossed the finish line unchallenged, joining the ranks of World Superbike legends Bautista, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, and Jonathan Rea in completing a triple victory.
Bautista’s second place was a testament to his resilience amid injury struggles, while Bulega’s third kept him within striking distance of the absent Razgatlıoğlu in the championship standings.
Gerloff emerged as the top BMW finisher in fourth, ahead of Lowes and Lecuona. Van der Mark’s recovery drive saw him secure seventh, with Xavi Vierge and Andrea Locatelli completing the top nine.
Rabat rounded off the top ten, while Sam Lowes had a quiet race, finishing 11th for Marc VDS Ducati. Scott Redding struggled to 12th, as teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi fended off Bradley Ray for 13th. Markus Reiterberger claimed the final point, salvaging what was a challenging weekend for BMW as they prepare for the return of Razgatlıoğlu with a newly developed engine.
