Ducati Sporting Club UK > News Items > Ducati Press Releases > Bautista sixth and Bulega eighth in Hungarian Round free practice as riders get to grips with Balaton Park circuit

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World Superbike | 2025 | R8 | Balaton (Hungary) | Friday 25 July 2025

Bautista sixth and Bulega eighth in Hungarian Round free practice as riders get to grips with Balaton Park circuit

The first Friday of free practice at the Balaton Park circuit (Hungary) held some challenges for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team riders.

Both Alvaro Bautista and Nicolò Bulega had to contend with a third sector that prevented them from being particularly incisive. However, both worked intensely – without fitting the soft tyre for the time attack, as other riders did – to collect essential data to study, making a convincing step forward in tomorrow's FP3.

Bautista finished with a time of 1'40.551, which earned him sixth place, while Bulega finished eighth with a time of 1'40.568.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
"It was a productive Friday on a new track. We worked hard on the setup to find a good feeling. I'm satisfied because, despite the track conditions worsening due to the high temperature in the afternoon, we managed to match the time set in the morning. Tomorrow will be a very special day, also because of the unpredictable weather".

Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11)
“Unfortunately, things didn’t go very well today. We struggled to find a good feeling with the bike, especially when braking. The goal for tomorrow is to improve in this area so that we can maintain a consistent pace throughout the lap.”