Nicolò Bulega was the star of a sensational Superpole, at the end of which he took pole position, setting an all-time circuit record of 1'31.618. However, Bulega was penalised three positions for allegedly ‘impeding’ Petrucci. Despite the penalty, he still managed to get off to a great start and took the lead after a few corners, taking advantage of a mistake by Toprak. On the fifth lap, he was attacked by Ragzatlioglu, who remained close behind him for the entire race. In the final stages, Bulega seemed to have the opportunity to attempt the decisive overtaking manoeuvre, but the Turkish rider's reaction was decisive.
It was a complex Superpole for Alvaro Bautista, who was forced to start eleventh. The Spanish rider's race was challenging due to a poor feeling with his bike. However, Bautista recovered five positions to finish sixth.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11)
"First of all, I think the penalty was completely unfair, but at the same time, I admit that it didn't have much impact on the race. I felt I wasn't 100%, preventing me from effectively attacking Toprak, who still had an excellent race. We will work to take a step forward and be even more competitive tomorrow".
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
"There's not much to say. With the temperature so high, I couldn't find a good feeling, leading me to make some mistakes in my attempts to overtake those in front of me. It wasn't easy to ride today. We'll have to find a way to be more incisive, starting with the Superpole Race, which will be important for recovering some positions on the grid".