Australian Free Practice 3

Nicolo Bulega continued his perfect start to the 2026 season, topping the Free Practice 3 session to remain undefeated across every timed session so far in Australia. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider found even more speed in the cooler morning conditions, clocking a blistering 1:28.273.

His time was more than three-tenths clear of his nearest rival, further solidifying his position as the heavy favorite for pole position. The session saw a late charge from Sam Lowes, who propelled his ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati into second place during the final minutes.

Lowes managed to edge out the impressive Axel Bassani, who once again put the new Bimota KB998 into the top three. The Bimota project continues to turn heads in its debut weekend, with Bassani’s teammate Alex Lowes finishing just 0.020s behind in fourth, ensuring both Bimota machines were firmly entrenched at the front of the field.