Sabatucci Wins in a Sprint Finish at Mugello!
May 10, 2026
May 10, 2026
May 10, 2026
The third round of the V2 Future Champ Ducati Academy rewards Kevin Sabatucci under the checkered flag at the Tuscan circuit!
Eight thrilling laps characterized the third round of the newly born V2 Future Champ Ducati Academy series which, at Mugello, experienced another incredible weekend following the Misano premiere.
The track conditions, made damp by unstable weather and much lower air temperatures compared to Saturday, reshuffled the balance on track, also leading race direction to impose two warm up laps and reduce the race distance from 10 to 8 laps!
Despite the “tricky” conditions, the young talents showcased great maturity and competitiveness, bringing their Panigale V2 machines to the finish line while once again delivering spectacular and fair battles, with a leading group made up of as many as nine riders!
The first rider to cross the Tuscan checkered flag was Kuja Racing Team rider Kevin Sabatucci who, starting from seventh on the grid, managed to beat Emanuele Vocino and the Romanian-Roman rider Jacopo Hosciuc, finishing just 0.73 seconds ahead of Vocino and one tenth ahead of Hosciuc. Thanks to the 16 points collected at Mugello, the OMV Racing Team rider further strengthened his championship lead and now holds a 19-point advantage over Sabatucci.
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The Tuscan top five was completed by Jesus Torres and poleman Pier Francesco Venturini, who also set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1’57’’417! Thanks to his sixth-place finish and the related 10 points, Devis Bergamini moved up to 46 points overall, sitting 20 points behind the championship leader.
Seventh and ninth place went to the Talmacsi Racing riders, Kevin Farkas and Bence Kecskes, with the talented Portuguese rider Martim Marco sandwiching the two Hungarians after an excellent performance at Mugello that earned him eighth position. Rounding out the top ten was debutant Nicola Tonolo!
Now a few weeks of break await before the V2 Future Champ Ducati Academy returns to the track within the WorldSBK paddock during the Misano Round, an unmissable opportunity for these young talents to showcase their skills and determination in front of a world-class championship paddock as they continue their racing development journey!
Kevin Sbatucci
Kuja Racing Team
“It was a fantastic race, during the final laps I struggled a bit because I wasn’t as fast as my rivals through the direction changes, so I tried to slow them down a little in the corners knowing that on the straights, thanks to my weight, I could achieve very good top speeds!
This victory comes after a difficult period, making it even more satisfying for me. Now I look ahead to Misano with greater confidence and more awareness of my potential. I would like to thank Michele Pirro, the entire Garage 51 team and of course Ducati for the support they are giving me!”
Michele Pirro
V2 Future Champ DUCATI Academy Ambassador
“Once again today we witnessed a great race, exciting and featuring a very large group of riders battling with outstanding sportsmanship! Session after session, the V2 Future Champ Ducati Academy is growing exponentially in terms of level and competitiveness and, beyond making me extremely proud, this rewards the entire team that created and developed this series with the goal of guiding young talents through a true development path!”