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Event

Pirelli Portuguese Round Superpole Race

Started 99 days, 11 hours, 21 minutes ago

Date & Time
Sun 29th March 2026 11:10am Local
Sun 29th March 2026 10:10am UTC

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League
SBK

Season
2026

Round
Round 2

Status
FT

Location

Algarve International Circuit

Video Highlights

Play on YouTube

Event Statistics

Description

The World Superbike Championship arrives at the Algarve International Circuit (Portimão) for Round 2 of the 2026 season. The primary challenge for the field is the "Rollercoaster" track’s physical demand and its notorious elevation changes, which test front-end stability under braking and rear-grip on exits. The objective for the current points leader, Nicolò Bulega, is to continue his perfect start to the year, while local hero Miguel Oliveira, competing in his debut WorldSBK season on a BMW, aims to secure a home-turf victory.

Strategically, the 10-lap Superpole Race is a high-intensity sprint. The goal for riders is to secure a top-nine finish to gain a front-row or second-row starting position for the final Race 2 of the weekend. The tactical focus for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team remains on maintaining their technical edge, while Bimota by Kawasaki and BMW look to exploit any vulnerabilities in the Ducati’s late-race tire wear. With the Portuguese fans filling the grandstands, the ultimate goal is to navigate the technical final sector of the circuit and emerge as the sprint victor.

Reports

Result List

01	Nicolo Bulega	Aruba.it Racing – Ducati	WIN
02	Iker Lecuona	Aruba.it Racing – Ducati	+1.882
03	Miguel Oliveira	BMW Motorrad	+2.401
04	Alex Lowes	Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team	+2.781
05	Sam Lowes	Elf Marc VDS Racing Team	+4.706
06	Yari Montella	Barni Spark Racing Team	+5.596
07	Xavi Vierge	Pata Maxus Yamaha	+6.457
08	Axel Bassani	Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team	+6.896
09	Alvaro Bautista	Barni Spark Racing Team	+7.704
10	Lorenzo Baldassarri	Team Goeleven	+8.016
11	Andrea Locatelli	Pata Maxus Yamaha	+10.451
12	Danilo Petrucci	BMW Motorrad	+10.523
13	Tarran Mackenzie	MGM Optical Express Racing	+10.801
14	Garrett Gerloff	Kawasaki WorldSBK Team	+11.427
15	Alberto Surra	Motocorsa Racing	+13.280
16	Remy Gardner	GRT Racing Team	+13.619
17	Stefano Manzi	GRT Racing Team	+16.327
18	Jonathan Rea	_Retired Motorsport	+16.553
19	Tommy Bridewell	Honda Racing UK	+21.769
20	Mattia Rato	Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team	+21.876
21	Bahattin Sofuoglu	Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team	DNF
22	Somkiat Chantra	Honda Racing Corporation	DNF

Result Description

Nicolò Bulega secured his ninth consecutive win of the 2026 season on Sunday, March 29, 2026, delivering a dominant performance in the Tissot Superpole Race. Bulega’s objective was to capitalize on his pole position, and he executed perfectly, leading from start to finish. He set a new race lap record of 1'39.107 on lap 4, allowing him to manage a comfortable gap over the chasing pack for the remainder of the 10-lap sprint.

The race for the podium was a heated affair. Iker Lecuona secured a strong second place, recovering from a sluggish start to overtake Miguel Oliveira on lap 6. Oliveira, roared on by the home crowd, settled for third, marking his second rostrum of the weekend. Alex Lowes on the Bimota KB998 Rimini finished a close fourth, fending off his twin brother Sam Lowes. The session saw two retirements: Bahattin Sofuoğlu and Somkiat Chantra both crashed out in separate incidents, but Bulega remained untouchable, securing the top grid spot for the afternoon's finale.

1 /Nicolo Bulega /Aruba.it Racing Ducati /WIN
2 /Iker Lecuona /Aruba.it Racing Ducati /+1.882
3 /Miguel Oliveira /ROKiT BMW Motorrad /+2.401
4 /Alex Lowes /Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team /+2.781
5 /Sam Lowes /Marc VDS Racing Team /+4.706
6 /Yari Montella /Barni Spark Racing /+5.596
7 /Xavi Vierge /Pata Maxus Yamaha /+6.457
8 /Axel Bassani /Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team /+6.896
9 /Alvaro Bautista /Barni Spark Racing /+7.704
10 /Lorenzo Baldassarri /Team Go Eleven /+8.016
11 /Andrea Locatelli /Pata Maxus Yamaha /+10.451
12 /Danilo Petrucci /ROKiT BMW Motorrad /+10.523
13 /Tarran Mackenzie /MGM Optical Express Racing /+10.801
14 /Garrett Gerloff /Kawasaki WorldSBK Team /+11.427
15 /Alberto Surra /Motocorsa Racing /+13.280
16 /Remy Gardner /GYTR GRT Yamaha /+13.619
17 /Stefano Manzi /GYTR GRT Yamaha /+16.327
18 /Jonathan Rea /HRC Test Team /+16.553
19 /Tommy Bridewell /Superbike Advocates Racing /+21.769
20 /Mattia Rato /Motoxracing Yamaha /+21.876
21 /Bahattin Sofuoglu /Motoxracing Yamaha /DNF
22 /Somkiat Chantra /Honda HRC /DNF

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