Pirelli Portuguese Round Free Practice 2

Date
Fri 27th March 2026 (UTC)
Fri 27th March 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-03-27T15:00:00

Time

15:00:00 UTC (15:00:00 Local)

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League
SBK

Season
2026

Round
2

Status
Match Finished

Location
Algarve International Circuit

Video Highlights

Event Statistics

Description

The high-octane action continues at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve as the World Superbike field heads into the second practice session of the weekend. The primary challenge in the afternoon is the rising track temperature, which significantly alters the grip levels of the "rollercoaster" circuit. The objective for the riders is to refine their race setups, specifically focusing on how the Pirelli tires perform over a full race distance on the undulating Portuguese asphalt.

Strategically, FP2 is the most critical session for race simulation. The goal for Sam Lowes, who topped the morning session, is to prove that his single-lap pace can be translated into consistent long-run performance. The tactical focus for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team remains on optimizing electronic settings to manage rear-tire spin through the high-load corners like the final downhill sweep into the front straight. For local hero Miguel Oliveira, the session is a vital opportunity to find the extra tenths needed to break into the top five. With the technical sections of the track becoming increasingly demanding as rubber is laid down, the ultimate goal is to secure a place in the combined top ten to ensure a direct path to the sharp end of Superpole.

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Result List

Result Description

Sam Lowes stamped his authority on the opening day of the Pirelli Portuguese Round by topping both Friday practice sessions on March 27, 2026. Lowes’s objective was to break into the 1'39s bracket, and he became the only rider to do so, clocking a 1'39.941 in the final minutes of the afternoon. His performance on the ELF Marc VDS Ducati placed him nearly a quarter of a second clear of the field, reinforcing his status as a major threat for the weekend's podiums.

The session was a high-stakes affair with several riders falling victim to the technical nature of the track. Iker Lecuona, Alvaro Bautista, and Alex Lowes all suffered crashes at the notorious Turn 5 hairpin, while Jonathan Rea and Somkiat Chantra experienced falls at Turns 10 and 15, respectively. Despite the incidents, Nicolò Bulega managed to secure second on the combined timesheets, followed closely by Yari Montella, who continued his strong start to the season in third. Axel Bassani showed improved form on the Bimota to finish seventh, while Miguel Oliveira ended the day in eighth as the fastest BMW. The day concluded with the top six riders separated by just half a second, setting the stage for an intense qualifying battle on Saturday.

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