Bulega Back on Top — Estoril Friday Practice as WorldSBK & WorldSSP Set for Decisive Weekend

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returned to Portugal for Round 11 at the Circuito Estoril, and reigning champion Nicolo Bulega picked up exactly where he left off — topping both practice sessions to lead a blisteringly tight opening day. There was drama in WorldSSP too, with a lap record pole and a title decider in the making. Here’s everything that unfolded on Friday.

WorldSBK — Bulega Leads the Way as Top Three Split by 0.084s

Bulega Rebounds from Cremona Pressure

Fresh from securing the crown at his home round, Bulega looked relaxed and sharp from the moment he rolled out of the pits. He set the pace early with a best lap of 1’35.432s, completing 19 laps in each session to build consistency alongside outright speed. The Italian admitted he’d been carrying mental weight at Cremona, where he’d been eager to seal the title in front of his home crowd — but in Portugal, that pressure has lifted.

“Today was so much better than Friday at Cremona. I needed to get my good feeling back with the bike, so I’m happy. I’m still missing that last 10% — small things under braking and turning into certain corners — but overall we’re heading in the right direction. Cremona was stressful because I wanted to win the title there. Now I’m free mentally and ready to race.”

Surra and Lecuona Right on His Tail

The biggest surprise of the day was Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing), who matched Bulega’s pace across both sessions to finish just 0.066s back. The Italian rider had a new SCX tyre for his second run and immediately found extra grip and confidence, recording consistent fast laps throughout the afternoon.

“The feeling with the bike was good all day. We made another improvement after Cremona and took another step forward. I have good pace and good lap times, lap after lap — that’s what makes me happy. I’ll give everything to get the best possible result this weekend.”

Teammate Iker Lecuona completed an Aruba.it Racing – Ducati one‑three on the combined timesheets, just 0.084s off Bulega’s benchmark. It was a day of two halves for the Spaniard, who struggled significantly in the morning before making key setup changes to find his rhythm in FP2.

“This morning was really tough — I struggled with braking, turning and grip. We found something for FP2 and even though the lap time was similar, the feeling was so much better and more consistent. We’ll make small adjustments to the shock, nothing major, and see what we can do tomorrow.”

Oliveira Impresses on Home Soil

The home fans had plenty to cheer as Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) slotted into fourth, setting his fastest time on his very last lap of the day — a strong sign of improving pace as he rediscovers a circuit he hasn’t raced competitively since 2012.

Axel Bassani led the Bimota by Kawasaki challenge in fifth, with Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing) sixth. Alex Lowes took seventh for Bimota, having focused on longer race‑simulation runs rather than one‑lap speed. Rookie Jake Dixon (Honda HRC) continued his upward trajectory with eighth, building on his career‑best round at Cremona to finish just over half a second off the leading pace.

Combined FP1 + FP2 Top 10

WorldSSP — Can Oncu Smashes Lap Record, Arenas on Verge of Title

Oncu Unstoppable in Superpole

Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) served notice of his intent with a blistering Tissot Superpole session, breaking the existing Estoril lap record to claim his fifth pole position of the season — and his second in as many rounds. The Turkish rider has been in exceptional form, and after targeted development work since Cremona, he looked fastest in every sector.

“It’s a really good start to the weekend. We worked hard every single day after Cremona and came back stronger. Qualifying is about one lap, the race is about consistency — so we’ll see how it goes tomorrow. This morning not everyone was pushing full pace; they were focusing on setup, so we’ll know more once the lights go out.”

Triumph Machinery Strong Across Front Row

The front row was a study in diversity, with Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) just 0.046s away from pole, followed closely by Tom Booth‑Amos and Oli Bayliss — both on Triumph Street Triple 765 RS machinery — separated by barely half a tenth. Ondrej Vostatek completed an impressive top five for the British marque.

Title Picture — Arenas Can Seal It on Saturday

Championship leader Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) faces a new circuit this weekend but has kept his composure, steadily improving through practice to qualify ninth. He holds an 86‑point advantage over second‑placed Valentin Debise — enough that he can mathematically secure the title in Race 1, provided he concedes no more than 10 points to his rival.

It was a difficult session for Debise, who crashed at Turn 12 as strengthening winds made conditions tricky. He lost 20 minutes of track time while repairs were carried out and could only manage 17th overall, leaving him with work to do if he is to delay the inevitable. Seven riders in total fell during the Superpole session as the breeze picked up across the Portuguese coast.

WorldSSP Superpole Top 6

What’s Next

Saturday is packed with action: WorldSBK Superpole and Race 1, plus the opening WorldSSP encounter where history could be made. Can Bulega convert practice dominance into another victory? Will Surra spring a surprise? And will Arenas wrap up the title in Portugal? Don’t miss a moment.