The atmosphere at Algarve International Circuit was electric as Portuguese fans turned out in huge numbers—and they were rewarded with a memorable result as Miguel Oliveira secured a podium on home soil.
However, there was no stopping Nicolo Bulega, who delivered another faultless performance to take victory, leading home an Aruba.it Racing – Ducati one-two alongside Iker Lecuona.
Race 1: Bulega remains untouchable
Starting from pole position, Bulega once again proved why he’s the rider to beat in 2026. The Italian controlled the race from the front, leading every lap and never allowing his rivals a realistic opportunity to challenge.
Not only did he dominate the race, but he also set the fastest lap, underlining his complete control over both pace and tyre management. It marks his fourth win of the season and extends what has been a near-perfect start to the year.
Behind him, Lecuona delivered one of his most impressive rides since joining Ducati machinery. Calm, consistent, and precise, he capitalised on an early mistake from Yari Montella—who crashed out while running second—to secure a well-earned runner-up finish.
Oliveira rises to the occasion at home
For Oliveira, this was more than just another race—it was a chance to perform in front of a passionate home crowd, and he delivered. Starting from the second row, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider quickly established himself inside the top three and stayed there for the majority of the race.
Despite being unable to match the outright pace of the Ducati duo ahead, Oliveira showed strong race management and consistency, gradually building a gap over the chasing group. For a rider still relatively new to WorldSBK machinery, this podium marks a significant milestone and a clear sign of progress.
Midfield battles keep the race alive
While the fight for victory was relatively controlled, the battle further down the order provided plenty of excitement. A tightly contested scrap for sixth place went right down to the final lap, with Xavi Vierge emerging on top to claim his first points of the season for Pata Maxus Yamaha.
Just behind him, Garrett Gerloff impressed once again, showing competitive pace for the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team.
Meanwhile, Sam Lowes continued his strong form, finishing fifth and securing the honour of top Independent rider for the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team.
Rider reactions: confidence and caution
Bulega admitted after the race that the result didn’t come without effort. He explained that finding the right setup had been a challenge earlier in the weekend, prompting the team to return to a more familiar base setting. That decision paid off, although he acknowledged there are still areas—particularly under braking and corner entry—where improvements can be made.
Lecuona, meanwhile, highlighted the importance of maintaining focus throughout the race. With Oliveira applying pressure from behind, there was little room for error. His ability to stay consistent and avoid mistakes ultimately secured second place.
For Oliveira, the podium was a satisfying reward, even if he recognised that matching the Ducati pace wasn’t realistic this time. He pointed to tyre degradation as a key learning point and remains optimistic about improving further in the remaining races of the weekend.
Race 1 results (Top 6)
- Nicolo Bulega – Aruba.it Racing Ducati
- Iker Lecuona – Aruba.it Racing Ducati (+2.522s)
- Miguel Oliveira – ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team (+4.815s)
- Alex Lowes – bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (+9.152s)
- Sam Lowes – ELF Marc VDS Racing Team (+12.147s)
- Xavi Vierge – Pata Maxus Yamaha (+18.016s)
Fastest lap: Bulega – 1’39.962
Supersport: Debise secures historic first win for ZXMoto
| Having started from the front row of the Valentin Debise pressured Can Oncu into an early mistake. Having taken the lead on Lap 2 the Frenchman then opened a lead that would eventually stretch to just under four seconds at the end of the 17 lap duration. Debise’s victory was the first for ZXMoto in the Supersport World Championship. Courtesy of the fastest lap Debise also claimed pole position for Race 2.A race long scrap for the podium positions was only settled on the final lap with Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) and Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) coming out on top of a five rider scrap.Having started from pole position and converted it into the hole shot Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) crashed at Turn 14 on the second tour. He will start tomorrow’s race from tenth on the grid. |
| P1 – Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing): “I’m obviously very happy with this win. I expected a bigger fight with Oncu because we looked like the two riders with a bit more pace for the race distance. I saw him pushing very hard and then he crashed, which surprised me. After that, I focused on my own rhythm and I kept riding at my pace. The gap continued to grow to the others so in the end it was a bit unusual to be alone at the end. I really enjoyed this race and I’m very proud of the team and the job we’ve done.” |
Race 1 Results
1. Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing)
2. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) +3.685s
3. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +3.766s
4. Roberto García (GMT94 Yamaha) +4.046s
5. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +4.065s
6. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +4.659s
Fastest lap: Valentin Debise, ZXMOTO – 1’43.634s
Torres makes history in dramatic first Sportbike race
The debut race for the new World Sportbike category delivered immediate drama and unpredictability. Antonio Torresetched his name into the history books by becoming the first-ever race winner for Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI.
The race was interrupted early by a red flag due to multiple crashes caused by tricky track conditions, leading to a shortened five-lap restart. That set up a frantic sprint to the finish, with just hundredths of a second separating the leading riders.
Torres timed his move perfectly, leading only briefly but crossing the line first—just 0.023 seconds ahead of teammate David Salvador to secure a memorable one-two for the team.
Behind them, Ferre Fleerackers and Jeffrey Buis completed the top four after a closely fought contest.
Xavi Artigas, who had crashed earlier, managed to rejoin for the restart and briefly led before finishing fifth—an impressive recovery given the circumstances.
Sportbike Race 1 results (Top 6)
- Antonio Torres – Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI
- David Salvador – Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI (+0.023s)
- Ferre Fleerackers – Track & Trades Wixx Racing (+0.055s)
- Jeffrey Buis – Track & Trades Wixx Racing (+0.400s)
- Xavi Artigas – MTM Kawasaki (+0.464s)
- Bruno Ieraci – CM Triumph Factory Racing (+0.547s)
Fastest lap: Loris Veneman – 1’48.894
A packed Saturday delivers across all classes
From Bulega’s dominance in WorldSBK to Debise’s breakthrough and Torres’ historic win, Portimão delivered a full day of action across every category.
With more races still to come, the weekend is shaping up to be one of the most memorable stops of the season—combining standout individual performances with tightly fought battles throughout the field.
