Live updates from Race 1 at the 2026 Portuguese WorldSBK at Portimao, the second round of the 2026 season. Race 1 is scheduled for 15:30 local time after Nicolo Bulega took pole position in Superpole.
Bulega's Portimao pole is his third in succession after he topped Superpole in Jerez last year and Australia five weeks ago.
He beat his teammate Iker Lecuona to it by just over 0.1 seconds, while Yari Montella completed the top-three in qualifying.
Bulega's pace on Friday was exceptionally consistent, and he seemed to take a step forward in his pace in FP3 this morning before taking pole. He is the clear favourite ahead of this one.
The podium could well be 100 per cent Ducati-occupied in Race 1, with Lecuona and Montella also looking strong, as well as Sam Lowes despite being only five weeks on from fracturing his wrist at Phillip Island.
If anyone can get in amongst the Ducatis in the battle for the podium it is likely to be Miguel Oliveira on the BMW, the Portuguese rider having qualified fourth, one place ahead of the aforementioned Lowes, who topped both sessions yesterday.
The Bimota riders started the weekend in strong form, but the best of them in qualifying was Alex Lowes in seventh. Axel Bassani starts a further row behind in 10th.
Jonathan Rea has made his return to WorldSBK racing this weekend as a Honda fill-in for Jake Dixon. It's not gone entirely to plan for the Northern Irishman so far after a crash in FP2 yesterday, and he qualified down in 18th. His teammate, Somkiat Chantra, will start one place further back in 19th.
Tommy Bridewell is also making his first World Superbike appearance of the season this weekend with the Superbike Advocates Ducati team. Bridewell will start 20th in Race 1.
Miguel Oliveira scored a maiden WorldSBK podium in Race 1, one that he says gave the BMW team confidence in him and in their own work.
But it doesn't mean that a maiden win is likely tomorrow, he admitted afterwards.
Full story here.
Despite now being on an eight-race win streak, Nicolo Bulega says he is not "unbeatable" in WorldSBK.
The Italian added that he is still not completely comfortable with his bike this weekend.
Full story here.
It's race win number four of the season for Nicolo Bulega and a first in Portimao in WorldSBK for the Italian.
Lecuona makes it a Ducati 1-2, then Oliveira takes his first podium in WorldSBK in third.
Alex Lowes fourth, then Vierge gets back to sixth ahead of Gerloff, Bassani, Bautista, and Petrucci who completes the top-10.
1.8s for Bulega as we enter the penultimate lap. Oliveira over 2s now behind Leucona, so podium positions look set with Lowes 4s behind the Portuguese in fourth.
Bulega now pushing that gap out towards 2s now with four to go.
Lecuona holding his ground to Oliveira, 1.7s.
Gerloff picks off Bassani into turn one beginning lap 15. P6 now for the American and passing a Bimota rider on the Kawasaki must feel a little extra.
Bassani now up to sixth, past Vierge, who then loses out to Gerloff on the run through turns 11 and 12. So Vierge back to eighth now.
Bulega responds this time, a tenth faster than Lecuona. Oliveira still just 1.5s behind Lecuona so not completely out of the contest yet.
Bulega lost a couple of tenths again that lap to Lecuona, 1.4s now.
Closest battle at the moment is Vierge, Bassani, and Gerloff for sixth.
Vierge fading seemingly but Bassani can't find a way through yet.
Half distance now and Lecuona now 1.7s behind Bulega and 1.3s ahead of Oliveira.
Lowes has dropped back now, over 2s behind the podium.
Bridewell has retired to the pits. Looks like he went down at turn 14.
Bulega back into the 1m40s on that lap and 0.2s faster than Lecuona.
Bulega 1.3s out front, Lecuona took 0.5s on that lap. He also pulled away from Oliveira, so a good lap from Lecuona there but Bulega dropped into the 1m41s.
Montella's crash leaves us with a factory Ducati 1-2, and it also brings Oliveira onto the podium in third. Alex Lowes not completely out of contention yet but Oliveira looks like he's going forwards more than backwards - he has Lecuona in his sights.
Montella has crashed out of second place at turn 14 on lap five.
He's remounted, but that's his victory challenge and his podium chances gone.
Montella keeping Bulega well within his sights for now, still 0.5s splitting them at the end of lap four.
Bautista lost another spot on that lap to Gerloff, then tries to re-pass him at turn one but runs out wide and drops to 13th.
Fastest lap on both lap two and three for Bulega, 1m39.962s on the third tour.
Bulega with 0.5s over Montella now. Lecuona now over a second off the lead but also with a second behind him to Oliveira, who has put some distance between himself and Lowes.
Bautista had started well and was up to eighth, but he's been re-passed by Bassani for eighth.
Bulega with a small gap over Montella at the end of lap one.
Big gap back from Lecuona to fourth place which is now Alex Lowes, although Oliveira block passes him back at turn one.
Lights are out in Portimao and we're underway for Race 1.
Bulega takes the early lead ahead of Montella who jumps Lecuona, then it's Oliveira in fourth.
Riders are off on their warm-up lap ahead of this 20-lap Race 1.
Its first race appearances for three riders this afternoon in WorldSBK 2026.
Jonathan Rea and Somkiat Chantra both make their first starts of the year for Honda, while Tommy Bridewell debuts with the Superbike Advocates team.
No grid penalties today so the starting order is as Superpole ended.
Full grid order is below.
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | ITA | Aruba.it Racing Ducati | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 2 | Iker Lecuona | ESP | Aruba.it Racing Ducati | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 3 | Yari Montella | ITA | Barni Spark Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 4 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | ROKiT BMW Motorrad | BMW M1000 RR |
| 5 | Sam Lowes | GBR | Marc VDS Racing Team | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 6 | Xavi Vierge | ESP | Pata Maxus Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 7 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | Bimota KB998 |
| 8 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | ITA | Team Go Eleven | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 9 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | ROKiT BMW Motorrad | BMW M1000 RR |
| 10 | Axel Bassani | ITA | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | Bimota KB998 |
| 11 | Alvaro Bautista | ESP | Barni Spark Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 12 | Remy Gardner | AUS | GYTR GRT Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 13 | Garrett Gerloff | USA | Kawasaki WorldSBK Team | Kawasaki ZX-10RR |
| 14 | Andrea Locatelli | ITA | Pata Maxus Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 15 | Tarran Mackenzie | GBR | MGM Optical Express Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 16 | Alberto Surra | ITA | Motocorsa Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 17 | Stefano Manzi | ITA | GYTR GRT Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 18 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | HRC Test Team | Honda CBR1000RR-R |
| 19 | Somkiat Chantra | THA | Honda HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R |
| 20 | Tommy Bridewell | GBR | Superbike Advocates Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 21 | Bahattin Sofuoglu | TUR | Motoxracing Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 22 | Mattia Rato | ITA | Motoxracing Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |