Live coverage of the Superpole Race at the 2026 Estoril WorldSBK. The Superpole Race is due to start at 11:10 local time, with Race 2 set to start this afternoon at 15:30.
Nicolo Bulega will start on pole position for the Superpole Race in Estoril after breaking the lap record in Superpole yesterday. The Italian was also victorious in Race 1 yesterday, meaning he could break Alvaro Bautista's record of 27 race wins in a single WorldSBK season today should he win one of the two races.
Iker Lecuona was second to Bulega yesterday but topped Warm Up this morning, while Alberto Surra completed the podium for the first time in a full-distance WorldSBK race.
Surra could be in line for more podiums today should he execute well - Miguel Oliveira was the fourth yesterday and the leading non-Ducati rider, but admitted it would be a "big challenge" to get on the podium today, such is the performance of the Ducati riders ahead.
Yari Montella could also play a role today. He was only eighth in Race 1 after contact with Lorenzo Baldassarri, but felt afterwards that he was too cautious at the start of the race, trying to save his rear tyre. A change of strategy today could bring him more firmly into the mix for the final podium position.
It's Superpole Race victory for Bulega who takes a record 28th win for the season.
Lecuona takes second and Surra on the podium for the third time in four races thanks to a pass on Oliveira on the final lap at turn three.
Oliveira fourth, then Bautista, Bassani, Vierge, Dixon, and Baldassarri takes the final point in ninth.
Two to go, Bulega still that 1.5s or so ahead of Lecuona.
Surra is closing on Oliveira - 0.5s between them now in the battle for third.
Alex Lowes has been charging, he's up to 11th, but he's probably going to run out of time to get into the top-nine.
Locatelli down at turn seven. He was only 14th anyway, and he looks to be okay. Chantra looks like he got distracted by that and ran in deep himself, although he didn't go down.
Montella wide at turn one, he loses position to Gardner briefly but is back into 15th now.
Bulega almost two seconds clear of Lecuona, who has a second over Oliveira, who is a second ahead of Surra. Still half the race to go, but looks like the podium positions are settled.
Montella takes his long lap, comes out just behind Alex Lowes in P16.
Long lap penalty for Montella for irresponsible riding at the start. Not sure if that's for the contact with Lowes or for the way he swept to the left of the track across the path of Axel Bassani into turn one.
Leucona goes long at turn one and he hands the lead to Bulega. Lecuona rejoins second, maybe unsafe, coming across the path of Oliveira.
Montella 13th after that turn one contact.
Lights are out in Estoril and we're underway for the Superpole Race.
Good start for Lecuona and he makes the holeshot comfortably.
Alex Lowes got squeezed between Oliveira ad Montella. Montella loses out a bit, Lowes is to the back, Oliveira up to third.
Riders are off on their warm-up lap ahead of the 10-lap Superpole Race.
Here's your starting order for the Superpole Race:
| 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 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | Bimota KB998 |
| 4 | Alberto Surra | ITA | Motocorsa Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 5 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | ROKiT BMW Motorrad | BMW M1000 RR |
| 6 | Yari Montella | ITA | Barni Spark Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 7 | Jake Dixon | GBR | Honda HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R |
| 8 | Axel Bassani | ITA | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | Bimota KB998 |
| 9 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | ITA | Team Go Eleven | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 10 | Sam Lowes | GBR | Marc VDS Racing Team | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 11 | Garrett Gerloff | USA | Kawasaki WorldSBK Team | Kawasaki ZX-10RR |
| 12 | Alvaro Bautista | ESP | Barni Spark Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 13 | Xavi Vierge | ESP | Pata Maxus Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 14 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | ROKiT BMW Motorrad | BMW M1000 RR |
| 15 | Andrea Locatelli | ITA | Pata Maxus Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 16 | Remy Gardner | AUS | GYTR GRT Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 17 | Somkiat Chantra | THA | Honda HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R |
| 18 | Loris Baz | FRA | MGM Optical Express Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 19 | Tommy Bridewell | GBR | Superbike Advocates Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R |
| 20 | Stefano Manzi | ITA | GYTR GRT Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 21 | Mattia Rato | ITA | Motoxracing Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
| 22 | Twan Smits | NED | Motoxracing Yamaha | Yamaha R1 |
10 minutes to go until lights out in Estoril. Cooler conditions than we've seen before during this weekend. Currently 19C air temperature and 23C track temperature. Quite cloudy as well.
Alberto Surra completed the podium yesterday. The Italian admitted afterwards that trying to beat the factory Ducatis to race wins is still out of reach, but he's hopeful of taking more podiums before the season is finished.
Full story here.
A victory in the Superpole Race this morning would be Bulega's 28th of the season, having taken his 27th yesterday in Race 1.
The record for wins in a season is held by Alvaro Bautista who won 27 times in 2023, so a 28th win would be an outright record for Bulega.
He said yesterday, though, that he's less interested in the record than he is in just winning more races.
Full story here.
Welcome to live coverage of today's WorldSBK races at Estoril. The Superpole Race is due to start in around 40 minutes at 11:10.