WorldSBK Estoril 2026 Preview: Bulega Chases Records as Championship Heads to Portugal

Estoril, Portugal, October 2, 2026: The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) returns to the Circuito Estoril from October 9-11, 2026, for the penultimate round of the season. With the Riders’ Championship already decided, newly crowned World Champion Nicolo Bulega heads to Portugal with several records within reach, while Miguel Oliveira prepares for his second home round of the 2026 WorldSBK season.

Bulega has dominated the 2026 WorldSBK season and has already accumulated 602 points after 10 rounds, giving him a 133-point advantage over Aruba.it Racing – Ducati teammate Iker Lecuona.

The Ducati rider arrives at Estoril on the back of another strong weekend at Cremona, where he collected three podium finishes. The result extended Bulega’s remarkable run to 43 consecutive WorldSBK races with a podium finish.

Bulega Chases WorldSBK Win Record

One of the major storylines at Estoril will be Bulega’s pursuit of the single-season WorldSBK victory record.

The newly crowned champion has already taken 26 wins in 2026, leaving him just one victory short of Alvaro Bautista’s record of 27 wins in a single WorldSBK season, established in 2023.

Bulega has also enjoyed considerable success at Estoril. He has won twice at the Portuguese circuit, including Race 2 in 2025. Alongside Bautista, he is one of only two riders currently on the WorldSBK grid to have won a race at Estoril.

The pair were particularly successful at the circuit last year, finishing on the podium in all three races.

Battle for Third Place Remains Open

While the top two positions in the championship have already been settled, the fight for third place remains one of the key battles heading into the final two rounds.

Lecuona secured second place after producing his first career WorldSBK hat-trick at Cremona. He now has a 200-point advantage over Yari Montella of Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati.

Montella currently occupies third place with Alex Lowes of bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team 43 points behind. The battle is even tighter behind them, with Sam Lowes just seven points behind his brother in fifth.

With Estoril followed by the season finale, the battle for third is set to provide one of the main points of interest during the closing stages of the 2026 campaign.

Miguel Oliveira Returns to Home Soil

Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira will race in front of his home supporters for the second time this season when WorldSBK arrives at Estoril.

The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider already competed at Portimao earlier in the year and will be hoping to deliver a stronger result at Estoril after a difficult weekend at Cremona.

Oliveira currently sits 12th in the WorldSBK standings with 109 points.

Ducati Targets Another Record

Ducati will also have a significant milestone within reach at Estoril.

The Italian manufacturer is currently just one victory away from matching its all-time record of 35 consecutive WorldSBK wins. That previous streak ran from Race 1 at Valencia in 2003 through Race 1 at Silverstone in 2004.

Bulega’s current form could give Ducati an opportunity to match that mark during the penultimate round of the season.

Independent Rider Battle

The Independent Rider classification is another championship contest to watch in Portugal.

Yari Montella and Sam Lowes are among the riders competing for the honour, with Montella able to secure the title in Race 2 at Estoril if he outscores Sam Lowes by 13 points across the weekend and loses no more than 13 points to Lorenzo Baldassarri over the same period.

Estoril 2025 Results

Bulega, Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu dominated the podium positions across the three WorldSBK races at Estoril last year.

Race 1:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu
2. Nicolo Bulega
3. Alvaro Bautista

Tissot Superpole Race:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu
2. Nicolo Bulega
3. Alvaro Bautista

Race 2:

1. Nicolo Bulega
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu
3. Alvaro Bautista

With the 2026 Riders’ Championship already decided, Estoril will shift the focus towards Bulega’s pursuit of the single-season wins record, Ducati’s bid for another milestone and the closely fought battle for third in the championship.