WorldSBK Estoril: Nicolo Bulega Leads FP2 as Ducati Tops Friday Practice

Estoril, Portugal, October 10, 2026: Nicolo Bulega topped the combined timesheets after Friday’s Free Practice sessions at the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) Estoril Round in Portugal. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider set the fastest lap of 1:35.432 to lead Alberto Surra and teammate Iker Lecuona at the penultimate round of the season.

Bulega demonstrated strong pace and consistency at the Circuito Estoril, completing 19 laps in each practice session. Surra, riding for Motocorsa Racing, emerged as his closest challenger, finishing second overall with a best time just 0.066 seconds off the pace. Lecuona secured third, only 0.084 seconds behind his Ducati teammate, leaving less than a tenth of a second separating the top three.

The closely contested opening day sets the stage for an intriguing weekend as teams continue preparing for qualifying and the races at the Portuguese circuit.

Bulega finds his rhythm at Estoril

Bulega was pleased to regain his confidence on the Ducati Panigale V4 R after a difficult weekend at Cremona. The Italian admitted that he was still looking for the final improvements in braking and corner entry but was encouraged by the progress made during Friday’s sessions.

“Today was much better than the Friday in Cremona. I needed to get my good feeling back with the bike, so I’m happy with today,” Bulega said.

The championship contender acknowledged that small details remained to be addressed but felt more comfortable heading into the remainder of the Estoril weekend. He also explained that the pressure surrounding the championship battle at his home round in Cremona had affected his previous performance.

With that pressure now behind him, Bulega said he was mentally ready to focus on racing again.

Surra impresses as Lecuona makes progress

Surra continued his encouraging form by finishing second in both practice sessions. The Motocorsa Racing rider was particularly satisfied with his consistency and the improvements made to the bike following the previous round.

Surra also tested the new SCX tyre during his second run and reported a positive feeling throughout the day.

“We improved another thing after Cremona to make another step and I’m really happy. I have a good pace and a good lap time, lap after lap,” Surra said.

Lecuona completed the top three on the combined timesheets, giving Aruba.it Racing – Ducati two riders inside the leading three. However, the Spaniard experienced difficulties during FP1, particularly with braking, turning and grip.

Changes made ahead of FP2 helped him improve the bike’s consistency, even though his lap time remained similar. Lecuona indicated that the team would focus on smaller adjustments to the suspension ahead of Saturday rather than making major changes to the Ducati.

Oliveira leads the home challenge

Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira delivered a competitive performance for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, finishing fourth overall with a best lap 0.384 seconds behind Bulega.

Oliveira saved his strongest effort for the final lap of the day, giving the home crowd plenty to cheer about as he continued adapting to the demands of the Estoril circuit.

Axel Bassani placed fifth for the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, while Yari Montella secured sixth for Barni Spark Racing Team. Bassani and teammate Alex Lowes concentrated on longer race-simulation runs during the afternoon session, with Lowes ending the day seventh fastest.

Honda HRC rookie Jake Dixon also carried momentum into Portugal after producing his strongest round of the campaign at the previous event. Dixon completed 34 laps and finished eighth, just over half a second off the leading pace, as he continued working on his race setup.

WorldSBK Estoril: Combined Free Practice Results after FP2

Note: The supplied information confirms the positions of the top six riders and identifies Alex Lowes and Jake Dixon in seventh and eighth. Their exact lap times and the remaining classification were not provided.

Bulega’s Friday performance gives Ducati an encouraging start to the Estoril Round, but the narrow margins at the top suggest that the battle for the front positions could remain close throughout the weekend. With Surra and Lecuona both within a tenth of a second, Saturday’s sessions will be important as teams fine-tune their setups ahead of the races.