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Estoril WorldSBK LIVE: Updates from Friday practice in Portugal
Live coverage of the Friday practice sessions at the 2026 Estoril WorldSBK, the penultimate round of the season.
Live updates from the Friday practice sessions at the Estoril WorldSBK, the 11th and penultimate round of the 2026 championship. FP2 is scheduled to start this afternoon at 15:00 local time.
Key Moments
- Rato crashes late on, concern over left wrist
- Bulega leads FP2 despite braking errors
- Gerloff’s session ends early with turn eight crash
- Ducatis set early pace in FP1 as Bridewell crashes
WorldSBK arrives at Estoril for its penultimate round of 2026 with all three titles wrapped up. Ducati won the manufacturers’ and its factory squad won the teams’ title at Donington, while Nicolo Bulega was crowned riders’ champion at Cremona two weeks ago. The Italian was fastest in FP1 this morning and over 0.3 seconds ahead of Iker Lecuona, who was also slower than Alberto Surra.
There is still a fight for third in the championship between Yari Montella, Alex Lowes, and Sam Lowes, although the latter’s crash in Race 2 at Cremona leaves him 50 points behind Montella, who has 43 points over Alex Lowes. Montella could secure third place this weekend, but he’d need to be 63 points ahead of both Lowes brothers, meaning he needs to extend his advantage to fourth place by 20 points in this weekend’s three races. Alex Lowes was fastest of the three this morning in fourth, while Sam Lowes was seventh and Montella ninth.
Third place in the championship would also make Montella the independent riders’ champion. His Barni Ducati team wrapped up the independent teams’ title at Cremona thanks to the Italian’s P4 in the Superpole Race.
With Barni in mind, Montella’s team-mate Alvaro Bautista admitted yesterday that he does not yet have any options for 2027 that “motivate” him. The Spaniard has endured a tough season so far, and at this stage it is a distinct possibility that 2026 could prove to be the two-time champion’s final year in the series.
The same could also be true for Danilo Petrucci, who will leave BMW at the end of this season to make way for Brad Binder. But the three-time race winner said yesterday that he has had talks with GoEleven about a move there for next season.
Gregorio Lavilla says the negotiations for the Chinese Round that will come in 2027 “deserved my full attention”.
The Italian former racer added that he is expecting the race to “bring a lot of positives” to the series.
Full story here.
2026 estoril worldsbk – fp2 results
It’s Nicolo Bulega who ends FP2 fastest. He’s ahead of Surra and Lecuona in the top-three, while Oliveira is the leading non-Ducati in fourth ahead of Bassani, Montella, Alex Lowes, Dixon, Bautista, and Gerloff in the top-10.
Late crash for Gardner, he’s still contending with the left hand injury he picked up in Cremona so hopefully he’ll be okay after that one.
Surra goes for another time attack, but stays second.
Gerloff improves to 10th and Dixon to eighth.
Bassani also a late improver, up to fourth with some fresh rubber for his last run.
Late time attack from Surra, jumps up from seventh to second, 0.070s behind Bulega.
Rato the latest crasher at turn seven. Think the yellows cancelled a few laps there.
Looks like he’s lost it quite early on the brakes, and he’s holding his left wrist as he rides pillion on a scooter back to the pits.
Into the final five minutes of FP2 now and Chantra has just moved up to P9. A good session for the Thai rider a week on from his run to 15th at the Japanese MotoGP.
Here’s your top-10 with just under 20 minutes to go:
- Bulega
- Lecuona
- Montella
- A. Lowes
- Bautista
- Oliveira
- Surra
- Baldassarri
- S. Lowes
- Bassani
Few mistakes from Bulega in this session so far, a couple of run-ons, the latest coming at turn seven.
Something better from Lecuona, 1m35.516s puts him within a tenth of Bulega.
Just ahead of him, Montella’s up to fifth – better for him after P9 this morning.
Bautista continuing his decent form from this morning – P4 at the moment, just behind Alex Lowes, about whom the same could be said.
Bulega top of the session after five minutes and the only rider in the 1m35s. Lecuona second but 0.248s adrift.
Pit lane is open in Estoril and we are underway for 45 minutes of FP2.
Five minutes out from FP2 and it’s warmed up decently compared to this morning with 25C of air temperature and 40C on the track.
Nicolo Bulega has swapped white for gold on his leathers for this weekend after winning the title. Not quite the post-Race 2 leathers from Cremona, but gold accents to celebrate his championship.
Yesterday, Estoril held a ceremony unveiling turn seven, the Interior Parabolica, as the new Miguel Oliveira Corner, named after the Portuguese star.
Full story here.
Welcome back to live coverage of today’s WorldSBK action from Estoril. FP2 is due to get underway in around 35 minutes at 15:00 local time.
Motocorsa has confirmed the retention of Alberto Surra for the 2027 season.
Full story here.
2026 estoril worldsbk – fp1 result
Chequered flag is out in Estoril to bring an end to FP1. Bulega ends fastest ahead of Surra, who improved late on, and Lecuona.
Alex Lowes, Vierge, Bautista, Sam Lowes, Baldassarri, Montella, and Oliveira complete the top-10.
Crash for Gerloff braking down the hill into turn eight. Made a bit of a mess of the bike’s bodywork but not much else by the looks of it. Session over for the American, though, with four minutes to go.
Just as Lecuona closed the gap, Bulega has opened it back out again – 1m35.546s puts him 0.379s clear of his team-mate, who is the only other rider in the 1m35s.
Bautista has dropped to sixth now, but has just put in a personal best, so still lapping well.
Personal best there from Lecuona as well, who moves to within 0.236s of his team-mate now. Losing most of his time in the final split compared to Bulega.
Live updates from the Friday practice sessions at the Estoril WorldSBK, the 11th and penultimate round of the 2026 championship. FP2 is scheduled to start this afternoon at 15:00 local time.
Key Moments
- Rato crashes late on, concern over left wrist
- Bulega leads FP2 despite braking errors
- Gerloff’s session ends early with turn eight crash
- Ducatis set early pace in FP1 as Bridewell crashes
WorldSBK arrives at Estoril for its penultimate round of 2026 with all three titles wrapped up. Ducati won the manufacturers’ and its factory squad won the teams’ title at Donington, while Nicolo Bulega was crowned riders’ champion at Cremona two weeks ago. The Italian was fastest in FP1 this morning and over 0.3 seconds ahead of Iker Lecuona, who was also slower than Alberto Surra.
There is still a fight for third in the championship between Yari Montella, Alex Lowes, and Sam Lowes, although the latter’s crash in Race 2 at Cremona leaves him 50 points behind Montella, who has 43 points over Alex Lowes. Montella could secure third place this weekend, but he’d need to be 63 points ahead of both Lowes brothers, meaning he needs to extend his advantage to fourth place by 20 points in this weekend’s three races. Alex Lowes was fastest of the three this morning in fourth, while Sam Lowes was seventh and Montella ninth.
Third place in the championship would also make Montella the independent riders’ champion. His Barni Ducati team wrapped up the independent teams’ title at Cremona thanks to the Italian’s P4 in the Superpole Race.
With Barni in mind, Montella’s team-mate Alvaro Bautista admitted yesterday that he does not yet have any options for 2027 that “motivate” him. The Spaniard has endured a tough season so far, and at this stage it is a distinct possibility that 2026 could prove to be the two-time champion’s final year in the series.
The same could also be true for Danilo Petrucci, who will leave BMW at the end of this season to make way for Brad Binder. But the three-time race winner said yesterday that he has had talks with GoEleven about a move there for next season.
Live updates from the Friday practice sessions at the Estoril WorldSBK, the 11th and penultimate round of the 2026 championship. FP2 is scheduled to start this afternoon at 15:00 local time.
Key Moments
- Rato crashes late on, concern over left wrist
- Bulega leads FP2 despite braking errors
- Gerloff’s session ends early with turn eight crash
- Ducatis set early pace in FP1 as Bridewell crashes
WorldSBK arrives at Estoril for its penultimate round of 2026 with all three titles wrapped up. Ducati won the manufacturers’ and its factory squad won the teams’ title at Donington, while Nicolo Bulega was crowned riders’ champion at Cremona two weeks ago. The Italian was fastest in FP1 this morning and over 0.3 seconds ahead of Iker Lecuona, who was also slower than Alberto Surra.
There is still a fight for third in the championship between Yari Montella, Alex Lowes, and Sam Lowes, although the latter’s crash in Race 2 at Cremona leaves him 50 points behind Montella, who has 43 points over Alex Lowes. Montella could secure third place this weekend, but he’d need to be 63 points ahead of both Lowes brothers, meaning he needs to extend his advantage to fourth place by 20 points in this weekend’s three races. Alex Lowes was fastest of the three this morning in fourth, while Sam Lowes was seventh and Montella ninth.
Third place in the championship would also make Montella the independent riders’ champion. His Barni Ducati team wrapped up the independent teams’ title at Cremona thanks to the Italian’s P4 in the Superpole Race.
With Barni in mind, Montella’s team-mate Alvaro Bautista admitted yesterday that he does not yet have any options for 2027 that “motivate” him. The Spaniard has endured a tough season so far, and at this stage it is a distinct possibility that 2026 could prove to be the two-time champion’s final year in the series.
The same could also be true for Danilo Petrucci, who will leave BMW at the end of this season to make way for Brad Binder. But the three-time race winner said yesterday that he has had talks with GoEleven about a move there for next season.
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