Miguel Oliveira gives BMW renewed momentum in Superbike at Portimão, but what about Danilo Petrucci?

Danilo Petrucci is tenth in Race 1 of the Superbike World Championship at Portimão: the process of adapting to the BMW M 1000 RR takes time.

Home air suits Miguel Oliveira, architect of BMW Motorrad’s first podium of the season. On yet another day of celebration for Nicolò Bulega and Ducati, the 2015 Moto3 World Championship runner-up secured third place in Race 1 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, a track where in 2020 he claimed his second (of five) MotoGP wins. An encouraging result for the 31-year-old rider from Almada, in his fourth Superbike World Championship race, while the Munich marque awaits Danilo Petrucci.

In WorldSBK, the question is if and when a rival will emerge to challenge the so-far unstoppable Nicolò Bulega, who has racked up eight consecutive wins between the end of 2025 and the start of 2026. On paper, Danilo Petrucci would be an ideal candidate for the role. Signed by the factory ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team to shoulder (together with Miguel Oliveira) the heavy legacy of a certain Toprak Razgatlioglu, “Petrux” is nevertheless still searching for the right rapport with the M 1000 RR.

While the sweeping turns of Phillip Island have always proved tricky for the M 1000 RR, Danilo Petrucci had voiced cautious optimism ahead of the rollercoaster challenge of the Algarve. Despite good feelings, backed up by a productive pre-event test day, the promises have not been kept in this first part of the weekend. Ninth in Superpole, tenth at the finish in Race 1, 20 seconds behind Bulega, and effectively never incisive since the opening free practice session. It follows that the adaptation process is still long and laborious. A demonstration that the switch from a Ducati Panigale V4 R to a BMW M 1000 RR is anything but straightforward.

This, in fact, is the key to climbing back to the top for the best independent rider in WorldSBK over the last two years. The proof will come in the remaining two races scheduled tomorrow at Portimão, while waiting for tracks that traditionally suit him (first and foremost Most and Cremona). If anything, the improving performances of his teammate Oliveira can serve as a solid confidence boost for Danilo Petrucci himself. After all, a “jolt” is exactly what the rider from Terni might need to give a decisive twist to his new adventure with BMW...