Oliveira, master of comebacks in Australia, now eyes a big result at Portimao: 'BMW will be stronger'

The results he dreamed of didn’t come, but Miguel Oliveira’s first weekend as a WorldSBK rider is anything but a write-off: at “his” Portimão he can raise the level.

BMW knew the first 2026 Superbike round at Phillip Island would be tricky and is banking on the switch to Europe to show its true potential. Danilo Petrucci and Miguel Oliveira haven’t spent enough time on the M 1000 RR; the only fully dry pre-season test was the last one in Australia, on a peculiar track. Before the next round in Portimão (March 27–29) there will be two days of testing right at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve: a great opportunity to work and improve.

Even if he would have liked better results, Oliveira can still be satisfied with the positions he clawed back over the SBK weekend at Phillip Island. After a nightmare Superpole that forced him to start from the back of the grid, he didn’t get disheartened: in Race 1 he charged up to eighth (13 places gained), in the Superpole Race he had entered the points before a technical issue dropped him to eighteenth, and in a wet Race 2 he finished seventh (14 places gained), just behind Petrucci. He collected 17 points, 1 more than his teammate.

The Portuguese rider certainly has regrets about the unlucky episode in the sprint: “The Superpole Race was going really well, I made a lot of overtakes and got into the top 9, but unfortunately on the penultimate lap I started having problems shifting gears. At the start of the last lap I couldn’t manage it anymore, so I tried to keep off the line of the other riders so as not to disturb them. I crossed the finish line really disappointed.”

Fighting back in the Superpole Race, with only 10 laps available, was very tough—and so it was in Race 2, held on a fully wet track. But Oliveira confirmed his ability to adapt to different situations and put in a great performance: “In the second race of the afternoon, we had another chance to score points, and I managed it. Coming back from last in full-wet conditions was the hardest thing I’ve done, because visibility was really poor. The conditions were on the limit, dangerous, but we managed them and stayed on the bike. I came home seventh, very close to Danilo. It’s not where we want to be, but we have to be happy with it, given the circumstances.”

Reflecting on his first weekend as a World Superbike rider, the Portuguese is overall satisfied with how things went at Phillip Island: “It was an eventful weekend, there’s definitely progress, I’m showing more speed, I’m more comfortable with the bike, I rode in every condition, I did two full races and a Superpole Race, I started from the back of the grid. Now we just need to sort out qualifying, which I’m sure we can do at Portimão. I can’t wait to race at home and ride on a track where our bike is better suited. We go to Portimão with our heads held high and, with two more days of testing, I’m sure we’ll be much more competitive there”.

Racing in Portugal will give Oliveira great motivation, as he hopes to shine on the BMW M 1000 RR. The two days of testing must be exploited to the fullest, hoping there are no weather-related complications. Even if it’s natural to name Nicolò Bulega as the favorite for the 2026 SBK round as well, we’re only at the start of the championship and surprises can’t be ruled out.