SBK Estoril: Bulega Opens a Clear Gap—This Is a Phenomenal Pole Position

He has already won the World Championship, so he could simply focus on enjoying it and looking ahead to the next MotoGP challenge. But Nicolò Bulega is still hungry, because talent cannot be rationed—it explodes all by itself, every time. His Estoril Superpole was sensational: the Ducati rider improved the 2025 benchmark set by none other than Toprak Razgatlioglu by half a second. Phenomenal!

Ducati’s Panigale V4 R has changed since last year, with the double-sided swingarm completely altering the reference points. However, the tyre and circuit are the same, so the performance gap to the Turkish rider on such a short track takes on particular significance. Superbike is handing MotoGP a Bulega truly in a state of grace: let’s hope that in the premier class Nicolò will also have the technical package to show us what he is capable of against the very best. For now, Nicolò is enjoying his 19th start from pole position in three years of WorldSBK competition.

Iker Lecuona also dipped below the previous benchmark, buoyed by his triple victory at Cremona while his teammate was celebrating his world title. But when Bulega rides like this, there is very little anyone can do. His race pace is sensational too, so the Spaniard will have to find something extra if he wants to put pressure on the newly crowned champion in Race 1. The front row is completed by Sam Lowes, while Alberto Surra will lie in wait from the second row in fourth place.

Miguel Oliveira put the BMW right in the middle of the Ducati pack, securing fifth place—a position that looks like a springboard for a podium challenge. The Portuguese rider appears capable of repeating his excellent performances at Portimão, where he had also drawn a large crowd to the grandstands. Starting six-tenths behind after Superpole, attacking Bulega and Lecuona seems unrealistic, but the battle with Lowes and Surra will be wide open. Yari Montella should not be forgotten either: he starts sixth on the Barni Ducati. The good news of the day is Jake Dixon’s Honda, finally proving effective: HRC’s return to the positions it deserves is an encouraging prospect for Superbike, especially with 2027 in mind.

Due to the time difference—one hour behind Italy—the first race at Estoril will start at 4:30 p.m. Available tyres: at the rear, the choice is between the SCX (soft), preferred by most of the grid, and the SC0 (medium). We should remember that a year ago at Estoril, Toprak Razgatlioglu won Race 1 and the Superpole Race with BMW, while Bulega took his revenge in Race 2.

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