SBK Portimao test, times at 2 pm: Bimota on top, Bulega crashes, Advocates unveils the 2026 livery

Alex Lowes ahead of everyone in Portugal, but there are still four hours of testing for the Superbike teams: here is the provisional classification.

Today and tomorrow some WorldSBK teams are on track at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve to prepare for the March 27–29 weekend round and the rest of the season. After a pre-season affected by bad weather, it’s crucial to make the most of these two days in Portimão to work and make improvements. Track action runs from 10:00 to 17:00 (Italian time).

At 14:00 Alex Lowes tops the timesheets with the KB998 Rimini of the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team. The British rider set his best time in 1'40"622, 532 thousandths ahead of Nicolò Bulega, who had a crash with his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale. Third time for Sam Lowes with the Elf Marc VDS Ducati, just 1 thousandth behind the Ducati rider. It’s worth remembering that the former Moto2 rider is competing with two fractures sustained at the Superbike round in Australia, so he’s not in perfect physical condition.

In fourth place is the best of the BMW M 1000 RRs, ridden by Miguel Oliveira, who is 733 thousandths off the provisional leader. The top five is completed by Iker Lecuona, Bulega’s teammate, 27 thousandths behind the Portuguese rider.

Danilo Petrucci is seventh, behind BMW test rider Michael van der Mark and ahead of Axel Bassani’s Bimota. Jonathan Rea is the fastest Honda with the ninth time, ahead of Remy Gardner, the top Yamaha rider who rounds out the top 10. Andrea Locatelli and Xavi Vierge are just behind the Australian on their R1s.

Noteworthy is the 2026 debut of Somkiat Chantra with the HRC team’s Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, as well as the presence of the Superbike Advocates team, which unveiled its colors for the season at Portimão. The Australian squad’s Ducati Panigale V4 R is ridden by Tommy Bridewell, currently over 2 seconds off Alex Lowes.