Action immediately heated up at the circuit as Nicolo Bulega opened the 2026 Estoril WorldSBK race weekend with a highly impressive performance. Relying on the speed of his Ducati Panigale V4 R machine around the Circuito do Estoril in Portugal, the leading rider successfully secured the top spot in a fiercely competitive opening free practice session.
The dominance of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer was clearly visible as the session ran tightly under the Portuguese sun. Nicolo Bulega posted his best lap time of 1 minute 35.546 seconds, establishing himself as the benchmark pace for his rivals at the historic circuit from the early minutes.
The Italian rider's lead faced a serious threat towards the end of the session from Alberto Surra. Pulling off a surprising late charge in the final moments, Surra managed to climb into second place to complete a brilliant day for the Ducati armada, finishing just 0.052 seconds behind the session leader.
Meanwhile, third position on the timesheets was secured by Iker Lecuona. Lecuona's solid performance ensured that the top three positions were entirely locked out by Ducati machinery, making him the final rider able to lap within the 1-minute 35-second bracket during this opening session.
The battle inside the top ten also featured tough names such as Alex Lowes, who had contended near the front before ultimately settling for fourth, followed by Xavi Vierge and Alvaro Bautista rounding out the top six fastest riders of this Friday.
Read Also
Jake Dixon pasang target podium bersama Honda di Superbike 2027, mengandalkan adaptasi teknis serta karakteristik ban Michelin yang lebih kaku.
Danilo Petrucci hadapi dilema karier untuk 2027 antara kembali ke MotoAmerica bersama BMW atau bertahan di WorldSBK dengan pinangan Ducati Go Eleven.
Honda resmi mengumumkan susunan pembalap WorldSBK 2027 dengan mempertahankan Somkiat Chantra dan Jake Dixon demi menjaga kontinuitas tim.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!