Nicolo Bulega is still searching for ten percent of his capability at the Estoril WorldSBK despite topping both Friday practices on day one.
The Italian rider finished ahead of his competitors, including Alberto Surra and Iker Lecuona, during both practice sessions at the Portuguese venue.
This second Portuguese round of the season also marks his first appearance since clinching the 2026 WorldSBK title at Cremona two weeks ago.
That previous round at Cremona was the only weekend this season where Bulega did not step on the top step, cruising to three second-place finishes to secure the championship crown.
With the heavy mental baggage of the championship now left behind, Bulega is operating with the exact same mental freedom he enjoyed at the start of the year when he won 21 consecutive races.
Speaking to WorldSBK.com after FP2 in Estoril, Bulega recalled the heavy stress he faced during the home round where he needed to wrap up the title.
He noted that during Friday in Cremona he suffered two crashes, which is unusual for him since he is normally not a rider who crashes frequently.
However, now that he is mentally free from that immense pressure, he feels completely ready to race and ride the way he wants to.
Bulega added that he feels just like he did before Cremona, acknowledging that while that weekend was uniquely stressful, it is now done and dusted.
Despite leading the timesheets in Estoril, the newly crowned champion admitted that he is still not operating quite at his absolute maximum potential.
He is quite happy about getting his good feeling back on track, though he feels he is missing the last ten percent to reach full 100 percent capability.
Elaborating on what is missing, Bulega pointed out small details regarding his braking performance and turning behavior on the machine.
At certain points on the circuit, he feels he is not relaxed at 100 percent, which is why he is still hunting for that final ten percent.
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