#WorldSBK – WorldSBK heads to Estoril as Bulega continues record chase

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returns to the Circuito Estoril from 9-11 October for the penultimate round of the 2026 season. With the Riders’ Championship already decided, Nicolo Bulega heads to Portugal with a new record within reach, while Miguel Oliveira prepares for his second home round of the season.
Recent Form and Momentum

Freshly crowned WorldSBK Champion, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has already scored 602 points after the first ten rounds and holds a 133-point lead over teammate Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). With three podium finishes in Cremona, Bulega has also extended his record-breaking podium streak to 43 consecutive races.

Having achieved his first career hat-trick in Cremona, Lecuona heads into the final two rounds with second place in the Championship already confirmed. He holds a 200-point advantage over Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team – Ducati) in third.

With the top two positions already settled, the fight for third remains one of the main championship battles. Montella leads Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) by 43 points, while Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) is only seven points behind his brother in fifth.
Local Colours
Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will race in front of his home fans for the second time this season after competing at Portimao earlier in the year. The Portuguese rider currently sits 12th in the standings on 109 points and will be looking to bounce back after a difficult weekend at Cremona.
At Stake This Weekend
Bulega has 26 wins so far this season, one short of Alvaro Bautista’s record of 27 victories in a single WorldSBK season, set in 2023.

Ducati is just one win away from matching its own all-time record of 35 consecutive victories, set between Race 1 at Valencia in 2003 and Race 1 at Silverstone in 2004.

Montella and S. Lowes are also competing for the best Independent Rider title. Yari Montella wins the title in Race 2 if he outscores Sam Lowes by 13 points over the entire weekend and loses at most 13 points to Lorenzo Baldassarri over the entire weekend.
Historical Performance

Bulega has won twice at Estoril, including Race 2 in 2025. Alongside Alvaro Bautista, he is one of only two riders on the current grid to have won a WorldSBK race at the Portuguese circuit. The pair featured on the podium in all three races last year.
2025 Results

Race 1: Toprak Razgatlioglu, Nicolo Bulega, Alvaro Bautista
Tissot Superpole Race: Toprak Razgatlioglu, Nicolo Bulega, Alvaro Bautista
Race 2: Nicolo Bulega, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Alvaro Bautista