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The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve hosted MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action over the weekend, and it was a thrilling affair. History was made during the Pirelli Portuguese Round and, with the racing in the record books, we’ve gathered the best quotes from Portimao for your enjoyment.

Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “It was an incredible weekend with the support I’ve had… Really unique and in such a short time as well”

Home hero Oliveira said: “Happy with the weekend. Three times on the podium is okay. We showed the potential since Saturday morning in Superpole, and also on Sunday. I knew it was going to be a little bit difficult. With the wind, I started using the front tyre more and by the end, I was using the rear more to take some weight off the front and could barely use any lean angle on the sharper corners; it was definitely hard to manage and not to crash! I think the other riders were a bit nervous for me as well because everyone was shouting my name on the grid! It was an incredible weekend with the support I’ve had. Really unique and in such a short time as well. It makes me happy and proud, especially as I could give them three good results and they deserve it. I’m the only Portuguese rider to race in MotoGP, and that made the lights shine on the Championship, and as I got out, some of them watch it but obviously they want to support their rider. I had to imagine they were saying another name, just to be focused!”

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati): “On Friday I had a very bad feeling, Saturday better, and Sunday even better”

A second consecutive hat-trick for Bulega to start 2026, who said: “Fewer problems than Saturday, then, we were 90%, Sunday 95%. Every day, we grew 5% more. On Friday I had a very bad feeling, Saturday better, and Sunday even better. When I ride my bike I want to enjoy and smile under my helmet, but to do that I need to ride my natural style without thinking too much. It's just that, I was fast obviously with winning the three races, but what I'm looking for is to do this with my natural riding style. I had a problem with the rear brake just before Race 2 and before the Superpole Race; luckily, my mechanics worked quickly and fixed it. Miguel and Iker did a very good job this weekend. This is not my favourite track; I hope for a more natural feeling at Assen. I'll have more fun there because I like the track more. I hope Gigi (Dall’Igna) will bet on me next season for MotoGP. I hope the hard work will pay off.”

Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati): “The difference between Nicolo and me isn’t crazy, but with small steps at the end of a lap, it’s around two tenths”

Three P2s for Lecuona, who said: “It was an amazing weekend. Nicolo had something extra, I think, but not so much. I made some small mistakes, and my starts weren’t the best. I lost a second, second-and-a-half to him in the first three or four laps when I was in the group, during the rest I was close to him. It was a very similar pace. I need to improve the starts and some small things. The difference between Nicolo and me isn’t crazy, but with small steps at the end of a lap, it’s around two tenths. It’s taking the extra confidence in some places and to learn a little bit more about riding the Ducati. For me, what’s important is what the team said, what I think and speak. I need to do what I know I can do on the bike, and I am right now, because I feel confident. The pressure isn’t on me, it’s on Nicolo. I had a very consistent pace and a close gap to him, if you count that I lost 1.5 seconds with the group.”

Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team): “It was tough at the end. I was really struggling in the last two laps at Turns 9 and 12, the downhill lefts”

Discussing his P5 in Race 1, before he secured two more on Sunday, the Brit said: “I actually felt worse on Saturday! All morning, I felt a bit weaker than Friday and I just got into the race and the Ducati being a good package helped me in the middle of the race just to find my rhythm, focus a bit on Alex. I think what helped me is I had quite good speed. Either I could knock it back a bit and ride an easier pace and be in that position. It was tough at the end. I was really struggling in the last two laps at Turns 9 and 12, the downhill lefts, I was having to use the rear to turn the bike; they’re fast corners to be doing that! If I spoke to someone after I got off the plane after Australia, we know this track’s difficult, and you’re going to finish P5, it’s okay. We’re not doing cartwheels in the media centre, but we can be happy with it.”

Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha): “We were expecting that we could be with Oliveira and Alex but as soon as I started the race, I realised they had more than me”

A strong Saturday for Vierge, who said: “The luck wasn’t with us at Phillip Island, we did a very good job there as well, but we had some problems and didn’t finish the races. I’m happy with this P6. It’s not our goal but we can say we’ll start from here to build up our season. Last year, ‘Loka’ was fighting for the top three in the Championship, so our goal is to be fighting for the podium positions. We’re still a bit far from that. We were expecting that we could be with Oliveira and Alex but as soon as I started the race, I realised they had more than me, so my plan changed.”

Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC): “In the first session I got arm pumped after four laps and I thought, ‘F**k, how am I going to survive the weekend?’”

A tough WorldSBK return for Rea, who capped it off with P12 in Race 2: “It was as tough as I imagined. I had no idea how I was going to do 20 laps because physically it's been a long time since I did a race distance. Even my off-season training, I recovered from two surgeries, so I wasn't riding the motocross bike like I would. I'm in good shape, but just the muscle memory was tough at a track like this. I think in the first session I got arm pumped after four laps and I thought, ‘F**k, how am I going to survive the weekend? The results weren't anything to be shouting about, but I enjoyed the experience. We approached the weekend with a testing brain, and we tried some major things with the bike because one thing's for sure, if we stay in our own lane, we're not going to move forward. We tried some quite different things with the bike; from an electronic point of view, let's say a chassis point of view. We had some conclusions and some good information that we can take forward.

Discussing the potential of him racing at Assen, Rea said: “Of course, we're talking about it in this way, but the priority is that Jake gets ready. Let's say I'm on standby if you like. But, for sure, the priority will be to try to return with Jake.”

Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team): “This weekend, I feel just the same as last year, racing the Ducatis. I need to be on the limit in every lap”

Reflecting on his trio of P4s, the #22 stated: “On Saturday, I was happy with fourth because I was miles away. On Sunday, to be so close, but not really have a proper attack for the podium is a bit frustrating but I think the overall frustration is that Australia is such a peculiar track, and we maybe felt we were a bit closer. This weekend, I feel just the same as last year, racing the Ducatis. I need to be on the limit in every lap, have a good Superpole, a good start and be on the limit in every lap to put myself in a position to challenge for the podium, which the bike does allow you to do. The team did a good job, I did a good job, but we can’t be really happy with fourth places as we want to get a bit closer. Through Turns 7, 8, 9 and 10, the way the bike turns, I see the other guys struggling more and I can really gain. The difference is that you can’t pass someone in the middle of Turn 10; on the straight, it’s easy to pass. This is the difference. My bike’s better there, but I can’t pass because they’re in the way.”

Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven): “We found a good speed even with the fact that I was only about 60% physically”

A physically demanding weekend for ‘Balda’ ended with P6 in Race 2: "It wasn't an easy weekend, my target was to confirm the speed from Australia, I knew the podium wasn't a real target here because we had the test here with rainy conditions and there was only really one day of testing here. This is a tricky track, I'm happy in the end that we confirmed the speed, in Race 2 we were very consistent. We started further back and that's not easy because the level in WorldSBK is very high. Starting further back is not easy, but we found a good speed even with the fact that I was only about 60% physically. On Saturday I managed to survive and finish the race, but I was destroyed. I thought that on Sunday it was possible I had to retire. In the end, I managed to finish the race well, so I'm happy. I had a big problem with arm pump; it was impossible to brake hard or to release the throttle well. In the end, I'm quite confident and I don't think I need surgery; I just need rest.”

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