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With the Australian Round’s season opener fast approaching, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field move on from 2026’s first preseason test at Jerez to the last preseason test on European soil before they set sail for the Land Down Under! Rainy weather has unfortunately played a large role so far this offseason which has prevented riders from making the comprehensive shakedowns they would have otherwise liked to have completed by now, making this test all the more vital! Get the full panorama of what the teams hope to accomplish here in this test with the Portimao Test Preview! Keep up with the action on track today and tomorrow January 29^th both days from 10:00-18:00 (UTC +0).

LIVE FROM THE CIRCUIT: Follow the test with live timings!

13:26 – So far it’s been just three riders out on track: both of Honda HRC’s test riders, Vickers with 10 laps, Nagashima with three, as well as Bimota’s Xavi Fores with 23 laps as windy conditions have kept the rest of the field in their boxes 

13:11 – On his very next lap, Vickers takes P1 from Fores with a 1’57.168s time

13:09 – Vickers returns to the track for his second stint, currently sitting in P2 with a time of 1’58.984s

12:52 – Fores returns with a vengeance to claim the day’s top spot so far from the Brit, the Bimota Test rider takes P1 with a 1’58.608s time

12:37 – Former WorldSBK rider Ryan Vickers rolls out on track where he is riding as a Honda HRC test rider. He quickly puts the Japanese manufacturer at the top on his fourth lap, recording a 1’59.799s time 

12:11 – It’s still been a quiet day out on track. Fores has taken to the wet circuit on two KB998 Rimini machines and leads the way, completing 12 laps in total, while Nagashima hasn't added to his three from earlier.

11:49 – It’s the Fores show currently in Portimao as he’s currently the only rider who has logged laps apart from Nagashima’s 3 laps to start the day. With his 12^th lap, he raises the bar for P1 once again as he clocks a 2’01.746s time

11:41 – Fores returns to the track this time on a different KB998 Rimini bike to test another setup on his second stint

11:10 – Currently on his eighth lap, Xavi Fores put Bimota atop the timesheets last lap with a 2’02.212s effort

10:57 – Test rider Xavi Fores (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Test Team) rolls out of pit lane to start his day

10:44 – Nagashima returns to boxes after a three lap stint

10:36 – Honda HRC Test rider Tetsuta Nagashima is the first rider on track on Day 1! He opens the timesheets with a time of 2’05.900s

10:17 – Despite the cloudy skies, rain is not falling on track, however between the inundated conditions from overnight showers and wind gusts up to 43 km/h, riders remain in the boxes

10:00 – Testing in Portimao is officially underway! Once again, rain is making an appearance on track long before any riders have yet had the opportunity. Further complicating the picture here in Portimao are strong gusts of wind which cast dark clouds on the idea of riders emerging on track for the next half hour at least