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A massive crowd attended the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve for Round 2 of the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, as more than 82,000 fans saw home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claim his first podiums in the Championship. The Pirelli Portuguese Round was an incredible affair with four categories racing, including the season-opening round for WorldWCR and the debut of the all-new World Sportbike.

The total number of spectators, 82,132, saw Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) complete a treble ahead of teammate Iker Lecuona while Oliveira took home three podiums to a rapturous reception as he crossed the line in all three races. This crowd is the biggest in WorldSBK since Thailand 2015, and the second biggest in the DWO (Dorna WSBK Organization) era. Elsewhere, Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) made history by taking ZXMOTO’s first two wins in WorldSSP, Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) and Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) shared WorldSPB honours and the WorldWCR races were won by Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) and Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team).

In 2025, more than 53,000 people gathered at motorsport’s rollercoaster, marking a massive 53.8% increase in 2026 compared to last season, with attendances between 2022 and 2025 between 49,000 and 53,886. With Covid restrictions in 2020 and 2021, 2019 had the highest attendance at the Portuguese circuit until this year, with 56,182.

Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director, said: “Portimao is always a good test for WorldSBK, for the riders, for the bikes, and for the fans. The start of WorldWCR and the new World Sportbike class added real interest, and people came to see it for themselves. That curiosity matters. The track does the rest. It’s one of those circuits that speaks for itself: challenging, spectacular, and open enough for fans to really follow the action. You feel close to the racing here. And of course, having Miguel Oliveira on the grid made a difference. There was a strong local connection, and you could sense it around the paddock and in the grandstands. In the end, it’s quite simple: good racing, a great circuit, and people who care about the sport. That’s what WorldSBK is about.”

Jaime Costa, Autodromo Internacional do Algarve CEO, added: “It was a truly successful weekend in Portimao, reflecting everything this circuit stands for. We had intense racing, highly competitive grids, lots of fan activity, the best warm weather, and a strong turnout from the public, who showed great enthusiasm from day one. On top of that, Miguel Oliveira’s presence created a very unique connection with Portuguese fans. More than just numbers, what we experienced was a unique atmosphere, one of happiness, passion, and engagement, that truly sets this circuit apart. It is this environment, combined with the quality of the racing, that makes our circuit unique in the calendar. We are extremely pleased with the outcome and motivated to continue raising the bar for this event in the future.”

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