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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship rolls around to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve for Round 2 of the 2026 season, a circuit defined but its undulations which lend themselves to its ‘rollercoaster’ nicknames. Some riders head to the Pirelli Portuguese Round at Portimao with a load of momentum in their sails, while others are just starting the steep climb towards the top. What twists will there be when WorldSBK takes to the track in Portugal?

BULEGA LEADS THE WAY: Can anyone fight with the #11?

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) heads to Portimao on the back of a treble in Australia and knowing he can be competitive here too; last year, he was second behind Toprak Razgatlioglu in all three races. He’ll be aiming to take his winning run up to 10 races, joining only Razgatlioglu, Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) in having such a streak. Of course, there will be plenty of riders aiming to stop his streak, including home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). The #88 is no stranger to winning at home having won the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, and he produced three epic comebacks in Australia to show his race pace and race craft is at a high level. BMW have won the last six races at Portimao, so both Oliveira and teammate Danilo Petrucci will want to keep that going. The only riders on the grid who have won at Portimao are Bautista (5 wins) and Rea (13 wins), with Bautista winning all of his on Ducati machinery. Rea returns this weekend in place of Jake Dixon (Honda HRC), still recovering from his wrist fracture, after signing as a Honda test rider; he will need to pass a medical check on Thursday after he was declared unfit at Jerez at the end of 2025. The #65 claimed Honda’s sole win at Portimao back in 2014, in a soaking wet Race 2.

HOPING TO KEEP THE FORM GOING: Can Australia’s podium heroes repeat their success?

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) both claimed their first WorldSBK podiums at Phillip Island and will want to keep that form going. Montella took a top-ten finish at Portimao last year while Baldassarri’s only WorldSBK weekend at Portimao saw him score points in Race 2 back in 2023. Bimota enjoyed plenty of podium success in Australia as Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) took his first rostrums for the Italian brand, while teammate Alex Lowes was also on the podium. Both will be aiming to be in the fight again this weekend; one more podium and Bimota will have matched their tally from 2025 already.

Although not on the podium, Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) took his best WorldSBK result last time out with a P4 finish and the #95 will aim for more of the same; last year, when racing for MIE Honda, he scored two points. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) took a top-six finish in Australia with the new ZX-10RR and will hope he can keep that form going; he’s had two P4 finishes at Portimao in the past. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) was a top-ten contender in Australia in his first WorldSBK weekend, and Portimao is a circuit he knows well; he raced there in the Moto2 European Championship in 2023 and 2024, taking three P2 finishes in four races. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) gradually found more pace on his Ducati Panigale V4R as the Australian Round progressed and will hope he can start Portimao where he left Phillip Island; in the top six and closing in on the podium.

AIMING FOR IMPROVEMENTS: Yamaha aiming to be closer at Portimao

Australia was nothing short of a disappointment for Yamaha, scoring 14 points; 11 came from Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) salvaging a P5 finish in a wet Race 2. ‘Loka’ has a podium finish at Portimao, finishing P3 last year in Race 2. Teammate Xavi Vierge was a bright spark at Phillip Island as the lead rider for the Japanese brand, although he didn’t get the results his pace showed with crashes in Race 1 and Race 2, and didn’t start the Tissot Superpole Race. It’s similar for rookie Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and teammate Remy Gardner, who would’ve wanted more from the opening round of the season and will aim higher at Portimao. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) will aim to put his Yamaha R1 in the points-scoring positions at Portimao, while Mattia Rato will continue adapting to WorldSBK; the #13 knows Portimao well from his time in the Moto2 European Championship.

TWO 2026 DEBUTS: Chantra, Bridewell set for first round of 2026

Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) missed the opening round of the season after sustaining arm injuries in training, but he jumped back on the CBR1000RR-R SP at a private test recently. He’ll need to pass a medical check to race at the weekend. Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) has raced in WorldSBK before but now he’s with a new project for the remainder of the 2026 season, racing on a Panigale V4R. Elsewhere, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) will need to pass a medical check in order to race after he fractured his wrist in Race 2 in Australia. Like Chantra, he was at the recent Portimao test – and was in the top three on the opening day and led the (slightly reduced) field on last Friday’s extra day of running.

Catch up on the Australia highlights show HERE, read the Official Programme for Jerez HERE and don’t miss any action using the WorldSBK VideoPass!