SBK Estoril, FP3: Spectacular save by Montella – Sam Lowes just ahead of Bulega

Following the two free practice sessions on Friday, World Championship leader Nicolo Bulega from the Aruba Ducati factory team topped the combined timesheets with a time of 1:35.432 minutes, making him a fraction faster than his team-mates Alberto Surra and Iker Lecuona.

As a point of reference: Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) has held the pole position record since 2025 with a time of 1:34.203 mins, whilst Bulega set the fastest race lap in the sprint that same year in 1:34.973 mins.

Tarran Mackenzie (Ducati) will not be taking part in this weekend’s races: following his heavy crash at Donington Park in July, the Briton did not receive medical clearance and will be replaced in Portugal – as well as at next weekend’s season finale in Jerez – by Frenchman Loris Baz.

In the 20-minute FP3 session on Saturday morning, starting at 9.40 am local time – Portugal is one hour behind CET – Bulega, in pleasantly autumnal air temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius, set the weekend’s best time so far of 1:35.299 on his very first flying lap and immediately improved on that with a time of 1:34.923 on his second lap.

As the riders pursue very different strategies in FP3 and take to the track on different tyres – Pirelli’s qualifying tyres are also used in Portugal – the times are of limited significance.

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Estoril: Superpole

FIM Superbike World Championship

10.10.2026 - 12:05

Bulega’s time held up until a minute before the end, when Sam Lowes (Marc VDS Ducati) catapulted himself to the top of the timesheets. Bulega finished second, 0.083 seconds behind, followed by the impressive Surra, BMW’s rising star Miguel Oliveira and Bimota ace Axel Bassani.

World Championship third-place finisher Yari Montella pulled off an astonishing save, finishing in seventh place, just ahead of his Barni team-mate Alvaro Bautista. Kawasaki lone rider Garrett Gerloff finished ninth, Jake Dixon took the top spot for Honda in 10th, and Xavier Vierge was the fastest Yamaha rider in 11th.