Superbike sensation Alberto Surra (3rd/Ducati): The rookie is taking off

Second on Friday, second in Superpole and third on the podium in the first race: following his first Superbike podium two weeks ago at the Cremona Circuit, Alberto Surra is once again mixing it up among the frontrunners at Estoril.

There was little to suggest that the young Italian would develop so positively. In the Moto3 and Moto2 European Championships, the 22-year-old did not particularly stand out, but when he stepped in as a replacement for the injured Aldi Mahendra in the 2025 Supersport World Championship, Surra impressed Motocorsa team boss Lorenzo Mauri with his ability to adapt quickly – Mauri once had a similarly keen eye for talent with Axel Bassani.

For Surra, the strong bond with the team is the main reason for his current success. “They’re like my family,” emphasised the Ducati rider. “They’ve also developed new settings for the electronics and the suspension, which give me great confidence in the bike. This allows me to brake better whilst leaning into corners, and it’s precisely in this area that the top riders make the difference. Now I can do that too and have an excellent feel for the bike. At Estoril, I no longer have any problems making the tyres last the distance either.”

Surra finished 9.6 seconds behind winner Nicolò Bulega. He was 5.8 seconds behind Bulega’s Aruba.it Ducati team-mate Iker Lecuona. However, the Ducati privateer kept Miguel Oliveira (BMW), who finished fourth, under control over 21 laps.

What are the Ducati factory riders currently doing better than Surra? “It’s the whole package. For me, Nicolò and Iker are among the best riders, and on top of that they’re riding factory bikes – the Aruba bikes are very fast,” explained the Italian. “Nicolò is a massive talent – you can see that in the data – and he’ll be right up there in MotoGP too. I’m still a rookie, but since Cremona I’ve had a different mindset. Before, I was taking it corner by corner, but now I have a much better feel for my bike. I wasn’t able to do many laps over the winter and I’m still learning with every lap.”

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11.10.2026 - 11:55