Alberto Surra reached a new milestone at Estoril by finishing third in WorldSBK Race 1, his first podium in a long race. The result came two weeks after his maiden rostrum in the Superpole Race at Cremona, where he had also secured a front-row starting position.

His pace was evident from the opening sessions at Estoril. Surra placed second in both Friday practices and then set the third-fastest time in FP3. He missed the front row in qualifying after Alex Lowes took third, but converted the weekend’s strong speed into the final podium place in Race 1.

Surra linked the step forward to work carried out before Cremona. Motocorsa revised the set-up and part of the electronics, changes that, in his view, improved the feedback he received from the motorcycle. That progress has now produced a front-row start and a Superpole podium at Cremona, followed by a long-race podium at Estoril.

Motocorsa will retain Surra for 2027, giving the Italian a second WorldSBK season with the team. He believes another podium is achievable, although he is not predicting when it will arrive. Victory remains an ambition rather than an immediate expectation: Surra considers the factory Ducatis ridden by Nicolo Bulega and Iker Lecuona to have a very strong package at present. His stated approach is to keep pursuing the best possible result one race at a time.