Nicolo Bulega set the benchmark at Estoril by posting the fastest time in both of Friday’s free practice sessions. Alberto Surra and Iker Lecuona followed him in each period, leaving the reigning WorldSBK champion at the head of the order after the opening day of the 2026 season’s second Portuguese round.

Estoril is the first event since Bulega secured the championship at Cremona two weeks earlier. The Italian round was the first meeting of the season in which he failed to win: he finished second in all three races, which was enough to seal the title. Before that weekend, Bulega had won the first 21 races of the campaign consecutively.

Bulega described the Friday at Cremona as unusually difficult. He had two crashes and was carrying considerable pressure because the championship had to be secured at his home round. His mood has changed at Estoril, where he says he feels mentally free again and can race without the burden of the title fight.

The pace at the top of the timing sheets has not convinced Bulega that he is already at his limit. He said he is still missing roughly the final 10% needed to operate at 100%. That remaining margin is in the finer points of braking and turning, along with staying completely relaxed through certain sections of the circuit.