Nicolo Bulega won Race 1 at Estoril to reach 27 victories in the 2026 WorldSBK season. That total equals Alvaro Bautista’s tally from 2023 and places Bulega within reach of another major season record.

The 26-year-old rider has five remaining chances to move beyond the mark, including two scheduled for the following day. Bulega has made his priorities clear, however: winning races comes first, while any additional records would be a bonus rather than the main objective.

The Estoril result followed a significant weekend at Cremona. Bulega was crowned champion there, but the round ended without a race victory — the first time that happened to him in the 2026 season. After Cremona, he said, he needed to rediscover his good feeling with the motorcycle.

Race 1 gave him the result he was looking for and restored that sense of confidence on the bike. Bulega has also established several other streak records this year: for consecutive pole positions, consecutive poles in a single season, consecutive podiums and consecutive race wins. One more victory would put him alone at the top of the season-win list.