WorldSBK Estoril 2026: Schedule, Riders, Standings, and How to Watch the Tissot Estoril Round
WorldSBK Estoril 2026 is Round 11 of 12 in the Superbike World Championship, the first half of an Iberian double-header that ends the season. The paddock runs at Circuito Estoril in Portugal from 9 to 11 October. Practice takes place on Friday. The three Superbike races take place on Saturday 10 October and Sunday 11 October.
The main question is not who wins the title. Nicolo Bulega secured the 2026 championship at Cremona with six races to spare. The questions at Estoril are about records, third place in the standings, rider futures, and a home crowd for a Portuguese rider.
Table of Contents
- WorldSBK Estoril 2026 at a Glance
- Estoril Race Weekend Schedule and Session Times
- Race Format and Points System
- Championship Standings Before Estoril
- Nicolo Bulega: Champion, Record Chase and Farewell
- Iker Lecuona and the Aruba.it Ducati Pairing
- The Fight for Third Place
- Oliveira's Home Round and the Midfield Battles
- Injuries, Medical Checks and Entry List
- 2027 Rider Moves and Rule Changes
- Estoril WorldSBK History and Previous Winners
- WorldSSP Title Chance at Estoril
- How to Watch WorldSBK Estoril 2026
- What to Expect
- FAQ
- Related Articles
WorldSBK Estoril 2026 at a Glance
Here are the key facts for the Tissot Estoril Round.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | Tissot Estoril Round, Round 11 of 12 |
| Series | MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, 39th season |
| Dates | 9-11 October 2026 (races on 10 and 11 October) |
| Venue | Circuito do Estoril, Portugal |
| Track length | 4.182 km with 13 corners |
| Organizer | Dorna WorldSBK |
| Superbike races | Race 1 (Saturday), Superpole Race, and Race 2 (Sunday) |
| Champion | Nicolo Bulega, Aruba.it Racing - Ducati |
| Prize money | Information is not currently available. |
Estoril Race Weekend Schedule and Session Times
The official timetable is published by the WorldSBK Commission close to the event. The times below come from the live timing listing for the round and match the standard 2026 weekend pattern. Check worldsbk.com before you plan around them.
All times are local Portuguese time (UTC+1).
| Day | Session | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 9 October | Free Practice 1 | 10:20 |
| Friday 9 October | Free Practice 2 | 15:00 |
| Saturday 10 October | Free Practice 3 | 09:40 |
| Saturday 10 October | Superpole | 11:15 |
| Saturday 10 October | Race 1 | 15:30 |
| Sunday 11 October | Warm Up | 09:15 |
| Sunday 11 October | Superpole Race | 11:10 |
| Sunday 11 October | Race 2 | 15:30 |
Here is how the main race starts convert to other time zones.
| Session | UK | US Eastern | US Pacific | Central Europe | Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 (Sat 10 Oct) | 15:30 | 10:30 | 07:30 | 16:30 | 01:30 Sun |
| Superpole Race (Sun 11 Oct) | 11:10 | 06:10 | 03:10 | 12:10 | 21:10 Sun |
| Race 2 (Sun 11 Oct) | 15:30 | 10:30 | 07:30 | 16:30 | 01:30 Mon |
Race distances for 2026 are not yet confirmed. Last year at Estoril, the two main races ran 21 laps and the Superpole Race ran 10 laps.
Race Format and Points System
Each WorldSBK round has three Superbike races: Race 1 on Saturday, then the Superpole Race and Race 2 on Sunday. Superpole qualifying on Saturday morning sets the grid for Race 1. If you are new to the sport, our guide on how MotoGP classes and race weekends work explains the basics of motorcycle racing.
The Superpole Race is a short sprint. Its result sets the grid for Race 2.
Points follow a fixed scale. Race 1 and Race 2 pay 25 points to the winner, then 20, 16, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 down to 15th place. The Superpole Race pays 12, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 to the top nine.
A perfect weekend is worth 62 points. That figure matters for the fight for third place, covered below. For another view of national superbike racing, see our report on British Superbikes at Oulton Park.
Championship Standings Before Estoril
After ten rounds, Bulega leads on 602 points, with Iker Lecuona on 469. Only 124 points remain across Estoril and Jerez.
The top five riders in the 2026 standings entering the round:
| Position | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing - Ducati | 602 |
| 2 | Iker Lecuona | Aruba.it Racing - Ducati | 469 |
| 3 | Yari Montella | Barni Spark Racing Team | 269 |
| 4 | Alex Lowes | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | 226 |
| 5 | Sam Lowes | ELF Marc VDS Racing Team | 219 |
The official preview confirms the gaps: Montella leads Alex Lowes by 43 points and Sam Lowes by 50.
Ducati has also won more than the riders' title. Ducati defended the constructors' championship for a fifth year in a row, and the factory team won the team's title again.
Nicolo Bulega: Champion, Record Chase, and Farewell
Bulega won his first WorldSBK title at Cremona. He needed a top-five finish in Race 2 and took second place behind teammate Lecuona.
He clinched the championship with six races left, a different situation from the finale in how a MotoGP title was decided at Valencia in 2013.
His season has been close to perfect. He has 26 wins this year, one short of Alvaro Bautista's record of 27 in a single season, set in 2023. That is 26 wins from 30 races. He can equal the record at Estoril and break it over the weekend.
Winning in Portugal is not new for him. He took Race 2 at Estoril last year with a lights-to-flag drive and set a fastest lap of 1:35.406. He pulled clear of rival Toprak Razgatlioglu and held the lead from turn one.
This is also the start of his farewell. Estoril and Jerez are his last two rounds in WorldSBK before MotoGP. He joins the VR46 team for 2027, covered in the rider moves section.
Reading the record chase fairly: Bulega has 26 wins but lost all three Cremona races to Lecuona. The record is in reach. It is not guaranteed.
Iker Lecuona and the Aruba.it Ducati Pairing
Second place in the championship is already settled for Lecuona. He holds a 200-point lead over Montella in third.
His Cremona weekend was the best of his WorldSBK career. He won Race 1, the Superpole Race, and Race 2 and became the fifth rider to take a WorldSBK hat-trick. His win total on the Ducati Panigale now stands at four.
Lecuona has also shown he can be fast at Estoril. Honda took a podium at the track in 2024 with him on the bike. He has no title pressure now. He has a clear target: stop his teammate from reaching the win record.
The Aruba.it Ducati squad takes the same two riders into Estoril, but only Bulega leaves the team for MotoGP.
The Fight for Third Place
Third place is the main points battle left in the standings. Yari Montella leads Alex Lowes by 43 points and Sam Lowes by 50. To clinch third at Estoril, he must finish the weekend at least 62 points clear of the two Lowes brothers.
A full weekend is worth 62 points, so the clinch is possible only in a narrow scenario. Most likely, third place goes to Jerez.
The records at Estoril matter for both Lowes riders. Alex Lowe's best result there is fourth place in Race 2 last year on the Bimota. Sam Lowes' best is 13th from 2024, and he missed last year's round through injury.
Below that group, the rest of the top ten is tight. Lorenzo Baldassarri holds sixth, nine points ahead of Axel Bassani. Garrett Gerloff is eighth, with Alberto Surra five points behind him and Bautista 15 behind Surra.
Oliveira's Home Round and the Midfield Battles
Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) races at his second home round of the year. Estoril is about 30 minutes from his hometown of Almada.
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Portimao showed what that means for him. He finished third in all three races there and left with three trophies. Since then, his season has been harder. He sits 12th in the standings on 109 points. He ran as high as fifth in Cremona Race 2 before a crash.
Other riders to watch:
- Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing): He took his first WorldSBK podium at Cremona and finished third at Estoril in the Moto2 European Championship last season.
- Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team): He has no podiums in 2026 but has two Estoril podiums from 2020 with GRT Yamaha.
- Jake Dixon (Honda HRC): His sixth-place finish in Cremona Race 2 was his first top-six finish in WorldSBK.
- Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha): Apart from his first two races at Estoril, he has usually finished in the top five there.
- Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team): He has no seat for 2027 and is one of only two riders on the grid, with Bulega, who has won at Estoril.
Injuries, Medical Checks, and Entry List
Two riders face medical checks. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) is still recovering from injuries from Donington Park, and Loris Baz replaced him at Cremona. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha) was declared unfit at Cremona with a fractured fifth metacarpal bone in his right hand. If he is to race at Estoril, he must pass a medical check on Thursday.
The official preview names about 22 riders. Twan Smits is listed for the Motoxracing WorldSBK Team and goes for his first points of the year. The final entry list is not confirmed until the medical checks are complete.
Other points:
- Danilo Petrucci: He says he is not looking for other options in World Superbike after this season.
- Xavi Vierge: He starts his last two rounds with Yamaha before a move to Barni Ducati alongside Montella.
2027 Rider Moves and Rule Changes
Bulega's next step is confirmed. He will race for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team in MotoGP from 2027, replacing Franco Morbidelli. Morbidelli is expected to take Bulega's seat at the factory Aruba.it Ducati squad in WorldSBK. For the current MotoGP season, see the latest MotoGP results from Austria.
He arrives prepared. He has tested Ducati's 850cc prototype and in-progress Pirelli MotoGP tyres.
There is a tyre change in WorldSBK too. 2026 is Pirelli's last season as tyre supplier, a role it has held since 2004, and Michelin takes over in 2027. Our Austrian Grand Prix MotoGP preview covers the other side of the paddock.
This is also the first season in 13 years without the reigning champion on the grid. Toprak Razgatlioglu, the 2025 champion, moved to MotoGP.
Estoril WorldSBK History and Previous Winners
Estoril is a regular WorldSBK venue. It has been on the calendar since 2020. Recent results give a guide to what the track rewards.
2025 Estoril Round
- Race 1: Razgatlioglu won a red-flagged race after dropping to fifth on lap one. Bulega was second and Bautista third.
- Superpole Race: Razgatlioglu won by 0.545 seconds over Bulega, with Bautista third.
- Race 2: Bulega won, Razgatlioglu was second and Bautista third. The result also secured the teams' title for Aruba.it Racing - Ducati.
2021 Estoril Round
Scott Redding won Race 1 for Aruba.it Racing - Ducati while Toprak Razgatlioglu set the fastest lap. Fans of Spanish circuits can also read our Aragon Grand Prix preview.
Ducati has done well at the circuit in recent seasons. Bautista and Bulega are the only riders on the 2026 grid with Estoril wins. That means any other rider who wins in Portugal this weekend would take a first win there.
WorldSSP Title Chance at Estoril
The Supersport World Championship may also be decided at Estoril. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) leads on 351 points. He will be crowned in Race 1 if he finishes on the podium.
The rest of his season shows why. Arenas took his 16th podium of the campaign at Cremona, finishing second behind Jeremy Alcoba. Alcoba won both Cremona races for Kawasaki.
WorldSSP runs on the same Estoril weekend with two races. Information on the Supersport second race time is not currently available.
How to Watch WorldSBK Estoril 2026
Broadcast rights differ by country. These were announced for 2026:
| Country | Where to watch |
|---|---|
| UK and Ireland | TNT Sports, with ITV4 showing a 46-minute highlights show after each round |
| Australia | Fox Sports for live action, SBS for highlights |
| USA | RACER Network |
| Canada | REVTV |
| Worldwide | WorldSBK VideoPass |
VideoPass gives live access to every session of every round, plus an archive of past races. A season pass is priced at €69.90 for 2026 and a monthly pass at €14.90. Prices and local rights can change, so confirm on worldsbk.com.
In the UK, TNT Sports streams through HBO Max, and a TNT Sports subscription is required.
What to Expect
The championship is decided, but Estoril still carries weight. These are the storylines to follow:
- The win record. Bulega needs one win to equal Bautista's 27 and two to break it.
- Lecuona's reply. He swept Cremona. A second sweep would show how close the Aruba.it pair is.
- Third place. Montella is 43 points clear of Alex Lowes and 50 clear of Sam Lowes.
- Oliveira at home. He has finished on the podium three times in Portugal this year and wants a repeat.
- Bautista's future. He has no seat for 2027 and a strong Estoril would help him.
- The Supersport title. Arenas can clinch with a podium in Race 1.
Predictions are analysis, not confirmed fact. Results will be confirmed in the post-race reports on worldsbk.com.
FAQ
When is WorldSBK Estoril 2026?
The Tissot Estoril Round runs from 9 to 11 October 2026. Practice is on Friday. Race 1 is on Saturday 10 October. The Superpole Race and Race 2 are on Sunday 11 October.
Where is the Estoril round held?
The round is held at Circuito do Estoril in Portugal. The track is 4.182 km long with 13 corners.
Who is the 2026 WorldSBK champion?
Nicolo Bulega of Aruba.it Racing - Ducati. He clinched the title at Cremona on 27 September with six races left.
What time is Race 2 at Estoril?
Race 2 is listed for 15:30 local time (UTC+1) on Sunday 11 October. That is 15:30 in the UK and 10:30 US Eastern. Confirm the final timetable on worldsbk.com.
Can Bulega break the single-season win record?
He has 26 wins this season. Alvaro Bautista holds the record with 27, set in 2023. Bulega needs one win to equal it and two to break it, with Estoril and Jerez left.
Is Miguel Oliveira racing at Estoril?
Yes, he is listed on the entry for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. Estoril is his second home round of 2026 after Portimao. He sits 12th in the standings.
Who won at Estoril in 2025?
Toprak Razgatlioglu won Race 1 and the Superpole Race. Nicolo Bulega won Race 2.
How much prize money is available at Estoril?
Information is not currently available.