Pirelli Portuguese Round Free Practice 1

Sam Lowes set the pace in the opening practice session on Friday, March 27, 2026, leading a Ducati-dominated top two. Lowes’s objective was to find immediate speed on his ELF Marc VDS Panigale V4R, and he succeeded by clocking a 1'40.287.

He managed to edge out the championship leader, Nicolò Bulega, by a razor-thin margin of just 0.004 seconds, signaling a tightly contested weekend ahead for the Borgo Panigale machines. The session was not without its hurdles; Iker Lecuona suffered a mechanical problem at Turn 5 midway through the session, while Stefano Manzi experienced a small crash at Turn 13, though he was able to rejoin.

Alex Lowes showcased the potential of the new Bimota effort by finishing third fastest, ahead of Lecuona and Yari Montella. American Garrett Gerloff made a strong start to the weekend in seventh, while local hero Miguel Oliveira finished 11th as he focused on a high-fuel race simulation.

Despite the technical hiccups for some, the session concluded with the top 12 riders separated by less than a second, setting a high bar for the rest of the Portuguese Round.