SBK
SBK
PortugalSeason 2026
Sam Lowes stamped his authority on the opening day of the Pirelli Portuguese Round by topping both Friday practice sessions on March 27, 2026. Lowes’s objective was to break into the 1'39s bracket, and he became the only rider to do so, clocking a 1'39.941 in the final minutes of the afternoon.
His performance on the ELF Marc VDS Ducati placed him nearly a quarter of a second clear of the field, reinforcing his status as a major threat for the weekend's podiums. The session was a high-stakes affair with several riders falling victim to the technical nature of the track.
Iker Lecuona, Alvaro Bautista, and Alex Lowes all suffered crashes at the notorious Turn 5 hairpin, while Jonathan Rea and Somkiat Chantra experienced falls at Turns 10 and 15, respectively. Despite the incidents, Nicolò Bulega managed to secure second on the combined timesheets, followed closely by Yari Montella, who continued his strong start to the season in third.
Axel Bassani showed improved form on the Bimota to finish seventh, while Miguel Oliveira ended the day in eighth as the fastest BMW. The day concluded with the top six riders separated by just half a second, setting the stage for an intense qualifying battle on Saturday.