WorldSBK Estoril 2026: Bulega champion, Oliveira at home

WorldSBK stops at Estoril for the penultimate round of the 2026 season, and the main question is already settled: Bulega arrives as world champion. What remains is who follows Iker Lecuona, the Cremona winner, and how Miguel Oliveira handles his home race.

A title already decided

According to Soymotero, the factory Ducati Panigale V4 has dominated every race run this season, in the hands of Bulega and, at Cremona, Lecuona. The manufacturers' and teams' titles are already decided, even though six races remain. Bulega is chasing the few records that still escape him.

Lecuona second, a fight for third

The maths also hand second place to Lecuona: he leads Montella by 200 points with only 124 left to score. The real fight is therefore for third overall, between Montella, who can manage his lead, and the Lowes brothers. Soymotero says Alex Lowes on the Bimota is the one most likely to trouble Montella.

Oliveira's emotional return

Portugal's Miguel Oliveira (BMW) contests his second home round in WorldSBK. According to Crash.net, he had not raced at Estoril since 2012 and the track remains very vivid in his memory. He spent a day there in August, then did a few track days. His recent results are tough, though: only one top 10 in the last three rounds, and two retirements in the long races at Cremona. He still says he is far more relaxed than at Portimão.

On Thursday Oliveira led a convoy of fans from Sintra to the circuit on a BMW S1000RR, alongside Lecuona, Xavi Vierge, Alex Lowes, Jake Dixon and Garrett Gerloff, according to Paddock GP. A ceremony then renamed turn 7 "Miguel Oliveira Corner".

Estoril in brief

Soymotero describes a classic, old-school layout with a main straight and a final braking zone that is ideal for attacking, but where a small mistake is costly. Turns three and four also offer overtaking chances, as do the slow, technical chicane at turns nine and ten and the final corner. Wind is a key factor of the weekend. The good news: the forecast is favourable for all three days.