After intermittent rain and mixed conditions curtailed the two-day Jerez outing, the two scheduled days at the Aut\u00f3dromo Internacional do Algarve were again heavily compromised.<\/p>\n
Day one at Portimao was effectively written off by overnight showers and strong winds, while day two offered more consistent conditions, but they remained fully wet and cold, leaving teams largely confined to systems checks, wet set-up work and reliability tasks.\u00a0 However, Gerloff\u2019s venture on slicks during a brief lapse in the showers on day one saw the American finish the test fastest overall.<\/p>\n
With the Australian season opener now looming, most of the proper pre-season workload has been pushed onto the Phillip Island official test in mid-February.<\/p>\n Day 1 \u2013 wind, heavy rain and very few laps<\/p>\n Only a handful of riders ventured out on Wednesday, and even then, it was largely about gathering baseline data rather than exploring limits or evaluating new parts back-to-back.<\/p>\n Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) topped the limited running with a 1m46.262s, set on a still-damp track. Gerloff was also the first WorldSBK rider to roll onto slicks despite the surface never fully drying.<\/p>\n Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) was next quickest on 1m47.246s, while Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) logged 1m50.317s as he continues his return to the class and his adaptation to the Ducati.<\/p>\n Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) circulated for in-and-out laps but did not record a representative time.<\/p>\n In World Supersport, Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) was effectively a lone worker in the conditions, posting 1m48.735s.<\/p>\n WorldSBK Portimao Test Day One Times<\/p>\n Pos<\/p>\n Rider<\/p>\n Bike<\/p>\n Time\/Gap<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n G. Gerloff<\/p>\n Kaw<\/p>\n 1m46.262<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n A. Surra<\/p>\n Duc<\/p>\n +0.984<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n P. Oettl<\/p>\n Duc<\/p>\n +2.473<\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n G. Gerloff<\/p>\n Kaw<\/p>\n +2.973<\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n L. Baldassarri<\/p>\n Duc<\/p>\n +4.055<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n HRC Test Bike 1<\/p>\n Hon<\/p>\n +6.252<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n L. Stapleford<\/p>\n Duc<\/p>\n +7.303<\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n C. Beaubier<\/p>\n Duc<\/p>\n +9.231<\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n X. For\u00e9s<\/p>\n Bim<\/p>\n +9.285<\/p>\n 10<\/p>\n TEAM ERC<\/p>\n Bmw<\/p>\n +9.698<\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n T. Nagashima<\/p>\n Hon<\/p>\n +10.692<\/p>\n 12<\/p>\n Aruba Testing Bike<\/p>\n Duc<\/p>\n +10.780<\/p>\n 13<\/p>\n P. Jordan<\/p>\n Duc<\/p>\n +11.766<\/p>\n 14<\/p>\n X. For\u00e9s<\/p>\n Bim<\/p>\n +15.484<\/p>\n 15<\/p>\n T. Nagashima<\/p>\n Hon<\/p>\n +18.540<\/p>\n 16<\/p>\n T. Badwell<\/p>\n Duc<\/p>\n +22.079<\/p>\n 17<\/p>\n L. Baldassarri<\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n +29.765<\/p>\n 18<\/p>\n S. Lowes<\/p>\n Duc<\/p>\n \/<\/p>\n 19<\/p>\n S. Lowes<\/p>\n Duc<\/p>\n \/<\/p>\n Day 2 \u2013 consistently wet, but at least usable Thursday stayed wet from start to finish, but the reduced wind and steadier conditions encouraged more riders to complete structured programmes. No rider managed to best Gerloff\u2019s time set in better track conditions on day one.<\/p>\n Garrett Gerloff<\/p>\n \u201cThe Portimao test has been tough, and we weren\u2019t able to ride on a fully dry track at all. On the first day, I completed about 20 laps on a damp track. I went out on slicks too, though I had to be very careful not to make any mistakes and risk crashing. But I wanted to do that in order to give the team some data, as they\u2019ve all worked so hard over the winter on the Ninja ZX-10RR. It was important to test the new aerodynamics \u2013 this is the ideal track for that, with its long straight. I could see a definite improvement even though I wasn\u2019t really pushing, but the development work will only really start in Australia, during the last two-day test.\u201d<\/p>\n Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) again made his single-day approach count, topping day two with a 1m59.144s in the wet. Iker Lecuona was close behind, just 0.039s adrift, and logged 35 laps as Aruba continued to build understanding of the 2026-spec Panigale package in poor conditions.<\/p>\n Jake Dixon (Honda HRC) was one of the standouts in the rain, completing 32 laps across two machines and setting a 2m00.111s best to end the day inside the top three. Honda also continued to lean on Tetsuta Nagashima, who logged more wet-weather mileage across the two days as Somkiat Chantra continues to recover from injury.<\/p>\n Jake Dixon<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a very challenging test because of the weather, with a lot of rain and difficult conditions, but we tried to make the most of the time we had on track. Riding in the wet all day is not easy, especially for me as a rookie in Superbike and on a completely new bike, but every lap was important to keep learning. We focused mainly on rain settings, my riding position and electronics, working closely with the team to better understand the bike step by step. Coming from Moto2, the feeling and the way you ride the bike are very different, so I know I need many more laps to build confidence, especially under braking and on corner entry. Of course we would all prefer dry conditions, but even in these circumstances we were able to learn useful things. Now we head to Australia knowing there is still to improve, but with a clear direction and the motivation to keep progressing\u201d.<\/p>\n Surra backed up his day one running with more laps on day two, ending fourth quickest on 2m00.757s after completing 40 laps across the test, while Baldassarri continued to build his base with a 2m01.610s.<\/p>\n Barni Spark Racing treated Portimao primarily as a preparation and reliability stop. Yari Montella completed 30 laps on day two and set 2m04.442s, while \u00c1lvaro Bautista did not ride, with the team preferring not to take risks in the conditions.<\/p>\n \u00c1lvaro Bautista<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, I wasn\u2019t able to ride on track during these two days due to difficult conditions, and we preferred not to take any risks. We continued working in the garage, taking the time to get to know the team better. We\u2019ll see if in Australia we\u2019ll be able to work with the bike on track.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn these Portim\u00e3o tests, we were only able to complete one of the two scheduled days, but we made full use of it. We carried out some technical checks to ensure the bike was ready for Australia, working on several aspects including the fuel tanks. Our goal wasn\u2019t outright performance, but to ride and clarify things so we can arrive as prepared as possible for the first race of the season. From this point of view, it was an important test because it helped us identify areas that need attention before the Australian round.\u201d<\/p>\n For the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, the contracted riders Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani did not turn a lap, leaving test rider Xavi Fores to carry the programme. Fores banked 37 laps and set a best of 2m01.807s, with the focus largely on wet electronics and set-up observations rather than performance conclusions.<\/p>\n \u201cXavi Fores and the guys have been working really hard to improve the bike for rain conditions. All of the team is working together well, so thank you to everyone for the effort. From my side, we didn\u2019t get good enough conditions to make any laps, so it was a slightly frustrating trip down to Portim\u00e3o. We will head to Australia optimistic about the improvements we\u2019ve made over the winter, and work through some items during the two-day test at Phillip Island to be ready for Round One. For now, I have the team launch to look forward to next week and seeing the 2026 team colours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did not set any laps at Portimao so I cannot comment on the bike or the work we did. Xavi worked really hard in really bad weather conditions, so thanks to him for testing for us. In the end, we will head to Australia with everyone on the same level. No one has tested a lot, just a little under rainy conditions. We will have a very busy two days of official testing in Australia because there will be a lot of work to do and a lot of items to try. We will do our best to find the best solution for the first round of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-WorldSBK-Test-Jan-Portimao-Gerloff-ZX-10RR-4-1024x649.jpg\")
<\/a>Garrett Gerloff<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Superbike_World_Championship_logo_2022.svg-300x50.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-WorldSBK-Test-Jan-Portimao-Track-2-1024x577.jpg\")
<\/a>WorldSBK Portimao Test \u2013 January, 2026<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-WorldSBK-Test-Jan-Portimao-Gerloff-ZX-10RR-3-1024x649.jpg\")
<\/a>Garrett Gerloff<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-WorldSBK-Test-Jan-Portimao-Dixon-1-1024x676.jpg\")
<\/a>Jake Dixon<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-WorldSBK-Test-Jan-Portimao-Bautista-1024x629.jpg\")
<\/a>\u00c1lvaro Bautista
\nYari Montella<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-WorldSBK-Test-Jan-Portimao-Montella-1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>Yari Montella<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-WorldSBK-Test-Jan-Portimao-Bimota-Fores-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team \u2013 Xavi Fores
\nAlex Lowes<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-WorldSBK-Test-Jan-Portimao-Bimota-Pit2-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team
\nAxel Bassani<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-WorldSBK-Test-Jan-Portimao-Bimota-Pit-1024x778.jpg\")
<\/a>bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team \u2013 Xavi Fores<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-WorldSBK-Test-Jan-Portimao-Gerloff-ZX-10RR-1-1002x1024.jpg\")
<\/a>Garrett Gerloff\u2019s ZX-10RR