ThePitcrewOnline

Day: 11 October 2026

  • WorldSBK: More records tumble as Bulega dominates Estoril

    WorldSBK: More records tumble as Bulega dominates Estoril

    After being firmly second best to Iker Lecuona in all three races last time out at Cremona, World Champion Nicolo Bulega did what he had done at every othef round this season and asserted himself as the dominant rider at the Tissot Estoril Round and secured another couple of series records to boot…

     

    Race 1

    From a comfortable pole position, Bulega blew the start and slid behind Iker Lecuona and Alex Lowes to third.  By turn one of the second lap the World Champion was back behind his teammate, and it was just a case of reeling him in.

    With 19 laps still to run, Bulega moved confidently past Lecuona at the first turn and went on to an unchallenged victory.  After being firmly second quickest for the first time all season to Lecuona last time at Cremona, Bulega proved he was not taking it slow even after his coronation as 2026 champion.

    Alex Lowes lacked the pace to run as high as he did on the first lap, slipping behind Alberto Surra and home hero Miguel Oliveria.  Surra just held on for his first full-distance race WorldSBK podium ahead of a determined Oliveria who unlocked easily the most pace seen from BMW since the last time he raced on home turf in March…

    Lorenzo Baldassari survived being sideswiped my Yari Montella to lead a group of four bikes home in sixth five seconds Alex Lowes who settled in fifth.  Despite having lost a wing and falling as low as 12th, Montella bullied his way past teammate Alvaro Bautista for ninth – with the latter’s record of 27 race wins in a season from 2023 being matched by Bulega in this round.

    Race 1 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

     

    Tissot Superpole Race

    As with the race yesterday Lecuona snatched the lead into turn one at the start.  By the beginning of lap three however, Bulega was back in front and back to his best with a new record number if wins in a WorldSBK season secured as Lecuona had to settle once again for second.

    When Lecuona went a little wide to let Bulega by, he almost succumbed to Oliveria.  The Portuguese rider settled in third and despite his best efforts lost the podium to Surra on the last lap as Bautista came home behind for a decent result in fifth.

    Andrea Locatelli crashed out further back and Axel Bassani, Xavi Vierge, Jake Dixon and Baldassari rounded out the points-scoring top nine.  Meanwhile Montella and Alex Lowes both found trouble and provided good entertainment as they tried to recover from the back past slower bikes.

    Tissot Superpole Race Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

     

    Race 2

    The two factory Ducati riders put on a great show for the first half a lap and even briefly touched at turn one.  Exiting the parabolica, Bulega edged in front and from there it was job done and the Italian has now eclipsed Jonathan Rea’s record points score from a WorldSBK season.

    Oliveria and Alex Lowes both had awful first laps, with the former briefly under investigation for a jump start as Bautista rose from fifth on the grid to third.  Surra and Bassani were soon on the back of Bautista with the former quickly getting past, as Montella circled in sixth.

    Behind the top two and the group of four came a larger group contesting seventh.  After one third distance, Oliveria recovered to P7 with some marvellous double overtakes into turn one.

    Surra ran wide at the first two corners with nine laps to go to let Bautista back into third but slid out himself under pressure from what would have been only his second podium of an incredibly frustrating season.  At least for his Barni team, their other rider Montella was able to dispose of Bassani and clinch the Independent Riders’ Championship with a round to spare while Sam Lowes languished in 15th.

    Race 2 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

     

    Championship Standings

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

  • Maximo Quiles Crowned 2026 Moto3 World Champion with Rounds to Spare

    Maximo Quiles Crowned 2026 Moto3 World Champion with Rounds to Spare

    Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) is officially the 2026 Moto3 World Champion, and he’s done it in style! A dominant victory at the Indonesian Grand Prix saw the 18-year-old wrap up the title with five rounds still remaining, putting the rest of the grid on notice and capping off a sensational season.

    Photo Credit: MotoGP

    Quiles arrived at Mandalika with a 127-point advantage over his closest rival, David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) also mathematically in the title fight. With a 125-point advantage enough to seal the championship, the target was clear: keep the points gap where it was, and the crown was his.

    The weekend hadn’t exactly started with Quiles on the front foot. Saturday’s qualifying saw the title challengers lock out the front row, with Uriarte taking pole ahead of Almansa and Carpe. Quiles, meanwhile, had work to do from sixth on the grid, lining up behind Leopard Racing duo Adrian Fernandez and Guido Pini. But if anyone thought the championship leader would sit back and play it safe, they clearly hadn’t been paying attention.

    Quiles was straight into action when the lights went out, charging from sixth to third off the line before dispatching Uriarte on the opening lap. Next up was Almansa, his closest championship rival. Quiles made his move at Turn 1, taking the lead and immediately putting himself in control of the race.

    From there, the #28 was in a league of his own. Quiles built a two-second advantage during the opening six laps before stretching his lead further, leaving the chasing pack with little answer to his pace. There was no last-lap drama, no desperate final-corner lunge and no need to do the championship maths on the run to the flag. This was a statement victory from a rider who had been the benchmark all season.

    Quiles crossed the line 2.9 seconds clear to claim his tenth Grand Prix victory of 2026 and, more importantly, the Moto3 World Championship. His advantage stretched to an unassailable 132 points, making him the first rider in Moto3 history to secure the title with five rounds still to run. Not a bad way to get the job done!

    Almansa had to settle for second, bringing home another strong result for Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP, while Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA) completed the podium in third. Uriarte narrowly missed out on the rostrum in fourth after starting from pole, while his Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate Carpe saw his race come to an abrupt end after crashing out with ten laps remaining.

    What makes Quiles’ title-winning season even more impressive is that he has converted 58.8% of his races into victories, a remarkable strike rate that underlines just how dominant the Spaniard has been in 2026. His campaign wasn’t without its setbacks, either. Quiles broke his right collarbone at Silverstone and underwent surgery at Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid to repair the fracture. To come back from such an injury and continue winning at this level makes his championship triumph all the more impressive.

    Maximo Quiles is your 2026 Moto3 World Champion. And he’s only 18.