SBK | GP Estoril: Second trip to Portugal for the world circus of superbikes racing. The Estoril circuit is hosting the eleventh round of the Superbike World Championship this season. Lorenzo Baldassarri has fond memories of the track and is ready to fight for results and points

The 2026 Superbike World Championship returns to Portugal, this time heading to Estoril, a historic circuit thirty kilometres from Lisbon which first hosted the World Superbike Championship back in 1988, before returning on an alternating basis over the years. It is another track full of fond memories for Lorenzo Baldassarri, who, from his early days in the Rookies Cup through to his Supersport debut in 2022, has secured some fine podium finishes and enjoyed great success there. The return to the Portuguese circuit comes at the peak of the season, characterised by a very positive post-summer run of form. Consistently fast in free practice and qualifying, as well as in the race itself, Lorenzo has so far shown that he can hold his own against anyone in the premier class. There is keen anticipation to see how he will fare on the GoEleven team’s Ducati Panigale V4 R, which continues to perform well on every occasion.

Described as “interesting” by Balda himself, this 4,182-metre circuit features one of the longest straights in the championship, two chicanes and long parabolic bends, making a total of thirteen corners. Adrenaline-fuelled throughout the lap, the exit from the final right-hand bend is particularly thrilling, where riders build speed with the bike leaned over before opening the throttle wide towards the finish line.

«Estoril is a circuit where I have fond memories; I raced there for the first time back in my Rookies Cup days, securing my first podium. I like it; it has an interesting layout, but during my years in Moto3 and Moto2 it wasn’t on the calendar and I wasn’t able to race there again. I returned there in 2022 during my time in Supersport, and as that return resulted in a podium finish, I’m keen to race this round on a Superbike. We’re doing very well and have achieved some good results over the last few race weekends, so we’re aiming to finish on a high. It’s important to improve our position, with the aim of beating this year’s podium finishes at Phillip Island and Balaton, but we still want to bring home as many points as possible. As for the future, everything is still to be decided, but I hope to have some news as soon as possible.» (Lorenzo Baldassarri)

To stay up to date, you can follow the 7balda (Instagram) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Facebook) social media channels, or visit the official website worldsbk.com. To experience all the excitement of the races live and on demand, simply tune in to worldsbk.com, Sky Sport, NOWtv and TV8 on channel 8 of DTT. The schedule is as follows.