served a purpose regardless. Rea out-qualified teammate Somkiat Chantra and was ahead of him at the finish in two of the three races but not by as much as perhaps he would’ ve liked and he might have expected to have come away from Portimao with more than 4-points to his name.
GOELEVEN DUCATI Lorenzo Baldassari on the GoEleven Ducati didn’ t get close enough to the front to challenge for a podium to go with the one he scored at Phillip Island but he did finish top 10 in all the races. There was a fair bit of head scratching when GoEleven signed Balda as what little previous WorldSBK experience he’ d got under his belt hadn’ t cast him in a great light but, based on the first two rounds of WorldSBK 2026, GoEleven made a smart choice and Baldassari is very much rewarding the team’ s decision to give him a chance, sitting just a handful of points behind Sam Lowes in the chase for the best-independent rider title and seventh overall in the championship.
BARNI SPARK RACING DUCATI Oh dear. Yari Montella is really looking poised right up to the moment that he isn’ t. Qualifying third behind Bulega and Lecuona set him up for a great weekend of racing but it just didn’ t pan out that way. Montella clearly has to ride very close to the edge to keep in touch with the Aruba. it duo, but he pushed it right over the edge in both full-length races, crashing out with low-sides under brakes from 2nd in Race One and 5th in Race Two( at the same corner, at the same time as Xavi Vierge( although they crashed completely independently). A handful of points from a 6th place finish in the Tissot Superpole sprint race was his only reward from the weekend. Along with, perhaps, a strong word from his team principal. Alvaro Bautista didn’ t fare much better. He continues to qualify poorly and then either
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