Miguel Oliveira does not assume Ducati must be topic to a efficiency penalty on the WorldSBK, regardless of profitable the primary two rounds.
Ducati has gained all six races to this point in 2026 with Nicolo Brega and leads the World Superbike rider standings by 56 factors after two rounds, simply six factors wanting a full race weekend.
Within the second race in Portugal, the Italian was not as commanding as he was within the season opener in Australia, however he nonetheless led each lap and gained each race by not less than two seconds.
Brega was additionally supported by his new Ducati manufacturing facility teammate Iker Lecuona, who completed second in all three races. Barni Ducati’s Jari Montella additionally certified on the entrance row in Portugal and completed on the rostrum in Australia. So did Goi Eleven’s Lorenzo Baldassari, the latter surviving an arm pump in Portugal to complete sixth in race two.
The primary non-Ducati competitor in Portimao was BMW’s Miguel Oliveira, who took third place in every of the three races.
Oliveira was 4 seconds behind Brega in race one and 7 seconds behind in race two. The Portuguese was as quick as Toprak Razgatlioglu in a BMW at Portimao in 2025, however whereas Razgatlioglu took three wins, Oliveira was unable to return near profitable at Portimao in 2026.
In fact, Ducati has launched the brand new era Panigale V4 R for this season, however regardless of falling wanting its unbeaten begin and his first place in Portimao, Oliveira says he doesn’t need any efficiency penalties imposed on the Bologna manufacturing facility within the type of changes to the efficiency steadiness guidelines, which have been centered round most allowed gas move since final yr.
“Unquestionably, they deserve what they get out of it,” Oliveira stated after Race 2 in Portimao, Speedweek reported.
“It’s a mixture of the work they do within the manufacturing facility, the staff and the motive force work.
“I do not assume they want any particular diversifications. They’re simply doing their job and that is why they’re on the high. It is also true that they are not the one Ducati on the grid. There are lots of guys who completed behind me.
“We have to take a look at ourselves and never blame others for his or her success. It is a world championship. We have now to attempt to shut the hole.”
Oliveira steered that the weaknesses in opposition to Ducati are nook entry pace and nook exit stability.
“The restrict that we felt over the weekend, and I really feel like our opponents are a little bit bit stronger, is our stability when the rear wheel slips and our pace once we go into corners,” he stated.
“We have been at our limits in these areas, however we tried to make up for it in different sections of the monitor.
“Saturday’s race was greater than 5 seconds quicker than final yr, and I used to be just below half a second quicker than final yr’s winner, but it surely wasn’t sufficient.
“Rivals are going the additional mile and we have to catch up.”
