What will the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati squad be up to at the Portimao Test?

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After dominating the season opener at Phillip Island, what will Ducati be working on at the Portimao Test?

Ducati dominated the opening round of the 2025 World Superbike Championship. Nicolo Bulega won all three races and leads the Championship as Superbikes returns to Europe for Round Two.

However, before the second round of the season at the end of March, the World Superbike field will have a two-day test in Portimao.

The test will take place this Friday and Saturday at the Portuguese circuit, which will also host the second round of the season.

The Portimao Test will reveal the extent of Ducati's domination or if Phillip Island was an anomaly.

"My main goal for the Portimão test is to gain more confidence with the bike," Bulega explained.

"Unfortunately, we didn't get to ride much during the winter tests due to the weather.

"Improve the feel and prepare for the race weekend. In Portimão, good braking is crucial, so we'll work on that area and hopefully improve."

Two-time World Superbike Champion, Alvaro Bautista, is 36 points behind his teammate and is second in the standings.

The Spaniard finished second and third in the main races, but crashed in the Superpole Race. However, he managed to find a better feeling with his Ducati Panigale V4 R, something he wants to continue to work on in Portimao.

"We see the test as an important preparation for the race weekend," Bautista stated.

"We will largely continue our work from the winter tests and Phillip Island. I will try to have the same feeling with the bike at the end of the two days as I did at the end of Australia.

"We don't have a set test plan. How we proceed will depend on how I feel and what problems we encounter."

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