The Estoril weekend was full of ups and downs, starting with a challenging Friday. In free practice, we tested a few ideas for the bike’s setup in the wet conditions. As the track dried up in the second half of the session, lap times improved, but we were still far from finding the optimal setup. By the time Superpole started, the track was dry, and we went out on slick tyres to make the most of it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the rain returned, cutting the session short and leaving us without much of a chance to improve our lap time. It was clear that the race the day after would be tricky, but we remained determined to give it our all.

Saturday morning brought more wet conditions, but with the forecast predicting a dry race in the afternoon, we decided not to take any big risks. Starting from the back of the grid, I knew it would be a difficult race. I got off to a solid start, but I couldn’t latch onto a faster group in the opening laps. Bit by bit, I made my way through the field and eventually reached the points zone. Despite the progress, we still had work to do with the bike’s setup, particularly with the rear. We were hoping for a dry warm-up the next day to fine-tune the bike before the race.

Sunday morning gave us that opportunity, with dry conditions in the warm-up allowing us to collect more data for the race. However, just before the start of the race in the afternoon, a few raindrops began to fall, although the track remained dry. That slight moisture may have affected overall grip, as I experienced quite a bit of spinning from the start. Despite this, I had a decent start, overtaking several riders on the first lap and quickly fighting for a spot in the points zone. Unfortunately, I encountered chatter issues going into the chicane, which caused me to crash. It was disappointing, especially since the pace was competitive, and with a better starting position, a top-10 finish could have been within reach. Still, we’re taking the positives from this weekend and looking forward to giving it another go next week in Jerez.