Portimão, Portugal – ProGP NitiRacing concluded Round 2 of the 2026 World Sportbike Championship at the Algarve International Circuit, taking away valuable lessons that will serve as a foundation for improving performance in the upcoming rounds.
Facing the technical and demanding nature of the circuit, the Indonesian team experienced a challenging weekend from the opening sessions through to the races.
In Race 1, the results fell short of expectations. Arai Agaska finished in 20th position, while Felix Putra Mulya was forced to retire (DNF) following an incident during the race.
This outcome became an important point of reflection for the team, particularly in terms of bike setup and race strategy amid the highly competitive new World Sportbike category.
Heading into Race 2, the team showed signs of improvement, although they were still unable to secure championship points. Overall, the Portimão weekend marked a crucial adaptation phase, especially as the 2026 season represents the inaugural year of the World Sportbike class replacing Supersport 300 World Championship.
Team Statement
Omar Menghi – Team Manager
“This has been a challenging week for us. With a completely new bike and the World Championship kit only arriving on Monday during testing, this was effectively our first real contact with the full package less than a week before racing.
From a results perspective, it’s clear this is not where we want to be yet. However, considering that other teams have already had the chance to test and race in their national championships, and that our riders were already matching competitive lap times, we see this as a positive sign.
We remain confident and optimistic about our development and potential for the upcoming rounds.”
Felix Putra Mulya
“It was a challenging weekend for me in Portimão. We tried many things with the bike, and even though the result was not what we expected, I can feel the progress in my confidence and understanding of the package. The incident in Race 1 was disappointing, but the most important thing is that I’m okay and ready to come back stronger. We will keep working and stay focused for the next round.”
Arai Agaska
“The race weekend in Portugal was a very important learning experience for both myself and the team. We are still adapting to the new package in this category. The results were not ideal, but we gained valuable data and lessons. I truly believe that with hard work, we will continue to improve and get closer to the front in the upcoming rounds.”
Team Progress & Outlook
Although the final results were below expectations, ProGP NitiRacing takes several positives from the weekend:
- Continuous adaptation to a new bike package
- Valuable data collection across all sessions
- Strong teamwork under challenging conditions
With the 2026 season marking a new era for the championship, the team remains committed to a long-term development approach.
Looking Ahead
ProGP NitiRacing now shifts its focus to the next round with clear objectives: improving qualifying performance, building stronger race pace, and fighting for championship points.
With a mindset built on trusting the process, the team is confident that consistent hard work will translate into stronger results in the upcoming races.
