The first of three races at the Portuguese venue ran to just 14 laps and started more than an hour later than scheduled following a heavy crash for WSP300 rider Victor Steeman. The Dutch rider was taken to the hospital after being diagnosed with polytrauma and head injuries, with the incident impacting the entire day's schedule.
When the action did get underway in the flagship WSBK category, polesitter Jonathan Rea held on to the lead from pole position, with Alex Lowes moving up to second ahead of Razgatlioglu to establish an early Kawasaki 1-2.
