Toprak Razgatlioglu has finally knocked Nicolo Bulega off the top of the World Superbikes championship lead in 2025 after a comfortable treble victory around Donington Park – a circuit he has now secured 12 victories at – as his Ducati nemesis had to settle for consecutive runner-up spots.
Tissot Superpole Race
Alex Lowes was declared unfit for Sunday’s action after his crash from the lead yesterday in Race 1. In the slightly cooler conditions, the World Superbikes grid was hoping for a much cleaner race than yesterdays and things immediately went smoother as they all made it through turn 1 safely.
Once again, Jonathan Rea shot through from the 2nd row of the grid to take 2nd place behind polesitter Razgatliolgu into Redgate on lap 1. Bulega slid to 4th while Andrea Locatelli ran in 3rd.
The only casualty on the 1st lap was Michael van der Mark, whose miserable season continues. By the 2nd lap, Locatelli was back down to 5th as Bulega moved ahead to challenge Rea for 2nd and Sam Lowes then passed him for 4th.
The battle between Rea and Bulega over allowed Razgatlioglu to stretch his lead out front as the Yamaha and Ducati ran the latter half of the Donington Park lap side-by-side on the 2nd lap. The entertaining battle came to an end as Bulega prevailed and it became clear that Rea’s ultimate pace was not enough for him to secure a podium.
Another great piece of racing occurred between Ryan Vickers and Yari Montella. The latter made a mistake that lost him positions and the former had enough pace to fight within the crucial top-9 positions in the Tissot Superpole Race – which sets the grid for Race 2.
Alvaro Bautista – like Sam Lowes – was making up for lost time from the previous day’s crash. The Ducati rider passed Locatelli for 4th and secured a much better grid spot for Race 2 later in the day.
Behind the top 6 and starting Race 2 where they finished were Danilo Petrucci, Garrett Gerloff and Andrea Iannone. It seemed as if Vickers would be in the top 9, but on the 8th out of 10 laps he ran wide at the final corner.
Iker Lecuona and Scott Redding both had technical issues that forced them out near the end while Locatelli made it past his teammate Rea at the chicane on the last lap. Razgatlioglu’s 11th win around Donington Park cut the gap to Bulega to just 1 point ahead of the full distance race in the afternoon where he looked all set to snatch the lead in the championship.
Tissot Superpole Race Results
Image Credit: WorldSBK
Race 2
For the third time this weekend, Razgatlioglu made the hole shot to Redgate as Bulega suffered another sluggish getaway. It was Sam Lowes, fresh from a home podium in the Tissot Superpole Race, who inherited 2nd place at the start.
Bulega again fell as low as 5th and had to repass Locatelli, then set about his teammate Bautista who had also passed him in the early stages. The Ducati teammates fight over 3rd then became a battle over 2nd as Sam Lowes crashed out at high speed at the start of lap 4 but thankfully without any obvious injuries like his brother Alex had a day earlier.
After Bulega made it past Bautista the battles at the front of the grid settled down as Razgatlioglu had covered off any vulnerability by acing the start and settling into a comfortable rhythm. There was however a battle for 4th featuring Locatelli, Petrucci, Iannone and Gerloff.
Locatelli held a gap of just under a second to stay out of range from Petrucci as Iannone made a mistake at the chicane that dropped him out of the fight and behind Dominique Aegerter with 8 laps to go. Vickers was a couple of seconds behind holding Remy Gardner at bay for 9th, both of whom had made up several spots since the start.
Meanwhile, van der Mark had yet more mechanical trouble as his nightmare weekend in Donington continued with another retirement on Sunday as his teammate romped to a triple victory. The only threat to Razgatlioglu was a track limits warning but it did not advance into a penalty.
Bulega was in bigger trouble than the leader as his teammate Bautista put on a charge to close right up to him on the final lap. Bulega just held on from Bautista as Razgatlioglu came home 3 seconds clear of the Ducatis and took the championship lead for the first time this year with a record 12th victory at the Prosecco DOC UK Round.
Further down, Iannone made it back past Aegerter for 7th but Vickers fell backwards once again and came home 11th. Scott Redding was behind in 12th, completely unable to replicate the pace he had shown in Race 1 the previous day while British wildcard Tommy Bridewell retired.
Lecuona’s Honda finally held together for a race distance at the 3rd attempt this weekend to take 10th behind Gardner, then came the two Brits. Vickers and Redding were the meat in a Honda sandwich as Montella and Rea trundled home as the last of the points scorers.
David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) emerged victorious in a breathtaking Moto3 Grand Prix at Sachsenring, delivering a sensational final corner move to take his second career win – and the first at home for his German-based team. The Spanish rider edged out rookie sensation Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) by just 0.241 seconds, with Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) pushed back to third in a three-wide drag to the line.
Photo Credit: KTM Red Bull Ajo
The final lap delivered peak Moto3 chaos. Rueda led through the closing stages, but Muñoz made his move into the final corner, running the #99 wide and opening the door for Quiles to slice through into second. Rueda held onto third by just 0.009s ahead of Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the top five split by just 0.335s at the flag.
The drama was non-stop throughout the 23-lap race. Scott Ogden, who started from pole, crashed out in the second half after early front-running form. Carpe was forced to take a Long Lap Penalty after aggressive opening-lap contact with David Almansa (Leopard Racing), but clawed his way back to the lead group by the final laps.
Australian Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) rode smartly to sixth, just half a second from victory, while Italy’s Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) equalled his best-ever finish in seventh. Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE) secured impressive eighth and ninth places, the New Zealander earning his career-best result to date. Marcos Uriarte (LEVELUP-MTA) completed the top ten.
Further back, Dennis Foggia came through from deep in the pack to finish 11th ahead of Valentin Perrone, Stefano Nepa, and Riccardo Rossi, with Ryusei Yamanaka taking the final point in 15th. Swiss riders Noah Dettwiler and Lenoxx Phommara rounded out the finishers ahead of Nicola Carraro, who was classified but finished off the pace.
Rueda’s P3 finish still sees him extend his lead in the championship, but with Muñoz, Quiles, and Piqueras all closing in, the title fight is heating up heading into the second half of the season.
Toprak Razgatlioglu took a historic 10th victory at Donington Park to slash the championship deficit to Nicolo Bulega to just 4 points under sizzling Leicestershire sunshine as the home heroes did their best to put on a show for the British crowd.
Having started on pole position at a track that is amongst his favourites on the World Superbikes calendar, Razgatlioglu took a comfortable 10th victory around Donington in Race 1 at the Prosecco DOC UK Round. However, the Turkish rider had a couple of unlikely challengers in the opening stages.
Starting in 4th place – his best of the season – Jonathan Rea shot through into 2nd place and very nearly took the lead into Redgate on the 1st lap. Halfway around the lap, Rea’s dream start was thwarted by Alex Lowes and halfway round lap 2, Lowes snatched 1st place from Razgatlioglu on his Bimota.
Sadly, Lowes time in the lead was cut short when he crashed going through the fast Craner Curves at the start of lap 4. Lowes was far from the only fast rider to exit the race early on as three Ducatis from three different teams went down in a scary accident at the first corner on lap 1.
Yari Montella and Sam Lowes came together, collecting Alvaro Bautista on the outside of Redgate corner. This is far from the only time Bautista has been caught in a crash in the midfield after the start of a race this year as the Spaniard’s poor qualifying form keeps leaving him vulnerable.
By one quarter distance in the race, one quarter of the field was already out. Only 16 riders made it to the finish, while it was not just crashes but mechanical problems probably onset by the heat that led to Iker Lecuona’s Honda gearbox giving up.
As some unfortunate riders dropped out, others rose to the fore. Scott Redding had leapt up 8 spots after the 1st lap but his compatriot Ryan Vickers, who like Rea was enjoying his best qualifying of the year at home in Donington fell down 7 spots.
After Alex Lowes took himself out of the lead, Razgatliolgu had enough pace in hand to increase the gap to Bulega behind each lap. Bulega had fallen as low as 5th but was back into 2nd place fairly quickly as Rea started to fade, but had no answer to his BMW rival who won by 6 and a half seconds.
Rea settled at the back of a four-way fight for 3rd behind Danilo Petrucci, Andrea Locatelli and Redding. Behind them came Dominique Aegerter and Garrett Gerloff both running comfortably in their respective positions while another four-way battle ensued over 9th place.
Although Redding appeared to have the most pace and made it into 4th before Petrucci started to pull clear a little, a mistake at the Melbourne Hairpin towards the end dropped him to 6th place at the flag but it was still a positive race for the Brit who had been back racing in the British Superbike Championship just 6 days earlier at Knockhill. In the battle for 9th, Vickers and Michael van der Mark tripped over each other too much and slipped behind Andrea Iannone and Xavi Vierge.
The end of an era is upon us: the Formula E Gen 3 Era! As we enter Season 12, which marks an end to these generational cars, we look ahead to Season 12 as I, Kieran, attempt to predict the grid! These predictions are based on currently public and confirmed information from Formula E and the teams themselves.
Jaguar TCS Racing: Mitch Evans and Stoffel Vandoorne
Possibly one of the biggest switches in Formula E’s recent history, Nick Cassidy will leave the team in favour of the dropped from Maserati MSG Racing, Stoffel Vandoorne. This could be what Jaguar needs. A world champion capable of winning races in different conditions with fresh new ideas.
As for Evans, he is to Jaguar what Charles Leclerc is to Ferrari. Been with the team through many eras and highs and lows. With James Barclay leaving the team, Evans will remain and will have to carry a rabbit’s foot to turn his luck around.
Tag Heuer Porsche: Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix Da Costa
Yes, this is a very surprising one, but I have reasons to believe this. As Evans is to Jaguar, Wehrlein is now to Porsche. I do not see a reason for the Season 10 champion to walk away from the German outfit unless their performances MASSIVELY fall off.
Da Costa has entered this season knowing the team decides on his future with the team having an option to extend his stay on their side. Based on what I’ve seen and heard, Da Costa will more than likely stay for the final year of Gen3 before embarking on a new adventure in Gen4.
Nissan: Oliver Rowland and Sergio Sette Camara
It’s no surprise that the current championship leader will remain with the team which has allowed him to put one hand on the championship trophy. 4 rounds remain, but Rowland is now capable of obtaining the title in either Berlin or London.
His teammate situation is an odd one. Rowland had Sacha Fenestraz beside him during Season 10, but Nissan opted to replace him with Norman Nato, who departed Andretti at the end of that season. Nato has underperformed in comparison to his teammate, so he could find himself looking for another seat. Nato will miss the 2 rounds in Berlin due to World Endurance Championship clashes, with Sergio Sette Camara stepping in for him. I think Sette Camara will overachieve and get himself that seat for Season 12.
(Currently) Neom McLaren: Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard
The reunion of the Season 10 teammates over at the team that is currently called Neom McLaren. I am predicting Bird to remain at the outfit, with Barnard also remaining at the team to help it grow.
Maserati MSG Racing: Theo Pourchaire and Nick Cassidy
The only driver lineup with a rookie for Season 12 will happen at Maserati, with Pourchaire partnering with Cassidy. Pourchaire has had an unfortunate career since winning Formula 2 back in 2023. Taking part in IndyCar, Formula E tests, ELMS, and Le Mans. However, I can see Maserati being a home for Pourchaire.
Cassidy has had a difficult season in Season 10, with his trajectory ever since Portland last year going down. Although he managed podiums in Monaco and China with a win in the latter, I think he’ll want a change and will move to Maserati.
Cupra Kiro: Dan Ticktum and Jake Hughes
Cupra Kiro has been on the rise this season, thanks to a certain Brit, Dan Ticktum. Securing his maiden podium and win within 1 season of Formula E has been extremely impressive with a team using the previous season’s Porsche powertrain. I see no reason for Ticktum to move.
Hughes will be on the lookout for a seat for Season 12 and beyond, which I believe Kiro can provide for him. While Beckmann was placed in the team instead of Sergio Sette Camara, he hasn’t exactly hit the marks that have been set out, due to some mitigating factors, I’ll admit. Nevertheless, Hughes and Ticktum would be a very strong duo going into the Gen3 Evo finale season.
Andretti: Jake Dennis and Nico Mueller
Yes, I am predicting an unchanged lineup at the outfit which helped Jake Dennis to get his 1st and only world title in London in 2023.
The second Andretti seat seems to be cursed, similar to the Red Bull seat in F1. However, I think Mueller will manage to hold onto the seat ahead of any other competitors.
Envision Racing: Sebastian Buemi and Robin Frijns
Yes, another customer team that is keeping the same lineup (odd, right?). With Buemi’s win in Monaco and Frijns managing to pull some insane strategies like going from P22 to P9 in Jakarta, Envision will want to and will achieve their goal of keeping both drivers for one more season!
Lola Yamaha Abt: Lucas Di Grassi and Zane Maloney
Lola Yamaha Abt is such a unique team in the fact that they are the only team running their powertrain, so having youth and experience is key for their long-term ambitions. A bit conflicting from my end, I will be keeping Maloney and Di Grassi, but that is what I am going to choose.
Di Grassi holds that experience that Lola Yamaha Abt craves to know which direction to go into. Maloney has shown more potential than Beckmann in some regards, which is why he remains in the sport, despite scoring 0 points.
Mahindra: Nyck De Vries and Edoardo Mortara
Mahindra has had an anonymous season so far in the 11th edition of Formula E. However, they have managed to score good points and podiums for both De Vries and Mortara. While I expect them to remain for 1 more season, it will be tight.
DS Penske: Max Guenther and Jean-Éric Vergne
A similar trend for this category is where I see and do not expect a change for the main Stellantis-powered team, with young German driver Maximilian Guenther remaining in his seat with 2-time champion Jean-Eric Vergne taking up the second seat beside him.
Red Bull Racing has announced that Christian Horner has been let go of his duties at Red Bull Racing with immediate effect. Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies will replace the long-standing team principal of the Milton Keynes team.
Horner was the first and only team principal of the team from the inaugeral season since 2005, seeing 8 world drivers championships come under his wing from Sebastian Vettel from 2010 to 2013 inclusive and Max Verstappen from 2021 to 2024 inclusive.
In a statement to F1, Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, said:
“We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,” added Mintzlaff. With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise, and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”
Laurent Mekies went on to say, “The last year and a half has been an absolute privilege to lead the team with Peter [Bayer, Racing Bulls CEO]. It has been an amazing adventure to contribute to the birth of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people. The spirit of the whole team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning.”
Laurent Mekies joins after taking over the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team in 2024, taking over from Franz Tost, who retires at the end of 2023. Mekies worked previously at Ferrari and saw many drivers under his wing once taking command of Red Bull’s sister team, including Liam Lawson, Daniel Ricciardo, and Yuki Tsunoda, the latter of whom he will be reunited with at Red Bull Racing.
Alan Permane has been given the top role at Racing Bulls as Mekies has moved up to the main seat at Red Bull Racing.
Formula One returns on 25th July 2025 at Spa Francorchamps, Belgium.
December 2024 marked the start of Season 11 with the Sao Paulo E-Prix, with Mitch Evans taking the highlight and only points of his season by going from last to first; a chance where Evans and Jaguar thought it was their season, their time to shine. Ultimately, it was not to be. Now, however, we are entering the penultimate weekend with a double header at the iconic Tempelhof circuit in Berlin, the scene where he stalled back in 2021 and Nyck De Vries picked up his world championship.
Anyway, onto this season. This weekend is make or break for many drivers out of contract or looking to switch teams. Certain drivers, such as Nick Cassidy, are rumoured to be signed to other teams already, but it’s to be confirmed officially.
Preview:
The Circuit map for the Berlin E-Prix. Image Credit: Formula E Documents
This 2.347 km long circuit is an icon on the Formula E calendar for drivers, teams and fans! The array of corners, run down towards turn 1 and turns 10, 11 and 12, offer great overtaking opportunities. With new drivers Sergio Sette Camara and Felipe Drugovich making their season debut here due to Norman Nato and Nyck De Vries prioritising the World Endurance Championship in Brazil, this will be a weekend to watch!
Predictions:
Round 13:
Pole Position: Pascal Wehrlein The reigning world champion will want to delay Oliver Rowland securing the championship, especially as this is his home race. I can see both Porsche and Pascal putting all of their eggs into this basket in order to maximise the result for the first competitive session of the weekend.
Race Winner: Maximilian Guenther Is this a bold choice? Kind of is my answer to that. Guenther has really fitted into his new team after his DS Penske promotion. With his home race, his chance for a home victory is real.
Podium: Jaguar and Nissan powered cars I am keeping my options wide open for this one, however, I think both of these powertrains will be strong around the German circuit. I think the driver most desperate to be on the podium will be Mitch Evans who has not scored since race 1 and Sergio Sette Camara who is joining this round in place of Norman Nato.
Round 14:
Pole Position: Sergio Sette Camara Probably the most bold prediction considering the Brazilian’s lack of experience in the Nissan-powered car. He’ll want to get everything out of the car and show that he deserves the seat next to Rowland.
Race Winner: Oliver Rowland The championship leader will have us waiting until the 3rd last race of the season to claim the title! I’m sure he would want to claim the title at home in London, but there are no guarantees in this sport
Podium: Porsche-powered 2nd and 3rd Quite different from the other predictions, but this could be a Tag Heuer Porsche, Andretti or Cupra Kiro. Nico Hülkenberg got his first podium in F1; so many Beckmann can get theirs!
The final day then and Ott brought a forty-three second lead over Seb to the final stages of which there was a total of 99km’s over the four remaining tests. Sami, Takamoto, Kalle and Martins all returned to the action with Sami and Marko opening the road. Greg and Louis would sadly not return to the action which was a huge shame and they’d driven a brilliant first two days to hold sixth overall.
First up was SS14 Smokovo 1 – 26.16 km a properly long stage for the final day and Ott picked up where he left off going 1.8 seconds faster than Seb and Thierry. Elfyn was just seven tenths behind with the fourth best time. Takamoto had a spin in the stage on a left hander which was going uphill. This stage featured two water splashes at around 11km’s and 21km’s.
Into the first run of what would be the power stage later, SS15 Tarzan 1 – 23.37 km and Ott again was fastest from Seb and this time Elfyn. Adrien who was eyeing up his and Alex’s first podium since Monte Carlo was taking things carefully setting the sixth best time.
After a service break came SS16 Smokovo 2 – 26.16 km and Seb was fastest from Ott and Adrien. The drama continued for Thierry whose car engine stopped in the stage. After a reset, the car did restart, and he finished the stage. The top positions remained unchanged and just one stage remained between Ott and Martin taking their first win of the year.
We came then to the final stage, SS17 Tarzan 2[Power Stage] – 23.37 km and Thierry set the early pace, before Kalle and Seb came through and set the fastest time. What of Ott though who was last to complete the stage. Well, the early splits showed that he and Martin was not far off the pace of Seb, but then the later splits showed they were losing time. They completed the stage and were sixteen seconds down on the best time with the fifth best time. They were suffering with a gearbox problem which caused the time loss. They were so concerned with the problem that they did not celebrate the win in the usual way and drove into the area beyond the time zone.
Nevertheless, they’d taken victory at last. It is a well-deserved victory for the crew, and unlikely to be the last this season.
Let’s take a look at the top positions and hear from the drivers.
Final Overall Classification – Acropolis Rally
1
O. Tänak
M. Järveoja
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
4:12:20.1
2
S. Ogier
V. Landais
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+32.8
3
A. Fourmaux
A. Coria
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
+3:09.8
4
E. Evans
S. Martin
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+3:31.1
5
T. Neuville
M. Wydaeghe
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
+8:59.5
6
O. Solberg
E. Edmondson
Toyota GR Yaris
+10:34.7
7
G. Greensmith
J. Andersson
Škoda Fabia RS
+11:28.5
8
Y. Rossel
A. Dunand
Citroën C3
+11:43.7
9
K. Kajetanowicz
M. Szczepaniak
Toyota GR Yaris
+12:56.7
10
A. Cachón
B. Rozada
Toyota GR Yaris
+14:19.9
Hyundai Motorsport
Ott Tänak
“It was a great weekend, but it was also incredibly demanding. The temperatures and the length of the rally were massive obstacles, but we were very happy to put a winning package together, keep the tyres alive and demonstrate our performance. Since Saturday morning we were able to control the pace, I felt good in the car and it was working really well in these conditions. We avoided punctures all weekend by pushing in the sections with minimal risk and holding back in the rougher places, and that was the key. Overall, we are very happy to claim our first win at Acropolis in these conditions.”
2025 FIA World Rally Championship Acropolis Rally 2025, 26-29 June 2025 Photographer: Romain Thuillier Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Adrien Fourmaux
“This was one of the toughest Acropolis Rallies I’ve ever competed in. Temperatures were really high, and the ground was super abrasive with a lot of loose rocks. We saw a lot of punctures during the rally, but we managed to stay away with minimal tyre damage. I’m pleased to finish on the podium, we were fighting for second but after the issue we had yesterday that fight was over. Securing third was really important to us and we managed to do it, so I’m pleased with the weekend overall.”
Thierry Neuville
“I’m leaving Greece with a solid points haul, but it’s not the weekend I wanted. I had three punctures, and from then on we faced other issues with the car that didn’t help our final efforts today. All in all, we had lots of trouble, but we were able to fix the car for the Power Stage and finish that third fastest. I want to target a podium finish and some big points in Estonia; it’s not my favourite surface, but we’ve performed well there in the past, so let’s see.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Sébastien Ogier
“It has been another really strong weekend for us. There was not much we could do about Ott’s pace, also considering the difference in start position, so well done to him on a well-deserved win. Taking 27 points is the maximum I think we could get out of this weekend, so we can be very happy. We have reached the mid-point of the season, and we are still strongly ahead in the manufacturers’ championship. Thanks to the team for pushing very hard all the time and let’s keep going like this in the second half of the season.”
Elfyn Evans
“It’s been a tough weekend with very difficult conditions, but we’ve managed to avoid trouble and finish fourth again – and we also got some Sunday points to top up the tally and soften the blow compared to our rivals. We definitely knew coming into these last three rough gravel rallies opening the road that it would be possible to lose our lead of the championship, so on that side I’m pleased. Now we move onto a different type of rally where we hope to show some more pace and performance.”
Kalle Rovanperä
“It was a tricky day restarting today. With our starting place we didn’t have much to play for but we had quite OK pace on the Power Stage and at least we could take four points from there, which was probably the maximum we could do. It hasn’t been the best weekend for me, not being on the pace and level where I should be. I know that there is room to improve, and we will work to come back stronger for Estonia.”
Takamoto Katsuta
“It was a pity that the Power Stage didn’t work out for us. We chose to focus on it and were pushing a lot, but not in a crazy way: looking at the split times we were fastest overall until we had to stop and change the tyre. It was a frustrating weekend, but we know that this rally can be very tough, and these things can happen; the important thing is to keep my head up and prepare for the next events in Estonia and Finland.”
Sami Pajari
“I had a nice feeling driving again today; thanks to the team for getting us back on the road. It was something really strange and unfamiliar for me to be first on the road and sweeping it clean, but it was also good experience. It’s safe to say it’s not been the weekend we were hoping for but the beginning on Friday was quite strong, so it is good to see the pace is getting there and I’m looking forward to the next events.”
M-Sport Ford WRT
Josh McErlean
“I think it’s been a super demanding weekend for everyone, the team, the car, the crew. It’s nice to know you can get through these kinds of events – we hit a massive hurdle yesterday morning when we clipped the rock, but we managed to fix the car and keep it going.
“Today has been pretty ok, we’ve learnt a lot from a driving perspective and hopefully we can have a good test in Finland and prepare properly for the next two rallies.”
Mārtiņš Sesks
“Of course, I think we can find some positives from certain stages, our Power Stage performance wasn’t bad and some of the other stages too. On our first time here we’ve had to be quick learners, and I would say at some points we were quite good. On the points where we weren’t so good, it’s just about having knowledge for future years and at least now we know more about how to prepare for this rally. It needs more detailed preparation compared to other rallies and the experience we’ve gained this week will help that in the future.”
Grégoire Munster
“A disappointing end to our experience in Greece, but generally we had some positives to take away. Especially on Friday when there were good conditions, we pushed and managed to get a third-fastest time which shows the potential of the car.
“In other places we managed to be cautious, we had a long-term strategy and finished Friday in fifth and then sixth on Saturday evening, so there were a lot of positives from the weekend. It wasn’t meant to be, but we will come back stronger.”
Oliver Solberg
“It’s such a nice feeling,” smiled Oliver, shortly after celebrating with his fiancé, Chloe Chambers.
“This has been the absolutely perfect weekend. You hear so much about this event and you’re kind of a little bit scared for some of the stories – this is the Acropolis Rally, where anything can happen!
“Me and Elliott made a plan and we stuck with it, we pushed where it was safe and sensible, and we backed off to look after the tyres and the car where it was really bad. I’m really proud for this win, the way we managed the race and the tyres, and everything was really nice – it was a strategic win.
“I want to say a big thanks to the team. I know I say this every time, but it’s so true: Toyota and Printsport made the perfect car for the perfect rally and the same with Elliott. It’s fair to say this has been a hot one, with the temperature in the car so high at times, but he’s been so, so good with the notes and everything.
“I don’t know what else to say! I came here without so much experience, I didn’t feel I’d ever done the Acropolis properly and I wanted to put that right. We’ve done that. There wasn’t a single thing, it was a flawless rally.
“The icing on the cake has to be the championship lead again. Everything is feeling super-nice right now. Everything is working just like we want. I’m very happy!”
Summary
Well, what a win for the 2019 world champions. It’s really brought them back into the fight for the championship now just twelve points from the leaders. Next up is their home event as well.
It was a consistent drive from Seb and Vincent to the podium, giving Toyota some excellent points for the championship. They continue to hold second in the driver championship as well.
Finally, Adrien and Alex had a great drive and despite a slight error which damaged the suspension, they did well to score a second podium of the year.
2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round 7
1
E. Evans
150
2
S. Ogier
141
3
O. Tänak
138
4
K. Rovanperä
117
5
T. Neuville
96
6
T. Katsuta
63
7
A. Fourmaux
61
8
S. Pajari
32
9
O. Solberg
19
10
G. Munster
18
2025 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round 7
In a race defined by chaos, comebacks and crashing contenders, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) kept his cool to claim victory at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Championship leader outlasted the madness to finish ahead of David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the Argentine making history by taking his first Moto3™ podium — and the first for Argentina since Gabriel Rodrigo at Mugello in 2021.
Photo credit: Pirelli Press office
Early drama strikes the grid It was Rueda’s teammate Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who grabbed the holeshot from pole, while Rueda slotted into second. Behind, trouble brewed immediately as Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) stalled from seventh. He was thankfully avoided but retired from of the race.
Lap 2 brought even more chaos. David Almansa (Leopard Racing) lunged at Rueda at Turn 8 and collided with him, while Carpe, caught in the aftermath, lost momentum and tumbled to 15th. Then, on Lap 4, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) made contact at the final chicane, both losing ground but continuing.
The race explodes at half distance Rueda led until Lap 9 before being passed by a charging Maximo Quiles, whose aggression shook up the lead group. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) joined the front pack as Rueda briefly slipped to seventh, regrouping just ahead of Perrone.
Lap 15 saw full elbows-out racing. Almansa muscled into the lead but Quiles hit back at Turn 9. A lap later, Carpe’s stunning recovery peaked as he surged to the front after diving past Almansa at Turn 10.
Photo credit: Pirelli Press office
Final laps deliver fireworks With three laps to go, everything unravelled. Quiles crashed out at Turn 10. Moments later, Perrone barged Almansa wide at Turn 15, sending the Leopard rider back to 13th. As the group fractured, Rueda and Carpe were back in the fight at the perfect moment.
But even more carnage followed — a big crash involving Furusato, Fernandez, and Luca Lunetta (Sic58 Squadra Corse) at the end of Lap 18 brought out the red flag. With results taken back to the last completed lap, Rueda was declared the winner, just ahead of Muñoz and a jubilant Perrone. Injury update: At the time of writing it is understood that Lunetta has multiple leg fractures which he sustained when Fernandez clipped him while on the ground.
The rest of the top ten Carpe came home fourth after a rollercoaster ride, while Piqueras fought back to fifth from P16 on the grid. Despite being pushed wide late in the race, Almansa recovered to sixth. Scott Ogden secured a season-best seventh place, ahead of Dennis Foggia (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team), Joel Kelso (LevelUp-MTA), and Marcos Uriarte (LevelUp-MTA), who celebrated a first top ten finish.
🇳🇱 Moto3™ – Dutch GP: Final Classification (Top 15)
TT Circuit Assen | Red flag – results taken at end of Lap 18
Formula One returned to Austria this week for the Grand Prix of the former world constructor champions Red Bull, and it certainly delivered. From qualifying, the McLaren driver Lando Norris led the field away from P2 after obtaining the largest winning margin of the season so far by over half a second, albeit due to the Alpine of Pierre Gasly spinning and disrupting many laps, including the championship leader Oscar Piastri and the reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
Chaos before beginning
Prior to the start of the race, Carlos Sainz said his car was stuck in first gear and wasn’t able to start the formation lap. Once he got going, he went to the pit lane, and his brakes then caught fire. As a result, he was out prior to the 5 red lights going out, bringing the grid down to just 19 drivers. The race was also reduced by 1 lap as a result of this aborted start.
Lap 1 Drama
After the extra formation lap, we saw everyone get off the line, and Piastri managed to get up to P2 ahead of Charles Leclerc. Going into turn 3, Kimi Antonelli locked up MASSIVELY and collided with Max Verstappen, ending the race for both of them.
McLaren Battle
After waiting 11 rounds, we finally got the battle we waited for: Lando Norris vs Oscar Piastri! They were cutting back and forth all race before Norris pitted before Piastri to emerge P4. Piastri extended his stint.
Pressure for drivers
Tsunoda and Colapinto, both drivers whose futures are under pressure at their current teams, collided at turn 4 a few laps prior to the midpoint of the race. Tsunoda got a 10-second time penalty for this, adding the cherry to the cake for Red Bull and Tsunoda’s disastrous weekend. Colapinto is reported to be on a race-by-race basis, so any mistake or collision is not in his or his team’s best interest.
To add insult to injury, Colapinto received a 5 second time penalty for forcing another driver off of the track. That driver? Oscar Piastri! Tsunoda and Colapinto were fighting, Piastri emerged from the pits, attempted to pass traffic, and Colapinto didn’t see Piastri and pushed him onto the grass.
Mercedes struggling
With the temperatures being on the EXTREME side, Mercedes knew they would struggle here. Antonelli’s collision with Verstappen on lap 1 was not the struggle they wanted or needed. Antonelli will more than likely get a grid penalty for the British Grand Prix.
Russell managed to hold onto P5 to get some good points for the team but off the pace from both Ferrari and McLaren
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber Masterclass
After a disastrous 2024 season with no points scored until the penultimate round with Zhou Guanyu, Sauber has scored a double points finish! Bortoleto finished P8 and Hulkenberg P9 . This is Bortoleto’s first point in Formula One and is an insane turnaround for the team about to become Audi in 2026.
Red Bull Struggles At Home
This weekend for the Red Bull team was one of the worst-case scenarios for the Austrian team. After Max Verstappen got tied up with Kimi Antonelli at turn 3, the pressure was on Yuki Tsunoda, who has been struggling ever since he joined the Red Bull team. The Japanese driver was keeping his nose clean until he collided with the Alpine driver Franco Colapinto and earned himself a 10-second time penalty for the collision.
Results
Lando Norris managed to win the Austrian Grand Prix after a battle with his teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished P2. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished P3 and P4, respectively. George Russell finished P5 to salvage what he could from Mercedes’ weekend, Liam Lawson finished P6 as the only Red Bull-powered driver to finish P6, and Fernando Alonso held off Gabriel Bortoleto to finish P7 and P8, respectively. Nico Hulkenberg finished P9, and Esteban Ocon finished P10!
The second day then of this iconic rally and the crews had 123km’s over six stages to get through. Martins and Renaur returned to the action after their retirement with the technical problem yesterday. The Latvian crew in their Puma would open the road. Sami did not return to the action as the Yaris remained in the service park. This was because the car still had the problem which caused the retirement yesterday.
First up was SS8 Pavliani 1 – 24.58 km and Ott was fastest from Seb and Adrien as the top three overall continued to set the best times with their advantageous road position. There was some drama for Josh who damaged the suspension on the right rear of his Puma. Also in the wars was Thierry who had another puncture on the right rear.
Into SS9 Karoutes 1 – 19.48 km and Ott was fastest again from Adrien and Seb. Takamoto was finding some pace, going fourth fastest. Thierry came back well after his problem to set the sixth best time and moving ahead of Kalle and into seventh overall.
The final morning stage and the halfway point of the day, SS10 Inohori 1 – 17.66 km saw Seb take a stage win by just one tenth of a second from Ott and Thierry third fastest. Adrien broke his suspension on the rear after sliding into a rock on the edge of the road. The Frenchman dropped one position to third place. Gaining a position was Takamoto who passed Greg for fifth overall. The Puma driver was suffering with a technical problem as his handbrake had failed and this is a key part of the car, helping the driver turn the car on tight corners such as hairpins.
After the service break, SS11 Pavliani 2 – 24.58 km was next and Ott was back to the top, two and a half seconds faster than Seb and Thierry who really was on the kind of pace that would be expected from him. The pace took him up two positions to fifth place. There were two retirements in this stage though as first Kalle and then Takamoto went off the road. The Finn would return to the stage after some help from some spectators, but Takamoto’s car was completely beached. Kalle could not finish the stage though and stopped at the side of the road.
Next up was SS12 Karoutes 2 – 19.48 km and Ott again was fastest from Thierry and Seb. Ott’s lead was now almost forty-three seconds over Seb, with Adrien a further minute and fifteen seconds behind his fellow countryman. The Puma crews of Greg and Josh continued to have issues with their handbrakes but were doing what they could to complete the stages and the day. Greg remained in sixth overall.
Onto the final stage then, SS13 Inohori 2 – 17.66 km and once again Ott was fastest from Seb and Thierry. Elfyn was fourth fastest and maintained his fourth place overall, remaining a minute and thirteen seconds ahead of Thierry.
Let’s take a look at the top positions and hear from the drivers.
Classification after Day Two
1
O. Tänak
M. Järveoja
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
2:56:31.7
2
S. Ogier
V. Landais
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+43.6
3
A. Fourmaux
A. Coria
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
+2:08.0
4
E. Evans
S. Martin
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
+3:04.4
5
T. Neuville
M. Wydaeghe
Hyundai i20 N Rally1
+4:17.7
6
G. Munster
L. Louka
Ford Puma Rally1
+5:55.0
7
O. Solberg
E. Edmondson
Toyota GR Yaris
+6:56.7
8
G. Greensmith
J. Andersson
Škoda Fabia RS
+8:34.5
9
K. Kajetanowicz
M. Szczepaniak
Toyota GR Yaris
+8:44.5
10
Y. Rossel
A. Dunand
Citroën C3
+8:59.6
Hyundai Motorsport
Ott Tänak
“We’ve generally had a very good day. Even in the afternoon, it’s true that some bedrock was threatening us sometimes, but generally it was smoother and more consistent – a bit better than expected. We had a good rhythm, and we maintained all day. While we are still in the lead, it’s important to remember that we haven’t scored any points yet and we still have some rough stages to go, including one that is new and very long, so this is always very demanding. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow to bring this home.”
Adrien Fourmaux
“This afternoon was just about surviving and avoiding any risk of puncture to maintain a good position for tomorrow. It was a challenge to manage the tyre wear, but I’m happy we managed it and saved a soft tyre for tomorrow. We had an issue on SS10, so we lost some time and one position, but after we fixed it we had no further time loss. We want to get some good points tomorrow but at the same time we don’t want to risk everything and throw away our hard work over two long days on Super Sunday.”
2025 FIA World Rally Championship Round 7, Acropolis Rally, 27-29 June 2025 Photographer: Vincent Thuillier Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Thierry Neuville
“We were hoping for some rain this afternoon, hence why we went for the soft compound – in case there was any possibility for us to go for a good move and gain any more positions. We pushed a bit more today because we wanted to keep the pressure on Evans, and in case of any issues with him we wanted to be as close as possible. We have to look forward to see what’s possible tomorrow; it’s super rough in Tarzan, so both the first and second pass will be a big challenge for the cars and the tyres. We want to stay trouble free and have a good run.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Sébastien Ogier
“It was a solid day for us, and we have to be happy to get through another challenging day in Greece. At least it was not as hot as yesterday, so it was a bit more enjoyable. The roughness was still there in places and managing the tyre wear was a big focus on the second pass this afternoon. Ott was flying today so there was not much we could do, and we realised this morning that road position was still playing a role. Tomorrow everything is still to play for; there are many kilometres to go, and very rough conditions expected on the second pass, but with Sunday points on offer, nobody can relax!”
Elfyn Evans
“The feeling in the car was better today with our position further back in the road order certainly helping us. We tried to keep a decent speed and rhythm while staying out of trouble and we managed to achieve that. We definitely have to give it a go tomorrow but also have to wait and see how the feeling is. It will be a rough and long day tomorrow, not a typical short Sunday, but those Sunday points are important, so we will have to try.”
Takamoto Katsuta
“Today started much better than yesterday. We changed a few things on the car overnight and felt more comfortable and confident. It felt even better in the afternoon after some changes during service and the split times were looking good in SS11. It wasn’t a crazy push, and everything felt under control, but under braking for one hairpin it was quite bumpy and rough and I couldn’t get the car stopped. Unfortunately, there was a gravel bank on the outside and we got stuck on top and could not get out. It was quite unlucky, but it was my mistake, and I’m sorry to the team.”
Kalle Rovanperä
“It’s not been an easy day. Already in the morning I was struggling quite a bit. Then in the first stage of the afternoon we went off in quite a rough braking, going a bit wide and getting stuck. After we got back on the road we saw that we had some damage on the car; I’m not sure if that’s why I couldn’t get the car slowed down, but it meant we couldn’t finish the stage. Tomorrow we just need to try and have a good day and get as many points as we can.”
Oliver Solberg
“Today has been about managing the rally a little bit,” said Oliver. “We know these stages are going to be very hard for the tyres, so we’re trying to make sure we look after them and the car as well. It’s so rough, especially on the second pass, and we just have to be very careful.
“We’ve had quite a lot of dust at times, this is not so nice. It’s hard to commit completely in these conditions.
“Now, it’s not so much about trying to be the fastest everywhere – sure it’s nice when you do this, but it’s about being as smart and as safe as possible. The gap we have at the front is nice, but this is Greece and we have seen for the last two days that anything can happen and I’m not sure there’s anything you could really call a safe margin on the Acropolis!
“For me and Elliott [Edmondson, co-driver] tomorrow is about bringing the car home. Staying in the middle of the road and staying out of trouble.”
Sunday
The final day beckons then and it’s a proper day as well with 99km’s over four stages. This event can bite, and will we see a final bit of drama for the crews?
