ThePitcrewOnline

Category: Crew On Two

  • Barcelona brilliance: Piqueras wins the battle, Rueda saves the day

    Barcelona brilliance: Piqueras wins the battle, Rueda saves the day

    Ángel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) produced a brilliant ride at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to take his fourth win of the season, beating José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in a nail-biting finish. The victory trims the Spaniard’s title deficit by five points, (-64 points now) while Rueda recovered from an early Long Lap penalty (collected for riding slow on line in practice – 2nd offence) to snatch P2 in the final corner. Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) completed the podium after another classy ride, marking his second rostrum of 2025.

    Photo Credit: Pirelli Press Office

    Starting from his maiden pole, David Almansa (Le0pard Racing) made the holeshot stick, but the action exploded behind him. Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar) rocketed through from ninth to P4 on the opening lap, while Piqueras slipped down the order to P6. Title leader Rueda immediately served his Long Lap penalty on Lap 3, tumbling from fifth to 15th – but the #99 was far from done.

    By Lap 4, Piqueras had bulldozed his way up to third, with Rueda already slicing back into the top 10. The lead group was a freight train, Almansa still heading the charge with Quiles, Muñoz, and Piqueras all in close quarters. On Lap 9, Hungarian GP winner Quiles surged into P1, only to be quickly countered by Almansa and Piqueras. Disaster struck for Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) who suffered yet another technical issue forcing him out of the race. Kiwi Cormac Buchanan (Denssi Racing – BOE) also crashed out on lap 9.

    The relentless shuffle continued until Lap 11, when Rueda finally hit the front for the first time. He tried to break clear with four laps to go, opening half a second over the pack, but the chasers refused to let him escape. Almansa, Piqueras, and Furusato dragged him back into range.

    Photo Credit: Pirelli Press Office

    The final lap was pure chaos. Piqueras made a bold lunge at Turn 1 to seize the lead. Rueda slipped back to fourth behind Furusato and Almansa, but the championship leader wasn’t finished – throwing his KTM up the inside at the last corner to snatch second. Piqueras, however, held firm for a crucial victory that could shape the title battle.

    Behind them, Furusato sealed a deserved podium in third, while Almansa and teammate Adrián Fernández (Le0pard Racing) rounded out the top five, a good result for the pair of Hondas however Furusato in P3 wasn’t enough to keep Honda in the constructors fight with KTM taking home the constructors championship this weekend. Guido Pini claimed sixth, ahead of Joel Kelso (Levelup MTA) who was beaten up in the early laps and unable to recover, David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Ryusei Yamanaka (Frinsa – MT Helmets – MSI) who had an impressive charge through the field after a back of the grid (collected for for slow riding in qualifying – 2nd offence) picked up nineth place and Valentín Perrone brought it home in tenth place.

    Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) lead the next group of riders across the line in eleventh place, despite the impressive start Quiles crossed the line in twelfth place ahead of fellow rookie Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) and Marcos Uriarte rounded out the point scoring places with 14th and 15th respectfully.

    🏁 Moto3 Barcelona GP – Race Results

    Pos Rider Team Time/Gap
    1 Ángel Piqueras 🇪🇸 FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI 32:40.243
    2 José Antonio Rueda 🇪🇸 Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.081
    3 Taiyo Furusato 🇯🇵 Honda Team Asia +0.156
    4 David Almansa 🇪🇸 Leopard Racing +0.229
    5 Adrián Fernández 🇪🇸 Leopard Racing +0.542
    6 Guido Pini 🇮🇹 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP +0.587
    7 Joel Kelso 🇦🇺 LEVELUP-MTA +0.773
    8 David Muñoz 🇪🇸 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP +1.216
    9 Ryusei Yamanaka 🇯🇵 FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI +1.240
    10 Valentín Perrone 🇦🇷 Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1.289
    11 Luca Lunetta 🇮🇹 SIC58 Squadra Corse +4.973
    12 Maximo Quiles 🇪🇸 CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team +5.005
    13 Álvaro Carpe 🇪🇸 Red Bull KTM Ajo +5.067
    14 Scott Ogden 🇬🇧 CIP Green Power +8.197
    15 Marcos Uriarte 🇪🇸 LEVELUP-MTA +17.124
    16 Riccardo Rossi 🇮🇹 Rivacold Snipers Team +18.135
    17 Marco Morelli 🇦🇷 GRYD – Mlav Racing +18.167
    18 Ruche Moodley 🇿🇦 DENSSI Racing – BOE +19.079
    19 Dennis Foggia 🇮🇹 CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team +19.505
    20 Nicola Carraro 🇮🇹 Rivacold Snipers Team +20.330
    21 Noah Dettwiler 🇨🇭 CIP Green Power +24.386
    22 Eddie O’Shea 🇬🇧 GRYD – Mlav Racing +27.245
    23 Stefano Nepa 🇮🇹 SIC58 Squadra Corse +31.955
    24 Arbi Aditama 🇮🇩 Honda Team Asia +58.381
    NC Cormac Buchanan 🇳🇿 DENSSI Racing – BOE 9 Laps
    NC Jacob Roulstone 🇦🇺 Red Bull KTM Tech3 9 Laps
  • WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu masters Magny-Cours to seal 12 consecutive wins

    WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu masters Magny-Cours to seal 12 consecutive wins

    After a dominant display in qualifying and Race 1, Toprak Razgatlioglu unsurprisingly rode off into the distance on the Sunday of the French Round to take a 4th consecutive hat-trick and 12th win in a row in 2025 ahead of a demoralised Nicolo Bulega.

     

    Tissot Superpole Race

    Bulega very briefly led the Sunday morning 10-lap race in Magny-Cours before Razgatlioglu secured the win with a clinical move at the tight hairpin halfway round the opening lap to ease home for another victory.  A mistake for Bulega at turn 15 at the end of lap 3 left the Italian behind the Lowes’ brothers, which sealed the deal for any hopes of a battle for the race win.

    Alex Lowes once again came home in 3rd despite running behind his brother Sam in the early stages.  Sam was cycled back to 4th when Bulega came past him and Alex a lap and a half after his mistake, but the MarcVDS rider then crashed out with 4 laps to go with much bigger consequences than yesterday to leave him stranded down the grid for Race 2.

    The best-of-the-rest fight for 4th place became a battle between Danilo Petrucci and Michael van der Mark.  Clearly van der Mark’s contusions from yesterday’s crashes were not slowing him down as he came home a solid 5th behind Petrucci.  Andrea Iannone meanwhile just held off Jonathan Rea, Axel Bassani and Xavi Vierge for 6th.

    Rea was fortunate to even make it to the finish after he had to take avoiding action at the hairpin at one point which led to Alvaro Bautista slamming into the back of him.  Bautista ended up on the floor and – like Sam Lowes – one of the quick riders stuck outside of the top 3 rows for Race 2 in the afternoon.

    Tissot Superpole Race Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Race 2

    Razgatlioglu defended his lead at the start of Race 2, Bulega held onto 2nd, and Alex Lowes settled into 3rd to seal the exact same podium for all three events this weekend in Magny Cours.  It was another dominant display from the BMW rider who sealed a 12th consecutive victory and leaves him with a 39-point lead in the championship with just 3 rounds (and 12 races) to go in 2025.

    The action at the start of Race 2 was provided by a fast-starting Rea who shot up to 4th place from 7th on the grid.  Bautista was also riding like a man possessed from a lowly 14th on the grid after another pair of unfortunate crashes in the previous 2 races.

    By the end of the race Bautista was so rapid that he almost caught Alex Lowes for the final podium spot.  It was thrilling to watch the Ducati rider scythe away through the order, particularly against a rejuvenated Michael van der Mark who came home a solid 5th place behind Bautista.

    Alex Lowes had been battling Danilo Petrucci for 4th initially before the Barni Ducati rider lost his pace, while Rea also fell into 6th ahead of Vierge – who himself had initially squabbled with van der Mark.  Rea had challenged Alex Lowes for 3rd for as long as he could, but the Bimota, factory BMW and factory Ducati’s were just a little too quick for the retiring legend to stay in the podium battle for long.

    Behind Petrucci in 7th came Locatelli, Aegerter and Gerloff rounding out the top 10, with only 2 seconds separating those 4.  Tarran MacKenzie and substitute HRC rider Sergio Garcia rounded out the points scorers after solid rides to 14th and 15th places respectively.

    Razgatlioglu was 8 seconds clear of Bulega at the flag and enjoyed a symbolic celebration at the same corner where he crashed at high-speed last year which ruled him out of action for that particular round.  With a 39-point gap at the top of the standings and Bulega seemingly unable to thwart his BMW nemesis like he could do earlier in the campaign, Razgatlioglu is well on his way to a 3rd WorldSBK title ahead of his much-awaited MotoGP move in 2026.

    Race 2 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

  • WorldSBK: Attritional Race 1 at Magny-Cours sees Razgatlioglu make history

    WorldSBK: Attritional Race 1 at Magny-Cours sees Razgatlioglu make history

    Toprak Razgatliolu became the first rider since Troy Corser to win at the same circuit on three different makes of bike in the Superbike World Championship in the opening race of the 2025 French Round, which saw another hectic lap 1 mix up the field.

    From pole position sealed with an all-time lap record around the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Razgatlioglu led the field and never looked back at a track that he has already notched up wins on for Kawasaki and Yamaha.  Of course, had it not been for a nightmare crash last season here at Magny-Cours then the record of winning for 3 manufacturers would almost certainly already have been his and Corser’s to share this time last year.

    The man who leapt up to 2nd was Alex Lowes on the Bimota machine, while Nicolo Bulega fell back to 4th also behind Sam Lowes.  Predictably, Bulega would be back into 2nd place after a couple of laps and as usual Razgatlioglu was already comfortably clear by this point while Alex Lowes settled into the final podium spot.

    At turn 9 on what appeared to be quite a clean opening lap of the race, Yari Montella came into the right-hand corner and eliminated both Andrea Iannone and Jonathan Rea.  Rea was able to continue but later retired, while later in the same corner both Xavi Vierge and Alvaro Bautista bizarrely went down themselves (and were at least able to rejoin) to leave 5 bikes on the floor at one point.

    Michael van der Mark avoided the chaos and was finally showing some strong race pace in his morbid 2025 campaign but 2 crashes left him with injured with contusions, just like Iannone from the incident on lap 1.  Garrett Gerloff also slid out at high speed by himself as the race reached the closing stages while Tarran MacKenzie was also forced to retire early on.

    The 15 riders who scored world championship points were the only 15 to have a clean race.  That is except for Sam Lowes, who threw away 4th place with a clumsy crash at turn 13 late on but he was at least able to bring the bike back home in 9th place ahead of an unlikely duo of Bahattin Sofuoglu in 10th and Iker Lecuona replacement rider Sergio Garcia in 11th.

    The attrition meant that Andrea Locatelli was able to come from the pitlane after a crash in quaifying to finish a remarkable 5th place.  Nonetheless, it was Razgatlioglu up front who stole the headlines with a dominant victory that left no one in doubt who was the favourite for Sunday’s pair of races with a 4th consecutive hattrick/treble looking ominous.

     

    Race 1 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

     

     

  • Elbows Out: Quiles claims Moto3 Victory by 0.018

    Elbows Out: Quiles claims Moto3 Victory by 0.018

    Hungary’s return to the MotoGP calendar delivered a last lap thriller, as Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) edged Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) by just 0.018s in an elbows-out sprint to the line at Balaton Park. David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) joined them on the podium, continuing his stunning run of form.

    Race Recap
    A clean start saw polesitter Quiles get the holeshot ahead of Perrone and Austria winner Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI). The pace was fierce from the start, with Perrone briefly taking the lead on Lap 3 before Quiles struck straight back. The fight allowed the chasing group to close, with Muñoz and Piqueras both challenging for podium spots. Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) sat in the chase group.

    Maximo Quiles competes during Stop 14 of the Moto3 World Championship at the Balaton Park Circuit in Balatonfokajar, Hungary on August 24, 2025.
    Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

    While the majority of the race was mild for Moto3 – drama struck on Lap 6 when Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) crashed, forcing Ryusei Yamanaka (Frinsa – MT Helmets – MSI) and Marcos Uriarte (Levelup – MTA) into the gravel. At mid-distance, Quiles controlled the pace until a mistake on Lap 10 dropped him to fourth, handing Perrone the advantage.

    The closing stages saw Perrone, Muñoz, Quiles, and Piqueras locked together, with Rueda bridging across to make it a five-rider group. Guido Pini’s (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) strong ride ended with a crash, while Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) also fell in the chasing pack.

    The final lap produced fireworks: Quiles struck at Turn 5 but Perrone countered into the final corner, seemingly stealing victory. However, Quiles dug deep, banging bars after an aggressive move from Perrone – the Argentine pushed on and edged ahead by inches at the line.

    Perrone’s runner-up is his best result yet, while Muñoz extended his podium streak to five consecutive races. Piqueras grabbed P4 ahead of Rueda, trimming three points from the title lead.

    Alvaro Carpe competes during Stop 14 of the Moto3 World Championship at the Balaton Park Circuit in Balatonfokajar, Hungary on August 24, 2025.
    Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
    Pos Rider Team Time/Gap Points
    1 Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team 35:31.839 25
    2 Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +0.018 20
    3 David Muñoz (ESP) LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP +0.858 16
    4 Angel Piqueras (ESP) FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI +0.952 13
    5 Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +1.362 11
    6 Adrian Fernandez (ESP) Leopard Racing +6.159 10
    7 David Almansa (ESP) Leopard Racing +9.546 9
    8 Joel Kelso (AUS) LEVELUP-MTA +10.025 8
    9 Alvaro Carpe (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +11.696 7
    10 Jacob Roulstone (AUS) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +20.109 6
    11 Dennis Foggia (ITA) CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team +24.862 5
    12 Nicola Carraro (ITA) Rivacold Snipers Team +26.871 4
    13 Casey O’Gorman (IRL) SIC58 Squadra Corse +32.279 3
    14 Ryusei Yamanaka (JPN) FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI +36.636 2
    15 Marcos Uriarte (ESP) LEVELUP-MTA +37.394 1
    16 Ruche Moodley (RSA) DENSSI Racing – BOE +40.701
    17 Stefano Nepa (ITA) SIC58 Squadra Corse +41.674
    18 Noah Dettwiler (SUI) CIP Green Power +44.069
    19 Riccardo Rossi (ITA) Rivacold Snipers Team +45.803
    20 Arbi Aditama (IDN) Honda Team Asia +53.120
    21 Leonardo Abruzzo (ITA) GRYD – Mlav Racing +60.634
    NC Scott Ogden (GBR) CIP Green Power Crash (Lap 6) –
    NC Taiyo Furusato (JPN) Honda Team Asia Crash (Lap 16) –
    NC Guido Pini (ITA) LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP Crash (Lap 14) –
    NC Cormac Buchanan (NZL) DENSSI Racing – BOE Crash (Lap 12) –
    NC Eddie O’Shea (GBR) GRYD – Mlav Racing Crash (Lap 4) –
  • Piqueras Strikes Back with Austria Masterclass

    Piqueras Strikes Back with Austria Masterclass

    Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) returned to the top step of the podium with a perfectly judged ride at the Red Bull Ring, leading home a 1–2 for his team alongside Ryusei Yamanaka. David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) produced a stunning comeback from 14th on the grid to complete the podium as Moto3 once again delivered a chaotic final lap.

    Photo credit: Tech3 Racing

    Piqueras wasted no time at the start, snatching the holeshot from polesitter Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) into Turn 1. Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar) soon moved to the front, trading blows with Yamanaka, Piqueras and Perrone in a fast-shifting lead group of four. Behind them, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and title leader José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) tried to bridge the gap. Kiwi Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE) added another crash to his tally after falling on the first lap.

    By mid-race, Quiles and Piqueras were locked in a tense battle, with Perrone and Yamanaka in close pursuit. Perrone climbed into podium contention, leading the race for several laps, hoping to emulate his Assen success and perhaps claim Argentina’s first Moto3 win since 2004.

    Photo Credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

    With six laps remaining, Fernandez cut the gap to under a second, setting up a potential five-rider fight for victory. But mistakes proved costly—Quiles ran wide at Turn 6, and Fernandez slipped back. That opened the door for Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and the charging Muñoz to latch onto the leaders, creating a six-rider showdown in the final laps.

    The final tour was pure Moto3 mayhem. Muñoz muscled his way into second, while Quiles and Perrone were forced wide and tumbled down the order. Furusato briefly threatened the podium, but Yamanaka fought back into second place at Turn 9. Piqueras kept his nerve, defending perfectly to take his first victory since Lusail, with Yamanaka and Muñoz completing the rostrum.

    Photo Credit: Tech3 Racing

    Coming out on top of the hard fought battle was Piqueras picking up some very valuable championship points, second place went to Yamanaka and rounding out the podium was Muñoz. Quiles salvaged fourth ahead of Rueda, while Furusato had to settle for sixth. Perrone’s podium hopes faded in the closing corners as he crossed the line seventh. Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) did cross the finish line in sixth place but was relegated to 13th as he did not serve his long lap penalty for exceeding track limits. Rounding out the top 10 was Fernandez, Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) and Alvero Carpe

    Austrian GP Moto3 – Race Classification

    Pos Rider Team Time/Gap
    1 Angel Piqueras (ESP) FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI 33:36.516
    2 Ryusei Yamanaka (JPN) FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI +0.096
    3 David Muñoz (ESP) LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP +0.171
    4 Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team +0.250
    5 Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.541
    6 Taiyo Furusato (JPN) Honda Team Asia +0.625
    7 Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1.851
    8 Adrian Fernandez (ESP) Leopard Racing +2.141
    9 Guido Pini (ITA) LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP +2.194
    10 Alvaro Carpe (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +4.181
    11 Joel Kelso (AUS) LEVELUP-MTA +4.204
    12 David Almansa (ESP) Leopard Racing +4.256
    13 Dennis Foggia (ITA) CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team +4.691
    14 Jacob Roulstone (AUS) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +5.331
    15 Scott Ogden (GBR) CIP Green Power +9.374
    16 Marcos Uriarte (ESP) LEVELUP-MTA +21.633
    17 Ruche Moodley (RSA) DENSSI Racing – BOE +21.745
    18 Casey O’Gorman (IRL) SIC58 Squadra Corse +21.874
    19 Riccardo Rossi (ITA) Rivacold Snipers Team +24.331
    20 Nicola Carraro (ITA) Rivacold Snipers Team +27.288
    21 Eddie O’Shea (GBR) GRYD – Mlav Racing +35.518
    22 Arbi Aditama (IDN) Honda Team Asia +35.571
    23 Noah Dettwiler (SUI) CIP Green Power +35.642
    24 Stefano Nepa (ITA) SIC58 Squadra Corse +43.591
    NC Vicente Perez (ESP) GRYD – Mlav Racing 4 Laps
    DNF Cormac Buchanan (NZL) DENSSI Racing – BOE 1st Lap

    Title Photo Credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

  • WorldSBK: Another treble for Razgatliolgu at Balaton Park

    WorldSBK: Another treble for Razgatliolgu at Balaton Park

    The man who won the 800th and 900th WorldSBK races also won the 1000th as Toprak Razgatlioglu triumped in the Tissot Superpole Race in changeable conditions before dominating Race 2 to take back-to-back trebles following his Donington Park success a fortnight ago.

    Tissot Superpole Race

    On late Sunday morning at Balaton Park, conditions were mixed.  The rain had subsided in time for the race start but there was a split of riders risking it on slicks and others on intermediate rubber.

    As it turns out, the slick tyres were not as much of a risk as the intermediate rubber overheated in the drying conditions.  Despite only being a 10-lap affair, there were several passes for position throughout the grid as some of the riders on intermediates went forward before falling back and others could not find any performance at all while the slicks improved as the race progressed.

    Nicolo Bulega was one of the riders to run intermediates and had a nightmare 10 laps that saw him come home 13th and starting in 10th for Race 2 as his championship rival Razgatlioglu kept his cool to pick up another victory.  Although he held the lead from pole position at the start, by lap 3 the Turkish rider had fallen to 3rd and had to contend with Alvaro Bautista coming from 4th but by the halfway point was back at the front and never looked back as his slick tyres got up to temperature.

    The two riders to pass Razgatlioglu for 1st and 2nd were Danilo Petrucci and then Sam Lowes.  The intermediate tyres were working well for those such as Petrucci, his teammate Yari Montella and Alex Lowes but as the race wore on their advantage disappeared.

    Montella crashed out after making up 6 places at the start and Andrea Locatelli lost 3 places with a trip through the gravel trap on lap 4.  Locatelli at least remained clear of the thrilling battle for the final points positions down to 9th that set the grid for Race 2.

    Tarron MacKenzie has replaced Scott Redding on the MGM Bonovo Ducati for this round and at one point the Scotsman attempted to pass Ryan Vickers and a fading Petrucci into turn 1.  Ultimately, Vickers came home 7th ahead of MacKenzie and Jonathan Rea disposed Petrucci of 9th for an all-British row 3 in Race 2.

    Tissot Superpole Race Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

     

    Race 2

    Razgatlioglu was briefly overtaken for the lead by Bautista at the start of Race 2 before the Turkish rider reasserted the lead at the end of the back straight on the 1st lap.  From there, the BMW rider rode off into the distance helped by the squabbling for 2nd place that delayed his rivals.

    Bautista, Sam Lowes and Locatelli began fighting for 2nd but it was not long before Bulega blasted up the order from 10th to join in.  The runner-up in the championship was up to 5th by the end of lap 2 and so began a 4-way fight for 2nd place as Razgatlioglu disappeared up front.

    Sam Lowes bullied Bautista out of 2nd place but the Spaniard was defiant and repassed the satellite bike as his teammate Bulega made it into 4th past Locatelli then the two factory Ducati’s swapped places.  With 16 laps still to go, Bautista then ran wide at the same spot that Tito Rabat had a crash in qualifying earlier in the weekend that destroyed his biike but thankfully left the Spaniard unhurt.

    To rub salt into Bautista’s wounds, his rival for 3rd in the championship – Petrucci – made it past Locatelli for 4th.  Bulega and Sam Lowes (minus his fairing on one side) settled into 2nd and 3rd while Razgatlioglu continued to lap slightly quicker way out front.

    Vickers was having his best WorldSBK race to date but was dealt a long-lap penalty for course cutting through a chicane then not losing at least 1 second through the sector not long after he passed Xavi Vierge for 6th.  When Vickers went to serve the penalty, he braked too late and went off into the gravel, had to retake his long-lap, then crashed out of 14th.

    Alex Lowes was the big mover in the closing stages as he made up a place when Vickers went down, another when he overtook his teammate, then made it around Vierge for 6th.  MacKenzie lost 10th at the end to Yari Montella, while Rea was a lowly 12th.

    Razgatlioglu’s 15th win of the season stretched his lead to 26 points over Bulega as the championship goes into its summer break.  Bulega will be worried after back-to-back trebles for his BMW rival but the title battle will race on with 4 rounds left to go starting in September.

     

    Race 2 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

  • WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu wins Balaton Park opener marred by early pile-up

    WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu wins Balaton Park opener marred by early pile-up

    Toprak Razgatlioglu extended his lead in the championship with a win from pole at the inaugural WorldSBK race at Balaton Park in Hungary that required a restart after 1/3 of the field went down together at turn 2 on the opening lap.

    The maiden race at the techincal anti-clockwise circuit in Balaton – which will play host to the 1000th Superbike World Championship race tomorrow – led to a concertina effect through the first 2 corners on the opening lap.  Andrea Iannone made a mistake that took himself and six – and nearly seven – others into the gravel trap at turn 2.

    Iannone was slapped a double long-lap penalty for triggering the pile-up in what is far from his first such punishment this year.  The Italian’s mistake led to a violent chain reaction that took out Garrett Gerloff, Remy Gardner, Iker Lecuona, Ryan Vickers and the Barni Ducati teammates Danilo Petrucci and Yari Montella.

    Amazingly, all bar 3 riders took the restarted 20-lap race but 3 have been declared unfit for action in tomorrow’s pair of races. Gardner, Lecuona and Vickers missed the restart and although the latter is fit to ride again, Gerloff has been grounded after a valiant effort under duress that saw him salvage 9th.

    On the thankfully clean restart Razgatlioglu was challenged by Andrea Locatelli but the BMW rider quickly cemented his lead.  Locatelli had stolen the lead on the original start but in the 2nd running was immediately pressured by Sam Lowes.

    Having qualified off the front-row of the grid for the 1st time this year and after losing the championship lead to Razgatlioglu last time out in Donington Park, Nicolo Bulega had his work cut out but swiftly made his way forwards.  As has happened before this year, by the time Bulega cemented 2nd place, his title rival was several seconds clear and the Ducati frontman had to bank the points for runner-up spot.

    The Ducati that arguably could have finished 2nd was Sam Lowes.  The MarcVDS rider had passed Locatelli for 2nd after 5 laps but promptly lost the front-end at turn 2 just as he began to lap slightly quicker than Razgatlioglu.

    Just like a fortnight ago in Donington Park, a solid result went begging for the despondent Brit but his front-row qualifying and leading pace has at least been promising to see.  His exit undoubtedly made Bulega’s rise to 2nd place easier.

    Despite Locatelli’s best efforts in another race where he was clearly the best Yamaha, the Italian fell behind Bautista into 4th just before the halfway point.  The factory Ducati duo had shown pace to move forward from their starting positions of 4th and 7th respectively but there was not enough pace to catch Razgatlioglu and the order was clearly settled by half-distance barring any disasters.

    Locatelli finished ahead of Petrucci and the latter still holds 3rd in the championship ahead of Bautista thanks to a great recovery drive having been caught in the turn 2 melee.  Alex Lowes ran Petrucci close before a crucial mistake in the closing laps saw him cede position while Rea slipped back into the frenetic battle for 7th.

    There was contact and frequent position changes in the duel over 7th between Montella, Gerloff and Xavi Vierge but Rea took himself out at turn 1 with 6 laps to go.  To add insult to injury, the Yamaha rider then slid out at the fast turn 4 after rejoining to continue his nightmare 2025 season.

    Axel Bassani joined the fight at the bottom of the top-10 as Iannone recovered to 13th after falling out of the points-paying positions following his long-laps.  Tomorrow will be a historic day for the championship as it celebrates a millennium of races at the Hungarian Round that has so far gone all Razgatlioglu’s way.

    Race 1 Results

      Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

  • MotoGP Summer Break: Championship Check In

    MotoGP Summer Break: Championship Check In

    Marc Marquez may be running away with the 2025 title, but behind him, the championship standings reveal a fascinating mix of factory form, rising stars, and the impact of MotoGP’s concession system. From Ducati’s dominance to Honda and Yamaha’s quiet resurgence, here’s how the grid stacks up after the Czech Grand Prix weekend — and what it means for each manufacturer’s development path.

    Manufacturer Key Points

    Ducati

    • Five riders in the top 6 shows immense depth.
    • Marc Marquez [Ducati Lenovo Team] dominance + consistent support from Alex Marquez [BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP], Pecco Bagnaia [Ducati Lenovo Team], and the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team.
    • No surprise they continue to lock out Rank A in the Concession system.

    Aprilia

    • Marco Bezzecchi flying the flag solo in the Aprilia Racing team with 156 points (P4).
    • Jorge Martin’s [Aprilia Racing] injury and Aleix’s switch to Honda have hurt the overall tally.
    • Still comfortably Rank C, but lacking strength in numbers.
    Photo credit: Aprilia Factory Racing

    KTM

    • Pedro Acosta [Red Bull KTM Factory Racing] (P7) leads their charge with 124 pts.
    • Brad Binder [Red Bull KTM Factory Racing] in P12 (68 pts) and Maverick Viñales [Red Bull KTM Tech3] in P11 (69 pts) highlight some inconsistency.
    • Solid mid-pack presence keeping them in Rank C.

    Honda

    • Joan Zarco [CASTROL Honda LCR] (P8, 109 pts) is the clear standout.
    • Joan Mir [Honda HRC Castrol] is having the unluckiest season, only 36.36% of his crashes in Sprints and Grand Prix this year have been self inflicted, the rest have been contact with another rider.
    • Signs of progress, but still deep in Rank D.

    Yamaha

    • Fabio Quartararo [Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team] (P9) leads with 102 pts.
    • Like Honda, visible gains, but still Rank D.
    Photo Credit: Yamaha MotoGP

    🏆 Top 10 Riders – Championship Standings

    Pos Rider Team Points Gap to P1
    1 Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo Team 381 –
    2 Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP 261 -120
    3 Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo Team 213 -168
    4 Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing 156 -225
    5 Fabio Di Giannantonio VR46 Ducati 142 -239
    6 Franco Morbidelli VR46 Ducati 139 -242
    7 Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 124 -257
    8 Johann Zarco CASTROL Honda LCR 109 -272
    9 Fabio Quartararo Monster Energy Yamaha 102 -279
    10 Fermin Aldeguer BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP 97 -284
  • Rueda Rules Again as Muñoz Charges from the Back

    Rueda Rules Again as Muñoz Charges from the Back

    Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) made a lightning start from the front row to grab the holeshot into Turn 1, edging out polesitter Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) and fellow front-row starter David Almansa (Leopard Racing). Behind them, David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) launched a stunning start from the very back of the grid, surging into the points by the end of the first lap.

    Photo credit: Pirelli Press Office

    By Lap 3, the Aragon and Germany GP winner was already inside the top ten. Meanwhile, rookie standout Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) had climbed to second, with Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) pushing into the podium places, starting a battle between the team mates that would see them trade places frequently.

    Rueda began to stretch his lead by mid-race as Quiles, Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), and Foggia scrapped for second. The infighting allowed Rueda to escape by nearly two seconds. Back-to-back fastest laps from the #99 made clear he was intent on sealing his seventh win of the season.

    With five laps to go, focus shifted to the fierce podium battle behind. Quiles, Piqueras, Muñoz, Foggia, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), and Almansa all jockeyed for position. Muñoz forced his way into third at Turn 6 on the final lap, then dived past Piqueras for second at Turn 10. But a final attack from Quiles into Turn 13 and in the race to the line saw him snatch second at the flag.

    Rueda took a dominant win, over 3 seconds clear of the rest of the field, extending his title lead, while Quiles and Muñoz completed the podium – the latter’s incredible last-to-third comeback marking his fourth podium in five races.

    Photo credit: Pirelli Press Office

     

    Piqueras had to settle for fourth, just ahead of Foggia and Fernandez, who earned his first points since Le Mans. Almansa finished seventh, edging closer to top Honda honours in the standings, while Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) worked his way into eighth.

     

    Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and early leader Pini rounded out the top ten. Further back, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) fought up to 11th before a double Long Lap Penalty for causing a collision dropped him out of the points. That promoted Marco Morelli (DENSSI Racing – BOE) to 13th in an impressive debut.

    Feature image credit: Pirelli Press Office

    🏁 Moto3 Sachsenring GP – Race Results

    Pos Pts Rider Nat Team Time/Gap
    1 25 Jose Antonio Rueda 🇪🇸 Red Bull KTM Ajo 33:40.677
    2 20 Maximo Quiles 🇪🇸 CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team +3.471
    3 16 David Muñoz 🇪🇸 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP +3.495
    4 13 Angel Piqueras 🇪🇸 FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI +3.559
    5 11 Dennis Foggia 🇮🇹 CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team +3.689
    6 10 Adrian Fernandez 🇪🇸 Leopard Racing +3.867
    7 9 David Almansa 🇪🇸 Leopard Racing +4.420
    8 8 Valentin Perrone 🇦🇷 Red Bull KTM Tech3 +5.579
    9 7 Ryusei Yamanaka 🇯🇵 FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI +5.597
    10 6 Guido Pini 🇮🇹 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP +5.985
    11 5 Marcos Uriarte 🇪🇸 LEVELUP-MTA +6.459
    12 4 Alvaro Carpe 🇪🇸 Red Bull KTM Ajo +10.711
    13 3 Marco Morelli 🇦🇷 DENSSI Racing – BOE +10.779
    14 2 Jacob Roulstone 🇦🇺 Red Bull KTM Tech3 +10.817
    15 1 Scott Ogden 🇬🇧 CIP Green Power +10.866
    16 — Taiyo Furusato 🇯🇵 Honda Team Asia +12.088
    17 — Stefano Nepa 🇮🇹 SIC58 Squadra Corse +27.274
    18 — Eddie O’Shea 🇬🇧 GRYD – Mlav Racing +27.275
    19 — Noah Dettwiler 🇨🇭 CIP Green Power +27.281
    20 — Leonardo Abruzzo 🇮🇹 GRYD – Mlav Racing +53.032
  • WorldSBK: Championship lead finally changes as Razgatlioglu dominates Donington

    WorldSBK: Championship lead finally changes as Razgatlioglu dominates Donington

    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.

    Race 2 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK