Category: Crew On Two

WorldSBK: Bulega continues crushing form around Assen

Despite the best efforts of Iker Lecuona and Sam Lowes – as well as some rain in Race 1 – Nicolo Bulega continued his winning ways in World Superbikes at the 2026 Pirelli Dutch Round.

Race 1

Bulega was beaten to the first corner not by Sam Lowes from 2nd but his teammate Lecuona starting in 3rd. This move set the tone for the race as Lecuona did everything in his power to disrupt Bulega’s winning run.

The start also saw Tommy Bridewell pushed out wide by Lorenzo Baldassari and Danilo Petrucci jump-starting and being hit with a double long-lap penalty. On the first of these he misjudged his breaking and ended up running through the gravel effectively ending his race.

Bulega caught Lecuona lacking near the end of the second lap, after which things settled down. Sam Lowes was able to keep the aruba.it Ducati’s in his sights while Alvaro Bautista and Alex Lowes consolidated fourth and fifth places.

Just after the halfway point, rain started to fall but not by enough to force the riders to change bikes or race direction to stop proceedings. The rain caught out Bulega and at the final chicane he made a mistake, kickstarting a six-lap showdown with Lecuona watched closely by Sam Lowes behind.

The two factory Ducati riders swapped places three times in three laps, before with three laps to go Bulega finally sealed the deal to retake and stretch his lead in the closing laps. Sam Lowes had to settle for third while Tarran Mackenzie sadly dropped back a couple of places having run as high as sixth while Andrea Locatelli and Miguel Oliveria capitalised.

Race 1 Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Tissot Superpole Race

Xavi Vierge was the biggest mover at the start of Sunday morning’s 10-lap affair while Alex Lowes went the other way. The top three held positions throughout the race as Bulega made it 12 race wins in a row.

Alex Lowes had work to do after his poor start and he recovered for a thrilling fight for fourth with Bautista in the closing laps. Vierge fell back behind those two into sixth, but his teammate initially running in seventh would be the source of lots of action in the lower top-10 positions.

Locatelli fell backwards allowing Petrucci to capitalise as Baldassari, Remy Gardner and Yari Montella all had stints inside the crucial top nine positions which set the grid for Race 2. After being penalised on the last lap, Locatelli had to cede ninth to Gardner but got back past in the nick of time.

Tissot Superpole Race Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Race 2

Still chasing his maiden WorldSBK victory, Sam Lowes got off to a flier in Race 2. However, after just three of the 21 laps around Assen the dream was over as the factory Ducati duo bullied him back into third.

Lecuona lead for around half a lap after passing the satellite Ducati rider before Bulega then passed him and rode off into a controlled victory by three seconds. Meanwhile, Bautista and Alex Lowes continued their battling for fourth as Vierge started to get swallowed up by the horde of Ducati’s in the top-10.

The next non-Ducati’s were 2025 Assen winner Locatelli and Petrucci as the other BMW of Oliveria made a mistake at the final chicane that dropped him as low as 14th at one stage. A disgruntled Alex Lowes fell back and fought with Mackenzie for 10th while Oliveira finished only 11th after his Portimao podiums.

Unusually for WorldSBK, all the riders finished the race under overcast conditions in Assen. Ultimately though, no one could tame Bulega who romped to a Razgatlioglu-equalling 13 race wins on the trot.

Race 2 Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Championship Standings

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

19th April 2026
WorldSBK: Ducati dominate as Oliveria delights home crowd at Portimao

The Pirelli Portuguese Round of the 2026 Superbike World Championship saw home hero Miguel Oliveira delight his supporters with a podium finish in each of the three races around the Algarve International Circuit, but it was aruba.it Racing Ducati who enjoyed the spoils with consecutive one-two finishes…

Race 1

From pole position, Nicolo Bulega secured the hole shot and went unchallenged in Saturday afternoon’s race. Hopes were high that Oliveria (in only his second WorldSBK round) could spoil the party but the Portuguese rider lost a position on the opening lap.

Yari Montella ran second as the meat in a factory Ducati sandwich, with Oliveira recovering to fourth at the start of the second lap. The biggest mover at the race start was Jonathan Rea, back in business for Honda racing at one of his most successful circuits.

At around one quarter distance, Montella slid out of second just as he had at the previous round in Philip Island. This promoted Iker Lecuona to second behind his teammate who already had things under control out front but had not quite cleared off into the distance as might have been expected.

Oliveira was able to comfortably fend off Alex Lowes to maintain his inherited podium position while his more experienced teammate Danilo Petrucci suffered around the fringes of the top 10. There was not quite enough pace from the BMW rider to threaten the aruba.it factory Ducati duo out front but the gap rather promisingly was less than five seconds.

A still-recovering Sam Lowes did well to come fifth after his crash at Philip Island, while Xavi Vierge impressed again as the top Yamaha and newly-married Garrett Gerloff raced him hard but ultimately came home just behind in seventh.

Axel Bassani, Alvaro Bautista and Petrucci rounded out the top 10, with the next best Yamaha only 12th in the hands of Andrea Locatelli. Up front it was a very happy podium all round, with Lecuona and Oliveira scoring their first rostrums for their new teams respectively.

Race 1 Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Tissot Superpole Race

A wheelie from Lecuona off the front row helped Oliveria and Alex Lowes slot in behind Bulega by turn one. Montella looked to only have the pace for fifth as the top four broke away in the opening laps.

Bulega, Oliveira, Alex Lowes and Lecuona all looked close and competitive but by the halfway stage the former began to stretch his lead out front. By turn 1 on lap 6 immediately after the halfway point, Lecuona had completed his recovery back to second place to secure another 1-2 for arbua.it Ducati.

Sam Lowes eventually made it past Montella who had been leading a train of around 10 bikes in the first half of the 10-lap affair. The chasing pack then split up into smaller groups, with Vierge, Bassani and Bautista following him home to complete the crucial top 9 positions that secured points and grid positions for the afternoon’s feature-length affair.

Tissot Superpole Race Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Race 2

With 82,000 fans reportedly piled in to Portimao, mostly to cheer on the home hero Oliveria, the fans were expectant of at least another podium for the new BMW rider. Alex Lowes made the best start leaping into second while Bulega for the third time in a row got the hole shot from pole.

Oliveira passed Alex Lowes for second at the start of the next lap but on the next tour Lecuona had done the inevitable and reasserted runner-up spot. For the remainder of the race Oliveira had the Bimota rider pressuring him the whole way but he narrowly prevailed to make it three straight podiums to the delight of his ardent fans in the grandstands.

After the race settled down following the opening laps, a rather chaotic phase ensued that saw several riders crash out. Montella and Vierge went down at the turn five seconds apart but in separate incidents, then Bautista followed at the same corner a few laps later.

Alberto Surra, Tarran Mackenzie and Bahattin Sofouglu were also forced to retire around the same time with the latter’s teammate Mattia Rato exiting later on. Gerloff slid out at high speed on the last corner of the last lap and just as painfully Yari Montella made it a double retirement for Barni Spark Racing Team after a weekend of such promise.

This left the 15 riders who went the distance all with championship points, although the Honda duo did not have much to cheer about and the top Yamaha was only ninth in no small part thanks to the attritional nature of the race under the basking sunshine in the Algarve.

Sam Lowes had a lonely ride to fifth with Lorenzo Baldassari having a decent run to sixth ahead of Petrucci and Bassani before Locatelli languished home in ninth. There had been some thrilling battles lower down the order but some were muted thanks to the spate of retirements.

This was the first time since the adoption of the three-race per weekend format was introduced in World Superbikes that a team had finished one-two in all three events in a round. It was Oliveria though who stole the limelight and has ignited hope that although Bulega and Ducati are still champions elect, there might be a chance for he and BMW to fight for victory as the 2026 season really starts to kick into gear…

Race 2 Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Championship Standings

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

29th March 2026

Quiles Triumphs in Chaotic Goiânia Thriller as Pratama Makes History

Moto3 endured a turbulent build-up in Goiânia, with practice and qualifying littered with both highside and lowside crashes as riders struggled to find consistency. Many in the paddock noted the unusual grip levels, even suggesting the circuit felt more predictable in wet conditions than in the dry. That set the stage for an unpredictable Sunday, and with a rookie lining up on the front row, the ingredients were all there for a dramatic and wide-open race.

The race itself mirrored the chaos of the weekend which was packed with bold overtakes, but also interrupted by a string of crashes. Proceedings were eventually halted with a red flag after a fall for Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) left his bike in a position that couldn’t be cleared safely. He wasn’t alone in hitting trouble, with Leo Rammerstorfer (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Joel Esteban (LEVEL UP – MTA) and David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) all crashing out, the latter unfortunately sustaining a fractured elbow.

The race restarted with a 5 lap dash to the chequered flag and Máximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) grabbed the holeshot and took victory in Goiânia, the 18-year-old emerging on top after a dramatic contest. Two rookies took the next two spots with Quiles teammate, Marco Morelli having pushed him all the way settled for second, securing his maiden Moto3 podium, while Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) etched his name into the history books with a breakthrough third-place finish—Indonesia’s first podium in Grand Prix racing.

Quiles made no mistake on the restart, grabbing the holeshot once again as Carpe, Fernandez and Pini battled fiercely behind. There was more drama at Turn 4 when Jesus Rios (Rivacold Snipers Team) collided with Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA), both riders escaping unhurt. Morelli capitalised to move into second, while Salmela remained firmly in contention inside the top five. Also unclassified was Ruche Moodley who received the black and orange flag (aka meatball) and pulled off the track.

On the final lap, Morelli closed rapidly on his teammate and was right on Quiles’ rear wheel heading into the final sector. Despite the pressure, Quiles held his nerve to seal victory and take over the championship lead. It was a dominant 1-2 for Aspar, with Morelli second, while Pratama secured a historic third for Indonesia. Carpe and Pini completed the top five, with Salmela sixth—marking Finland’s best Moto3 result since 2014. Perrone, Fernandez, Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Danish rounded out the top ten.

Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took eleventh place comfortably with Joel Kelso (GRYD – MLAV Racing), Adrian Cruces (CIP Green Power), Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) and Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – MLav Racing) battled it out – all finishing within a second of each other to round out the points scoring positions.

Moto3 – Goiânia (Race 2)

Pos	Rider	Team	Time/Gap	Pts
1	Máximo Quiles	CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team	7:19.821	25
2	Marco Morelli	CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team	+0.143	20
3	Veda Pratama	Honda Team Asia	+1.650	16
4	Alvaro Carpe	Red Bull KTM Ajo	+1.741	13
5	Guido Pini	Leopard Racing	+1.786	11
6	Rico Salmela	Red Bull KTM Tech3	+1.842	10
7	Valentin Perrone	Red Bull KTM Tech3	+1.949	9
8	Adrian Fernandez	Leopard Racing	+2.522	8
9	Casey O’Gorman	SIC58 Squadra Corse	+2.894	7
10	Hakim Danish	AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI	+3.083	6
11	Brian Uriarte	Red Bull KTM Ajo	+3.158	5
12	Joel Kelso	GRYD – MLav Racing	+3.791	4
13	Adrian Cruces	CIP Green Power	+4.001	3
14	Ryusei Yamanaka	AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI	+4.374	2
15	Eddie O’Shea	GRYD – MLav Racing	+4.750	1
16	Zen Mitani	Honda Team Asia	+6.438	—
17	Nicola Carraro	Rivacold Snipers Team	+6.595	—
18	Cormac Buchanan	CODE Motorsports	+12.823	—

23rd March 2026

Moto3: Thrilling Thailand

A sensational start to the 2026 season with a thrilling race that came right down to the finish line.

David Almansa (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) claimed a maiden Grand Prix victory in a breathtaking final-corner showdown with Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), the pair separated by just 0.003 seconds at the line. The finish was so tight it required a video review confirmation. The last time the class produced a margin this small was in 2013 at Phillip Island, when Alex Rins edged Maverick Viñales in Australia. Behind the leading duo, Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) secured his first podium in third.

Polesitter Almansa grabbed the holeshot and controlled the early exchanges, resisting Quiles in a drag race into Turn 3 to lead the opening lap. We had some early fallers with Cormac Buchannan (CODE Motorsports) and Matteo Bertelle (Level Up – MTA) crashing out early. They were followed by Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) crashed at Turn 5 on Lap 2, while Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) also hit trouble at Turn 12 a lap later on his debut with the team, eventually recovering to 20th.

What initially appeared to be a four-rider escape group — Almansa, Quiles, Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) — was soon swallowed back up. Rookie Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) and Perrone joined the fight, with just one second covering the top six in the opening phase. As the race developed, Almansa and Quiles turned the screw. By mid-distance, they had broken clear — and by the closing stages, the Spaniards were a remarkable nine seconds up the road from the chasing pack. It became a straight duel for victory, both riders circulating in the 1’41s and matching each other corner for corner.

Quiles briefly seized the lead on Lap 11 at Turn 12, only to hand it back after running wide at Turn 1. From there, it was a tactical chess match.

On the final lap, a small mistake from Quiles at Turn 12 handed Almansa half a second of breathing room. But the #28 responded with an outstanding final sector, closing rapidly and launching one last attack at the final corner. Almansa defended firmly, forcing Quiles to adjust mid-corner — and it looked settled. Yet on the drag to the line, Almansa found superior drive, inching ahead by 0.003 seconds.

Behind the runaway leaders, Perrone executed a decisive last-corner move on Carpe to clinch third and open his podium account in style. Pratama impressed hugely in fifth, top Honda on debut, ahead of Fernandez in what had been a brilliant four rider battle for the last podium place.

Just behind the lead group, Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed seventh, followed by Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), Joel Esteban (LEVEL UP – MTA) and David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) completing the top ten. Rookie Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) narrowly missed out, finishing 11th.

Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) took 12th followed by teammate Adrian Cruces. They lead both GRYD – MLav Racing riders Joel Kelso and Eddie O’Shea who picked up 14th and 15th in a rare double points for the Honda team.

Pos	Rider	Team	Time/Gap	Pts
1	David Almansa (ESP)	Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP	32:14.186	25
2	Maximo Quiles (ESP)	CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team	+0.003	20
3	Valentin Perrone (ARG)	Red Bull KTM Tech3	+9.480	16
4	Alvaro Carpe (ESP)	Red Bull KTM Ajo	+9.573	13
5	Veda Pratama (IDN)	Honda Team Asia	+9.687	11
6	Adrian Fernandez (ESP)	Leopard Racing	+9.723	10
7	Brian Uriarte (ESP)	Red Bull KTM Ajo	+11.068	9
8	Marco Morelli (ARG)	CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team	+11.334	8
9	Joel Esteban (ESP)	LEVEL UP – MTA	+11.541	7
10	David Muñoz (ESP)	Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP	+11.657	6
11	Casey O’Gorman (IRL)	SIC58 Squadra Corse	+11.863	5
12	Scott Ogden (GBR)	CIP Green Power	+13.732	4
13	Adrian Cruces (ESP)	CIP Green Power	+16.365	3
14	Joel Kelso (AUS)	GRYD – MLav Racing	+17.264	2
15	Eddie O’Shea (GBR)	GRYD – MLav Racing	+17.459	1
16	Leo Rammerstorfer (AUT)	SIC58 Squadra Corse	+25.668	—
17	Jesus Rios (ESP)	Rivacold Snipers Team	+25.731	—
18	Hakim Danish (MYS)	AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI	+25.810	—
19	Rico Salmela (FIN)	Red Bull KTM Tech3	+25.898	—
20	Guido Pini (ITA)	Leopard Racing	+36.323	—
21	Ruche Moodley (RSA)	CODE Motorsports	+36.854	—
22	Zen Mitani (JPN)	Honda Team Asia	+37.978	—
23	Nicola Carraro (ITA)	Rivacold Snipers Team	+54.641	—
24	Ryusei Yamanaka (JPN)	AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI	DNF	—

3rd March 2026

WorldSBK: Bulega starts 2026 with Phillip Island sweep

The 2026 season of the Superbike World Championship kicked off down under at the Phillip Island Circuit with the Australian Round. In the absence of Toprak Razgatlioglu, there was already a clear pre-season title favourite…

Race 1

From pole position, all Nicolo Bulega had to do after dominating the weekend so far was make it through the first lap unscathed. He did just that and won comfortably by 5 seconds.

Similarly unbothered in Race 1 was Yari Montella who claimed his first front-row start and ran comfortably to his best finish in 2nd place. His new teammate Alvaro Bautista was not so fortunate, becoming the first rider of 2026 to crash out of a race in the early stages.

Lorenzo Baldassari made a remarkable return to WorldSBK, forcing his way through to 3rd and just holding on to it ahead of Axel Bassani in a thrilling sprint to the finish line. The two other podium contenders were the Lowes’ brothers, but Alex fell back in the closing stages to 7th behind his brother in 5th and a charging Iker Lecuona in 6th.

Running in 8th and by far the best Yamaha rider on his debut for the marque was Xavi Vierge who was sent to the medical centre after a terrifying crash at Stoner corner that strew gravel across the track just before Miller hairpin. Garrett Gerloff slipped up on the debris shortly after and reignited an intense battle for the lower top 10 positions.

Gerloff had been battling impressive rookie Alberto Surra with the pair running ahead of a rejuvenated Tarran Mackenzie. ‘Taz’ had enough pace to hold up Danilo Petrucci for several laps before Miguel Oliveria came through from the back of the grid (after a crash in Tissot Superpole) to clinch 8th at the flag.

Mackenzie slipped to 12th but was ahead of a despondent Andrea Locatelli – the top Yamaha finisher in 13th and ahead of the two stand-in Honda HRC riders rounding out the points. Despite the promise shown by Montella, Baldassari, Bassani and Oliveria, nothing could dispel the fact that Bulega was looking unbeatable after the opening race of 2026.

Race 1 Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Tissot Superpole Race

For the first time ever, Montella led a WorldSBK race after snatching the lead at the start. Alex led his brother Sam with Bulega relegated to 4th, and his teammate Lecuona was also forced out wide at the beginning, while Vierge sadly never made the start.

Bulega was back in the lead by lap 4 after some aggressive moves past the top 3 and was unchallenged thereafter. Montella faded to 4th, with Bassani fighting through to 2nd ahead of his teammate Alex Lowes for a historic double Bimota podium.

Sam Lowes was 5th ahead of Gerloff and Bautista with Race 1 star Baldassari down in 8th. The Italian was fortunate to finish there after Oliveira’s phenomenal charge from the back of the grid fell short after suffering technical issues on the last lap so Lecuona took 9th – thus setting the grid for the first 3 rows of Race 2.

Tissot Superpole Race Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Race 2

With the white flag being waved midway through the Tissot Superpole Race, rain always looked like a possibility. The soaking wet affair did nothing to faze Bulega who romped to another victory down under.

Montella and Bassani broke free of the chasing Lowes’ brothers before Sam went down on lap 8. Bautista settled in 4th as an impressive Mackenzie was impressively holding off Alex Lowes for 6th.

Locatelli was having a better Race 2 than his dire Race 1 and was on his own in 7th ahead of a tight battle for 8th between Lecuona and the BMW duo, with Oliveira having come through from the back of the grid for the third race in succession.

Montella tragically crashed out halfway through by which time Mattia Rato, Ryan Vickers and Vierge had also been eliminated from the wet affair. Alex Lowes slid out with a fast lowside crash with 4 laps to go so all 15 riders who finished the race scored championship points.

The retirements left big gaps for Bassani and Bautista to come home comfortably on the rostrum behind Bulega with Mackenzie scoring his best WorldSBK result in 4th, clearly enjoying his time aboard the satellite MGM Ducati. Locatelli narrowly held off a charging Petrucci for 5th, with Oliveria, Lecuona and Baldassari close behind.

Gerloff was alone in 10th and not quite as fast as he had been in dry conditions. Up front, Bulega employed a swimming celebration to symbolise his treble victory around Phillip Island that has absolutely lived up to his reputation as the overwhelming 2026 title favourite.

Race 2 Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Championship Standings

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

22nd February 2026

MotoGP Cheat Sheet 2026

A quick one page cheat sheet with all the crucial details ahead of the 2026 MotoGP season, from which riders are where to the race weekend format and points system. Bookmark this page to have on hand if you’re new to the sport!

Teams and Riders

Aprilia Racing #72 Marco Bezzecchi #89 Jorge Martín Factory Aprilia Team	Trackhouse MotoGP Team #25 Raul Fernández #79 Ai Ogura Satellite Aprilia Team
Ducati Lenovo Team #63 Francesco Bagnaia #93 Marc Márquez Factory Ducati Team	BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #54 Fermín Aldeguer #73 Álex Márquez Satellite Ducati Team
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing #21 Franco Morbidelli #49 Fabio di Giannantonio Satellite Ducati Team	Honda HRC Castrol #10 Luca Marini #36 Joan Mir Factory Honda Team
Honda LCR #5 Johann Zarco #11 Diogo Moriera Satellite Honda Team	Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #33 Brad Binder #37 Pedro Acosta Factory KTM Team
Red Bull KTM Tech3 #12 Maverick Viñales #23 Enea Bastinini Satellite KTM Team	Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team #20 Fabio Quartararo #42 Álex Rins Factory Yamaha Team
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP #7 Toprak Razgatlıoğlu #43 Jack Miller Satellite Yamaha Team

The Race Weekend

Schedule Friday: Free Practice One > Practice One

Saturday: Free Practice Two > Qualifying > Sprint Race

Sunday: Warmup (MotoGP class only) > Grand Prix

Qualifying Format: The fastest 10 riders from Practice One on Friday (P1) automatically gain a place in Qualifying 2 (Q2). The first qualifying session (Q1) consists of the bottom 12 riders from P1. The fastest two riders in Q1 will progress to Q2, and the remaining set the race grid from 13th to 22nd place. Q2 lets riders fight for the coveted pole position spot, and sets the top 12 grid positions for both the Sprint Race and the Grand Prix.

Races: Each Grand Prix is run over a distance of between 95 and 130 kilometres, with the aim of a race duration around 45 minutes. The Sprint format is half the distance of the Grand Prix, and takes place on Saturday.

Championship Points Format

Grand Prix: Points are scored by the top 15 finishers 25-20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Sprint Race: Points are scored by the top 9 finishers 12-9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

There are no points for pole position or fastest lap.

5th January 2026

Maiden Magic: Adrian Fernández Triumphs in Moto3 Finale

After 85 previous attempts and countless close calls, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) finally stood on the top step of a Moto3™ podium. In Valencia, on his 86th Grand Prix start, he delivered a calm, calculated, and beautifully controlled ride to take an emotional maiden victory. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) joined him in parc fermé, while Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) secured second in the Championship thanks to a measured run to P6.

The race kicked off with fireworks. Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) muscled ahead into Turn 1, but Fernandez immediately snatched the lead back at Turn 2. David Almansa (Leopard Racing) briefly hit the front at the end of Lap 1, only to be pushed wide at Turn 14 a lap later, dropping him into the teeth of the chasing pack.

Fernandez kept things steady at the front while chaos erupted behind. Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) capitalised on the early jostling to climb into podium contention, and the leading eight became a tightly packed group with Piqueras trying to latch on from ninth. Almansa fought back to fourth by Lap 8, but another shuffle saw Furusato, Lunetta, Carpe and Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) all surge past, leaving the #22 back in the queue.

Up front, Fernandez and Quiles remained locked together until the Leopard rider turned up the heat. A new fastest lap stretched the elastic, thinning the group to a five-rider showdown: Fernandez, Furusato, Quiles, Carpe and Pini. Behind them, Lunetta and Almansa led the chase, with Piqueras and Morelli swapping paint for P7.

The final lap arrived with the top five still glued together. Carpe and Quiles clashed for position through Turns 6–8, but Fernandez kept his lines tidy and his nerves ice-cold. Furusato threw everything at him into the last corner but but it wasn’t enough. Carpe up to a career-matching P2. Pini muscled through to fourth in the final metres, while Quiles ended his season with P5.

Piqueras crossed the line in sixth to seal runner-up honours in the Championship. Lunetta, Almansa, Jesus Rios (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) locked down the top ten.

An overdue triumph for Fernandez. A hard-fought podium for Carpe. A breakthrough season-ender for Furusato. And a finale that served up exactly the kind of Moto3 madness we’ve come to expect.

Further down the order, the battle for the final points was anything but quiet. Valentin Perrone claimed 10th after edging out Jesús Rios in a tight midfield shuffle, with Stefano Nepa close behind in 11th as the SIC58 rider wrapped up his season with another steady finish. Marco Morelli secured 12th for GRYD–MLav Racing, holding off a late charge from Casey O’Gorman, who crossed the line 13th after a gritty recovery ride. Malaysian favourite Hakim Danish brought the FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI machine home in 14th, just seven thousandths ahead of Adrian Cruces, who grabbed the final point in 15th for CIP Green Power after a photo-finish scrap to the line.

Pos	Pts	Rider	Team	Gap
1	25	Adrian Fernandez (ESP)	Leopard Racing	32:48.909
2	20	Alvaro Carpe (ESP)	Red Bull KTM Ajo	+0.286
3	16	Taiyo Furusato (JPN)	Honda Team Asia	+0.109*
4	13	Guido Pini (ITA)	LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP	+0.397
5	11	Maximo Quiles (ESP)	CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team	+0.448
6	10	Angel Piqueras (ESP)	FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI	+5.844
7	9	Luca Lunetta (ITA)	SIC58 Squadra Corse	+5.934
8	8	David Almansa (ESP)	Leopard Racing	+5.935
9	7	Jesus Rios (ESP)	Rivacold Snipers Team	+14.236
10	6	Valentin Perrone (ARG)	Red Bull KTM Tech3	+14.382
11	5	Stefano Nepa (ITA)	SIC58 Squadra Corse	+14.507
12	4	Marco Morelli (ARG)	GRYD – Mlav Racing	+15.021
13	3	Casey O’Gorman (IRL)	LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP	+17.079
14	2	Hakim Danish (MYS)	FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI	+17.166
15	1	Adrian Cruces (ESP)	CIP Green Power	+17.173

*Furusato crossed the line second but was demoted to P3 for exceeding track limits on the final lap.

16th November 2025

The second-to-last Moto3™ race of the season delivered pure chaos, strategy, and a breakout display of control from Max Quiles (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team). The Spaniard managed what few riders can in the slipstream-heavy class — he crossed the line over a second and a half ahead of the next riders. It was a hard fought win after a fierce race that had Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA) taking the lead for the start of the race, lots of battles at the front that saw riders eight a breast in lap 12 and Quiles was back in

Ángel Piqueras (QJMotor – FRINSA – MSI) refused to let Quiles run away without a fight. Locked in his own battle for second overall in the Championship, Piqueras produced a gritty, intelligent ride. While others burned their tyres and their patience in the midfield brawl, Piqueras kept his head, picked his moment, and secured P2 — crucial points in his duel with Quiles for second place in the championship.

The final step on the podium went to Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), who continues to ride a wave of momentum after his emotional maiden Grand Prix victory in Malaysia last weekend. Back-to-back podiums mark the strongest phase of his Moto3™ career so far, and he did it again with his trademark late-race composure.

When the lights went out, the early drama came courtesy of Joel Kelso, who launched from the grid like he’d been fired from a cannon. He controlled the first laps, but the pack stayed glued together. The drafting chess match saw positions swap nearly every straight — particularly after Joel Esteban (Red Bull KTM Ajo) briefly grabbed P2 before a moment at the final corner shuffled the order again.

At half-distance, Kelso was still ahead, but a mistake at Turn 5 opened the door. Quiles didn’t need a second invitation. In one move, Quiles and Piqueras swept past, and suddenly the tone of the race changed. It became a scrappy dogfight for the lead with lots of battles at the front that saw riders eight a breast in lap 12 and Quiles moved from eighth to second in a single lap.

On lap 14 Quiles managed to retake the lead and that’s when he started to pull the pin and step up the pace to pull the pin on the remaining riders.

Behind him, Piqueras clawed back from the chaos to regain P2, leaving Furusato to fend off the group. Esteban just managed to keep rookie sensation Alvaro Carpe behind him at the finish.

One rider who stole the spotlight in the background? Casey O’Gorman, stepping in as a substitute rider for Dynavolt Intact GP. The Irish teenager made the most of his opportunity, scything through the pack to steal P6 — just ahead of Kelso and front-row starter Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power). Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) rounded out the top ten.

Just outside the frontrunning battles, the fight for the final points was intense and closely packed. Luca Lunetta (10th) led the second group home, securing valuable points for SIC58 Squadra Corse with a strong late-race rhythm. Marco Morelli (GRYD – Mlav Racing) followed just behind in 11th, continuing his consistent end-of-season form. Hakim Danish (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) brought the crowd to their feet with a hard-earned 12th, while Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) crossed the line only 0.039s behind him in 13th. Dennis Foggia (14th) added more points for CFMOTO, and Nicola Carraro (15th) completed the scorers for Rivacold Snipers Team after a late move in the final laps.

Pos	Pts	Rider	Team	Gap
1	25	Máximo Quiles	CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team	34:05.182
2	20	Ángel Piqueras	FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI	+1.663s
3	16	Taiyo Furusato	Honda Team Asia	+2.886s
4	13	Joel Esteban	Red Bull KTM Tech3	+3.243s
5	11	Alvaro Carpe	Red Bull KTM Ajo	+3.537s
6	10	Casey O’Gorman	LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP	+4.123s
7	9	Joel Kelso	LEVELUP – MTA	+5.345s
8	8	Scott Ogden	CIP Green Power	+5.390s
9	7	Adrian Fernández	Leopard Racing	+5.483s
10	6	Luca Lunetta	SIC58 Squadra Corse	+9.469s
11	5	Marco Morelli	GRYD – Mlav Racing	+9.556s
12	4	Hakim Danish	FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI	+24.276s
13	3	Brian Uriarte	Red Bull KTM Ajo	+24.315s
14	2	Dennis Foggia	CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team	+29.897s
15	1	Nicola Carraro	Rivacold Snipers Team	+29.972s
16	—	Eddie O’Shea	GRYD – Mlav Racing	+30.158s
17	—	Ruche Moodley	DENSSI Racing – BOE	+30.188s
18	—	Stefano Nepa	SIC58 Squadra Corse	+30.575s
19	—	Zen Mitani	Honda Team Asia	+31.669s
20	—	Cormac Buchanan	DENSSI Racing – BOE	+39.512s
21	—	David Almansa	Leopard Racing	+39.522s

9th November 2025

Somber Start, Triumphant Finish: Furusato Claims Maiden Victory Amid Difficult Day in Sepang

The Malaysian Grand Prix began under sombre circumstances following a serious incident on the sighting lap involving José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power). The collision brought out the red flag before the race had even begun, with both riders receiving immediate medical attention. Updates have been provided by both teams as follows:

“Following the impact at the exit of Turn 3 between Jose Antonio Rueda and Noah Dettwiler during the Sighting Lap, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider has a fracture in his hand. At this moment, Rueda is awake and conscious in the hospital.
The Spaniard was assessed as having no serious injuries to his head or torso, albeit with a severe concussion from the impact. He remains under observation, awaiting further tests on his hand and arm.”
– Red Bull KTM Ajo

“This morning, during the sighting lap at Sepang, our rider Noah Dettwiler was involved in a serious accident. He was taken to the hospital in Kuala Lumpur and will need to undergo multiple surgeries.
He is in good hands, and we kindly as you to respect his privacy. We will not be sharing further updates at this time.
Noah is a true fighter, and the entire CIP Green Power team is right behind him. We will keep you updated as soon as possible”
– CIP Green Power

My thoughts, and the thoughts of the fans and paddock are with both riders and we wish them a speedy recovery.

In a controversial decision I personally disagree with, officials decided that the Moto3 race would continue over a shorter distance.

Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

When racing eventually resumed, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) delivered a faultless performance to claim his first Moto3 Grand Prix victory — a moment of joy on an otherwise difficult day for the Moto3 community. The Japanese rider took the holeshot and never relinquished control, showing poise and precision under the sweltering Sepang heat.

From pole position, David Almansa (Leopard Racing) initially fought back to briefly lead on Lap 3, but Furusato quickly reclaimed the top spot with a confident move. Behind them, Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team), Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), and Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) were locked in an intense scrap for the podium. Pini managed to climb to second midway through the race, only for Quiles to strike back as Fernandez carved his way forward from the fourth row.

Furusato, meanwhile, remained untouchable. His Honda RC250RW looked perfectly balanced as he kept a one-second buffer while chaos unfolded behind. There were close calls aplenty — Quiles miraculously saved a near-crash at Turn 2, and both Almansa and Pini later ran into trouble as the race wore on.

With two laps to go, the battle for second saw Fernandez slide wide, allowing Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) to slip through. Up front, Furusato was long gone, cruising across the line to take a hugely emotional first win — and Honda’s first of the 2025 season. Piqueras claimed P2, while Fernandez completed the podium to make it three Hondas in the top three.

Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

Almansa recovered to finish fourth, followed by Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) in fifth and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in sixth. Quiles came home seventh and, with that result, secured the Rookie of the Year title after a consistent and impressive debut campaign. Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) earned his best result since Assen in eighth, Brian Uriarte (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was ninth, and Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) rounded out the top ten.

The points were rounded out by Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in eleventh, Joel Kelso (LevelUP – MTA) in twelth, Maco Morelli (GRYD – MLAV Racing) who is continuing to impress as a last minitue switch in for the team as he crossed the line in thirteenth. Nicola Carraro (Rivacold Snipers Team) took fourteenth and a single point went the way of Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – MLAV Racing) who came home in fifteenth.

Malaysian wildcard Hakim Danish (AEON Credit SIC Racing MSI) deserves an honorable mention as he gave the local fans something to cheer with the fastest lap of the race before retiring due to a technical issue.

It was a day that reminded everyone of both the joy and fragility of racing. While Furusato celebrated a long-awaited victory, the thoughts of the entire MotoGP paddock remained with Dettwiler, Rueda, and their families.

26th October 2025
WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu withstands Bulega pressure to seal 2025 WSBK Championship in Jerez

A controversial crash in the Tissot Superpole Race in Jerez that led to borderline violent scenes from the Turkish fans coupled with a crushing treble of race wins from Nicolo Bulega was not enough to prevent Toprak Razgatlioglu from wrapping up his third WorldSBK title at the Pirelli Spanish Round.

Tissot Superpole Race

All Razgatlioglu had to do to wrap up the championship was finish in the top 7 of the morning’s 10-lap race. This should not have been difficult and it was fully expected that ‘El Turco’ would seal the deal before the final full-distance race of the year in the afternoon.

A promising start that left him challenging Bulega on the first lap saw Razgatlioglu pushed wide by Bulega at turn 5 in a similar but more consequential move to the one that occurred at the start of Race 1 yesterday. Razgatlioglu was unable to rejoin and thankfully his BMW was not too damaged, although there were obvious concerns about reliability for Race 2.

Razgatlioglu’s exit meant that BMW’s efforts to clinch the Manufacturers’ Championship had taken a serious blow with them being left 19 points down on Ducati with one race to go. Bulega was immediately placed under investigation and was docked with a single long-lap penalty, but he was so far out front and so fast that his lead was barely compromised.

Bulega’s dominant win cut the gap to 22 points and although the only way he could win the championship was victory in Race 2 with Razgatlioglu lower than 13th, the anger towards the Ducati rider was palpable as many expected things to have been wrapped up in the morning. Loud boos and jeers were directed towards Bulega when he arrived in the paddock and there were rumours of the ardent Turkish support getting particularly aggressive towards anyone trying to calm them down.

Additional security was deployed and social media went mental demanding justice for Razgatlioglu. The BMW team shielded Razgatlioglu from any press intrusion until after Race 2 as the WorldSBK paddock geared up for its first final race showdown since 2014.

Well behind Bulega came Alvaro Bautista who dispatched Andrea Iannone for 2nd on lap 4 at turn 6. The Italian was able to hold on to 3rd place ahead of a squabbling Xavi Vierge and Alex Lowes, the latter running wide on the last lap to cost him 4th place.

Andrea Locatelli passed an impressive Tarran Mackenzie for 6th place on the penultimate lap while Iker Lecuona and Micheal van der Mark rounded out the crucial top 9 spots that set the grid for Race 2, with Razgatlioglu trapped down in 10th.

Tissot Superpole Race Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Race 2

Amidst the fallout of the Bulega/Razgatlioglu incident, some hugely unfortunate news broke from the medical centre. Jonathan Rea crashed out at high speed with Remy Gardner at turn 3 and unlike his accident at turn 4 yesterday, this one left him with an injured knee and he was declared unfit for Race 2.

Rea was therefore left unable to contest his final WorldSBK race in which Yamaha were running a celebratory livery. A despondent Rea was caught on camera watching the race with his family from their garage following a huge outpouring of support and appreciation in the paddock towards the Northern Irish 6-time World Champion, who may be seen testing next year in plans that are yet to be revealed.

Starting in 10th, the only real fear for Razgatlioglu was if his bike broke down or he was caught up in a melee in the midfield. The Turk methodically made his way up to 3rd place and settled there to win the championship by 13 points as Bulega clinched a treble of race victories.

Bulega first had to ignore the pressure by the critical fans and even some of his fellow riders, and he lost the initial lead to his teammate Bautista who was obviously determined to repeat Chaz Davies past feat of winning his last race with the aruba.it Ducati team. Through his strong point of turn 5 that let him set up a move into turn 6, once Bulega was past Bautista it was a done deal and all the focus switched to Razgatlioglu.

With 12 laps to go Razgatlioglu was already up to 3rd, having dealt with Locatelli, Vierge, Lowes and Iannone who had been battling all weekend in Jerez for positions just below the rostrum. It was a fairly underwhelming race overall once Razgatlioglu settled into his rhythm and the laps wound down to confirm him as a 3-time WorldSBK Champion ahead of his blockbuster move to MotoGP next season.

Iannone had slipped back while running in 7th to fend off Mackenzie and Lecuona, who swapped places by the end of the race. Michael van der Mark was a lowly 13th in his final WorldSBK race as BMW lost out on the Manufacturers’ Championship to Ducati.

Bautista did more than enough to secure 3rd place overall in the World Championship which arguably should have gone to the Independent Champion Danilo Petrucci, who was ruled out of the last 2 rounds (6 races). The only retirements from the race were Lukas Tulovic through a crash and Garrett Gerloff brought his underwhelming season with Kawasaki to close by retiring into the pitlane.

In any other year, Bulega would have been World Championship, but the critical retirement while leading Race 2 in Assen for example when Razgatlioglu was further down the order will be a painful pill to swallow. As for Razgatlioglu, he heads to MotoGP having left his mark on a championship that will simply never be the same without him, or indeed Jonathan Rea…

Race 2 Results

Image Credit: WorldSBK

2025 WorldSBK Riders’ Championship Standings

Image Credit: WorldSBK

2025 WorldSBK Manufacturers’ Championship Standings

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

19th October 2025