Category: Crew On Two

Moto3 Mayhem: Rueda Victorious, Perrone Shines

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.

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.

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

Pos	Rider	Team	Time/Gap	Points
1	Jose Antonio Rueda	Red Bull KTM Ajo	32:12.319	25
2	David Muñoz	LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP	+0.144	20
3	Valentin Perrone	Red Bull KTM Tech3	+0.245	16
4	Alvaro Carpe	Red Bull KTM Ajo	+1.087	13
5	Angel Piqueras	FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI	+1.296	11
6	David Almansa	Leopard Racing	+2.083	10
7	Scott Ogden	CIP Green Power	+2.234	9
8	Dennis Foggia	CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team	+5.034	8
9	Joel Kelso	LEVELUP-MTA	+5.755	7
10	Marcos Uriarte	LEVELUP-MTA	+6.318	6
11	Ryusei Yamanaka	FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI	+7.002	5
12	Jacob Roulstone	Red Bull KTM Tech3	+8.555	4
13	Stefano Nepa	SIC58 Squadra Corse	+12.395	3
14	Riccardo Rossi	Rivacold Snipers Team	+12.675	2
15	Maximo Quiles	CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team	+24.394	1

Title photo credit: Pirelli Press office

29th June 2025

Maximo Quiles wins a Mugello classic to claim first Moto3™ victory

Rookie sensation Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) delivered a final-corner masterclass at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, storming to his first Grand Prix victory in a Moto3™ thriller. The 17-year-old battled from the third row to lead home a rookie 1-2, fending off Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in a drag to the line, while Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) returned to the podium in front of his home crowd for the first time since 2022.

Photo credit: Pirelli Press Office

The early chaos and charge
Polesitter Carpe grabbed the holeshot and kept things tidy early, with front-row starters briefly forming the top three. Behind them, it was action immediately, as Jose Antonio Rueda and Scott Ogden rubbed elbows on Lap 1. On Lap 2, drama struck as Vicente Perez, Riccardo Rossi, and Ruche Moodley all crashed exiting Turn 5. Then on Lap 3, David Almansa was eliminated in contact with Ogden, ending another promising charge early.

While Carpe and Rueda duked it out with Quiles at the front, Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) put on a sensational show, slicing from 20th to P4 by Lap 6 and battling for the podium on home turf. Also on a flyer was Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), joining the lead group after starting from the back of the grid.

But it wouldn’t last. Lap 7 saw more heartbreak for the home fans as Adrian Fernandez and Luca Lunetta crashed out at Turn 1. A few corners later, the dream run for Pini ended after contact with Joel Kelso sent him down at Turn 12.

Photo credit: Pirelli Press Office

The final lap showdown
The final lap was a Mugello classic. Foggia led into Turn 1, but as the group blasted through Arrabbiata 1 and 2, the top three went full attack mode. Carpe and Foggia swapped positions, allowing Quiles to slide back into P2 by Turn 12. Into Bucine, the last corner, Quiles hit the front—and despite Carpe’s late lunge in the slipstream, the #28 held his nerve to cross the line just ahead.

“That was chaos—but incredible,” said Quiles. “I didn’t expect the win to come this soon, especially here. Mugello is special. I can’t believe it.”

Carpe took his third podium of the year in P2, while Foggia celebrated an emotional return with a home podium in P3.

Title implications
Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda finished fourth after briefly dropping to 15th mid-race, salvaging valuable points in a wild one. David Muñoz crossed the line fifth, just ahead of Taiyo Furusato, who was shuffled back late in the lap.

Angel Piqueras fought to P7, narrowly ahead of Perrone in P8, with Joel Kelso and Ryusei Yamanaka completing the top ten—just 0.9s from victory. Nicola Carraro was 11th in a photo finish.

Main Photo credit: Pirelli Press Office

23rd June 2025
WorldSBK: Points gap to Bulega slashed by Razgatlioglu after Misano treble

Toprak Razgatlioglu has slashed the championship points lead of Nicolo Bulega after the BMW rider romped to a treble of victories in Misano and his Ducati rival went pointless in the Tissot Superpole Race.

TISSOT SUPERPOLE RACE

With Bulega now able to start on pole position having served his 3-place grid penalty in Race 1 yesterday, he was keen to get the hole-shot into the first corner. However, Axel Bassani (gambling on qualifying tyres for the half-distance event) got a much better launch but went into turn 1 too fast and eliminated himself and Bulega on the spot.

Thankfully neither of the Italian riders were injured on home soil and were able to race again in the full-distance race in the afternoon. Bulega was fuming that Bassani did not immediately offer an apology and the latter was dealt a double long-lap penalty for Race 2.

Razgatlioglu was very fortunate to have avoided the chaos at turn 1 and after his main rival went down the half-distance race was a foregone conclusion. The Turkish rider came home 4 seconds clear of an impressive Alex Lowes (also on qualifying rubber) in 2nd place who secured the first podium finish for Bimota in 25 years that arguably might have gone to his teammate if not for the accident at turn 1.

The rival Yamahas of Andrea Locatelli and Remy Gardner squabbled over 3rd place on lap 1 and their resulting battle left the latter vulnerable to Danilo Petrucci. Unfortunately for Petrucci’s teammate and compatriot Yari Montella he crashed out while chasing Iker Lecuona for the final points-paying position in 9th.

Andrea Iannone was given yet another double long-lap penalty for jumping the start having already been found guilty of the same offence twice before this year. That ruled him out of the fight for points, where the man with the most pace on Sunday morning was Alvaro Bautista.

Bautista was determined to improve his grid position for Race 2 by finishing in the top 9 of the Tissot Superpole Race and eventually made it past Gardner for 5th. Gardner then slipped behind Sam Lowes and Jonathan Rea, who was finally showing some promising pace in his injury-affected 2025 campaign.

TISSOT SUPERPOLE RACE RESULTS

Image Credit: WorldSBK

RACE 2

Having dropped 12 points to Razgatlioglu in the Tissot Superpole Race and consigned to starting in 10th for Race 2 of the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, Bulega had a point to prove on Sunday afternoon. The championship leader had made it into 2nd place with 17 laps still to go, but it was already too late to catch Razgatlioglu up front who won by a dominant margin of almost 10 seconds.

Once Razgatlioglu survived the first lap in the lead from pole position the ‘treble’ never looked in doubt. This was the second time in as many years that Razagtlioglu had won all three races in Misano and he has now cut the points gap to Bulega down to just 9 points at the halfway point of the season.

In the sweltering Sunday afternoon heat that was 3 degrees hotter than Race 1 a day earlier, Locatelli, Petrucci and Alex Lowes were once again the riders who ran behind Razgatlioglu. Bautista took some time to get up to speed but after being passed by his charging teammate the Spaniard began his pursuit of the podium.

Around the halfway point of the race, Bautista engaged in battle with Locatelli for 3rd and sealed the deal with a move at turn 10. It was particularly important for Bautista to have a good result as it was revealed ahead of the Misano weekend that negotiations between himself and his factory Ducati team had broken down over a 2026 contract.

Gardner and Montella suffered a high-speed crash while Jonathan Rea slid out of 9th to end his encouraging weekend on a low. Likewise, Alex Lowes crashed out of 6th after his and Bimota’s breakthrough podium finish earlier in the day but recovered to finish 14th.

The double long-lap penalty for torpedoing Bulega in the Tissot Superpole Race cost the other Bimota of Bassani any chance of a good result after such a strong qualifying earlier in the weekend, while Iannone’s nightmare weekend continued with a crash two laps from home.

The attrition left Locatelli ahead of Petrucci in 4th, with the Italian struggling to keep the Lowes brothers and the Lecuona behind. Once Alex Lowes slid off, Petrucci just held on ahead of Lecuona and Sam Lowes for another solid result that helps keep him narrowly ahead of the factory Ducati of Bautista in the championship.

There was a monumental gap between Sam Lowes in 7th and Garrett Gerloff in 8th. The fight over P8 however was absolutely thrilling.

Gerloff prevailed over Xavi Vierge, an under-pressure Michael van der Mark and an impressive Ryan Vickers but the race-long fight for 8th also featured Iannone and Scott Redding before they both crashed out with less than 2 laps to go. The battles further down the grid compensated for the lack of action at the sharp end as an ecstatic Razgatlioglu gets ever more motivated to switch to MotoGP next year as the reigning World Superbike champion, but Bulega is far from beaten as the season concludes its first half…

RACE 2 RESULTS

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

15th June 2025
WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu lays down marker in Misano Race 1

After inheriting pole position but falling to third at the start, Toprak Razgatlioglu fresh from the news of his move to MotoGP calmly retook the lead of Race 1 at the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round to ominously breeze past home hero Nicolo Bulega.

In the 30 Degrees Celsius Saturday afternoon sunshine, there was some great action on lap 1 as Bulega shot through from 4th on the grid (having been penalised three spots after going fastest in Superpole) to take the lead through the fast turn 11 from Axel Bassani. Bassani had stolen the lead after Razgatlioglu ran wide through the long left-hander of turn 5 while Dominique Aegerter and Bahattin Sofuoglu both went down at the same spot seconds later.

Alex Lowes put a move on Andrea Locatelli for 4th on lap 2 but just seconds later his Bimota teammate Bassani crashed out, as did Andrea Iannone. This left Razgatlioglu free to chase after Bulega and the two left Lowes behind on track, with the gap already being at 4 seconds by lap 4.

By the 5th lap, Razgatlioglu was confidently closing on Bulega and easily swept past in a move that saw him encounter little defence. Bulega simply had to accept that his BMW rival was a cut above the rest at the circuit where the Turk had performed a hat-trick one year ago and the race was ultimately settled at this point.

Danilo Petrucci had passed Locatelli for 4th and set about catching Lowes for 3rd. It appeared that Petrucci had sealed the deal but with 6 laps to go Lowes retaliated, only for the Italian to get back ahead a couple of corners later in an interesting duel for the final spot on the podium.

Behind the top 4 came Locatelli who held off Alvaro Bautista for 5th then Sam Lowes and Yari Montella were behind and closely contested 7th place. Scott Redding sandwiched the Honda duo with Jonathan Rea, Ryan Vickers, Garrett Gerloff and a returning Michael Ruben Rinaldi rounding out the points scorers.

RACE 1 RESULTS

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

14th June 2025
David Muñoz wins final corner thriller at Aragon
A thrilling last corner overtake reminds us how close the racing is in Moto3™ . David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) finally broke through for his first Grand Prix victory at the GoPro Grand Prix of Aragon, pulling off a perfectly judged final-corner move on rookie star Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Viel Aspar Team) to clinch the win by just 0.050 seconds.

Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the podium, continuing his quietly impressive rookie campaign with a strong late-race charge. But it was a race to forget for his teammate and current points leader Jose Antonio Rueda, who had led for much of the contest before a costly last-lap error dropped him to P8 at the flag.

Photo Credit: Rob Gray (Polarity Photo)

Rueda nailed the holeshot and led through the opening sector, while Quiles rocketed through from the second row to slot into second by Turn 3. The duo quickly broke clear with Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and David Almansa (Leopard Racing) giving chase, forming an early lead group. But Moto3™ being what it is, the pack soon swelled again. Unfortunately, the field was down a rider early on as Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) retired with a mechanical issue, and Vicente Perez (LEVELUP-MTA) took out Stefano Nepa (SIC58) at Turn 9.

By Lap 12, the tide began to turn. Lunetta and Muñoz both made aggressive moves on Rueda, shuffling the #99 back to sixth. Almansa capitalized to hit the front with five laps remaining, his weekend pace finally converting into race-leading form. Behind him, Carpe, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), Ryusei Yamanaka, and Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) kept the fight for the podium wide open.

Quiles reclaimed the lead with two laps to go, looking composed as the front group of ten barreled toward the finale. Muñoz hit back on the penultimate lap, but it was all to play for. Then came the mistake—Rueda ran deep into Turn 1 on the final lap, undoing all his earlier work and tumbling down the order.

Photo Credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

Down the long back straight and into the final corner, Quiles held the advantage. But Muñoz, calm and calculating, made a clean, clinical move to dive up the inside. Quiles tried to retaliate with a final drag to the line but fell heartbreakingly short—just 0.050s the margin between victory and a continued wait for that first win.

David Almansa claimed a career-best P4, narrowly missing the podium but showing clear upward momentum. Lunetta and Piqueras followed in fifth and sixth, the latter closing the gap slightly in the Championship standings. Kelso crossed the line in seventh ahead of Rueda, whose P8 result leaves him with a bitter taste after leading so much of the race.

Ryusei Yamanaka and Cormac Buchanan completed the top ten, the New Zealander earning his best-ever result in Moto3™ after an assured ride. Taiyo Furusato, after his best-ever qualifying, just missed the top ten and had to settle for P11.

Photo credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

Jose Antonio Rueda may have had a rough ride to P8 in Aragon, but his early-season dominance means he still holds a commanding 52-point lead in the Moto3™ World Championship. With 149 points, he remains the clear favourite—but that margin is beginning to look more manageable for the chasing pack.

Angel Piqueras sits second on 97 points. The Spaniard hasn’t had the cleanest run of late, but consistent top-ten finishes and flashes of pace suggest he’s still the most likely challenger. A big result at the next round could really tighten things up.

Just behind, a cluster of riders are separated by less than a race win:

Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) – 86 pts

Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 85 pts

Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) – 67 pts

Kelso has been in the mix regularly but still seeks a win. Carpe, meanwhile, is quietly having one of the best rookie seasons on the grid, now just 1 point off P3 in the standings. Furusato rounds out the top five and remains a wildcard threat—especially on Sundays.

Feature image credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool
9th June 2025
Rueda storms from the back to win at Silverstone

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) delivered a masterclass in comeback racing at the Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom, charging from the back of the grid to claim his third consecutive victory — and one of the most impressive of his career. The Spaniard, who had taken pole before being penalized for riding significantly more slowly on the racing line, joined an elite club of riders to win from last, standing alongside the likes of Marc Marquez (Valencia 2012, Moto2™), Brad Binder (Jerez 2016, Moto3™), and David Alonso (Silverstone 2023, Moto3™).

Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

What followed was a clinical ride through the chaos of a classic Moto3™ lead group. Rueda got a solid launch and was already picking off riders into Turn 1, while teammate Alvaro Carpe grabbed the holeshot. By Lap 3, the #99 was leading the second group, and by Lap 4 he’d bridged the gap and joined the freight train at the front. With five laps to go, Rueda had cracked the top five—and not long after, he was at the head of the pack.

Still, he had to fight for the win. Rookie Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) impressed when he refused to back down, making it a thrilling final-lap showdown. The two went side-by-side through the final sector, with Quiles slightly wide at the final chicane. Rueda didn’t hesitate—diving up the inside and powering out of the last corner to snatch victory in a photo finish.

“I took making the comeback calmly because I knew the front group wasn’t going to break away, and we also had good pace, so we were able to be patient and attack at the right time” – Jose Antonio Rueda

Quiles, despite losing out by the narrowest of margins, still secured a stunning maiden podium in just his rookie season.

Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completed the podium in third, bouncing back impressively from a Long Lap penalty for contact with David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) earlier in the race.

Rob Gray (Polarity Photo)

Just off the podium, Alvaro Carpe finished fourth ahead of fellow rookie Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with David Almansa (Leopard Racing), Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) fifth and sixth respectfully. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), Vicente Perez (LEVELUP-MTA), and Nicola Carraro (Rivacold Snipers Team) rounding out the top ten.

A late incident involving Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) saw Piqueras crash out and Furusato hit with a Long Lap-equivalent 3 second time penalty. That moved home hero Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) up to P11, followed by Furusato in P12. Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE), and Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team) all picked up points in the race.

Title photo credit: Rob Gray (Polarity Photo)

27th May 2025
WorldSBK: Instant classic Czech Race 2 settled by just 0.027s

After victory pole position and victory in Race 1 on Saturday, Sunday started well for Toprak Razagatlioglu as he saw off an early challenge by Nicolo Bulega in the Tissot Superpole Race but was thwarted on the finish line in Race 2 by his Ducati rival by just 0.027 seconds.

TISSOT SUPERPOLE RACE

Much like in Race 1, Bulega beat Razgatlioglu to turn 1 at the start of the 10-lap affair. This began a thrilling battle that lasted just under half of the race before the crucial moment came when Bulega cut the first chicane while battling Razgatlioglu for the lead.

While running wide, Bulega added a second to Razgatlioglu’s lead that the Turkish rider was able to protect for the remainder of the race, with the BMW rider going on to secure a new race lap record on his way to the victory. It was another comfortable 2^nd place for the factory Ducati rider ahead of the two satellite riders behind him.

Danilo Petrucci recorded another podium finish and was ran close by Sam Lowes. Behind them came a charging Alvaro Bautista who came from 10^th to 5^th with some audacious move in the 10-lap sprint to secure a second-row start for Race 2 in the afternoon.

Alex Lowes split the Honda HRC riders, with Xavi Vierge only just pipping Andrea Locatelli to the line for 8^th place. Jonathan Rea was also right behind in the battle for the crucial top 9 positions that set the grid for Race 2 but fell short behind his teammate.

Axel Bassani had been in contention for a top-9 spot but was docked with a double long-lap penalty for jumping the start. Up front, there was definitely some renewed vigour that Bulega could challenge Razgatlioglu more than in Race 1 heading into the final full-distance even in the afternoon.

TISSOT SUPERPOLE RACE RESULTS

Image Credit: WorldSBK

RACE 2

For the third time in succession, Bulega beat Razgatlioglu to the first corner at the Motul Czech Round as the BMW rider struggled to get the hole shot from his three successive pole positions. The pair were fortunate to get to the chicane before everyone else as just like in Race 1 the filed concertinaed up with disastrous consequences for some.

Once again, Bautista found himself caught in the madness that he hoped he would avoid having started from P5 instead of P10 but it was not to be for the Spanish veteran. It was Rea who checked up going through the apex of turn 2 that saw a distraught Bautista and Vierge eliminated on the spot and Alex Lowes being forced to ride through the gravel and condemn himself to the back of the grid after taking the necessary avoiding action.

Rea had got himself into 5^th thanks to the chaos he had initiated but was unsurprisingly dealt a double long-lap penalty from the stewards. Once he rejoined from both he ended up 12^th and would finish 13^th, although there had at least been flashes of pace this weekend for the Northern Irishman who continues his recovery from injury earlier in the season.

Razgatlioglu stuck within range of Bulega for the first half of the 22-lap race, meanwhile Petrucci and Sam Lowes resumed their battle from the Tissot Superpole over the final spot on the podium, with the former once again securing 3^rd place but by a very slim margin over his British rival.

The other big mover in the first half of the race was Bassani who rose as high as 5^th ahead of an impressive Remy Gardner. In the end it was Gardner who prevailed while his teammate Dominique Aegerter fought his way up through the lower points-paying positions and another satellite Yamaha of Bahattin Sofuoglu had yet another long-lap penalty that ruined his progress for cutting turn 1 again after a solid ride until that point.

With half the race completed Razgatlioglu passed Bulega with a surprise move through turns 16 and 17 having stalked his rival to identify his weaknesses around Most. Although Bulega was back past at turn 1 shortly after, the next time around saw Razgatlioglu launch a successful block pass through the first chicane to steal the lead.

It appeared that Razgatlioglu had it all under control as he sought the treble in the Czech Republic before Bulega started to reel him in right towards the very end of the 22 laps. With 3 laps to go and rain starting to fall around the outskirts of the circuit, it suddenly looked as if the race was well and truly on instead of another forgone conclusion.

Even exiting the last corner on the final lap Bulega was still not ahead but by the finish line he was, by just 0.027 seconds. It was the sort of ending that Razgatlioglu used to suffer back in his Yamaha days when battling Bautista at tracks like Portimao and the Turk predictably made his frustrations clear on the slowing down lap while also pinning the blame on his bike.

Bulega’s victory was thoroughly well deserved after his horrific highside on Friday and it brought a nice bit of variety after he himself blitzed everyone at Cremona a fortnight ago. Razgatlioglu ultimately brings the points gap down to Bulega by 3 overall and 31 total this weekend, while Petrucci jumps ahead of a hapless Bautista for 3^rd overall in the standings.

RACE 2 RESULTS

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

18th May 2025
WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu dominates Race 1 in Most

Toprak Razgatlioglu lived up to his imperious reputation at the Motul Czech Round with a dominant victory in Race 1 well ahead of an injured Nicolo Bulega, whose effort was remarkable after a highside in practice.

Despite losing his lead from pole position to Bulega at turn 1 on the 1st lap, Razgatlioglu was quick enough to stick with his Ducati rival as the race developed. Within just a handful of laps, the BMW rider muscled his was back past at turn 1 to assert a lead that he would stretch to 6 seconds by the end of the 22-lap race in Most.

Bulega suffered a horrific highside in practice on Friday and was thankfully declared to fit to continue competing in the Czech Republic. Second place while still recovering from his crash was a solid effort at a track that is known to be one of Razgatlioglu’s strongest.

Despite the BMW’s comfortable victory on Saturday in the Czech Republic, the second factory Ducati of Alvaro Bautista had some scintillating pace as he fought through from towards the back of the grid. The 40-year-old underperformed in qualifying with 10^th place and then had to slow up going through the tight right-left at turns 1 and 2.

Andrea Locatelli and Michael van der Mark crashed out as the field concertinaed up behind Bautista, who had to slam on the brakes. Once he had recovered from the chaos, Bautista started to unleash laptimes that were second only to Razgatlioglu and he eventually recovered to 5^th.

Had the race been another lap longer, that might well have been P4. Bautista had caught Sam Lowes at the end of the penultimate lap and passed him into turn 1 on the final lap before just running out of time to snatch 4^th from the other Lowes brother – Alex.

The Lowes brothers had contested 4^th from the very start of the race but were unable to challenge Danilo Petrucci on the satellite Barni Ducati. Petrucci’s race was a comfortable ride to 3^rd, not challenged behind and unable to trouble the top 2.

Unfortunately, Petrucci’s chief independent rival – Andrea Iannone – was declared unfit to race. Behind the top 6 came Iker Lecuona, whose teammate Xavi Vierge had a long battle with Yari Montella for 7^th but came off worse.

Jonathan Rea ran as high as 6^th but settled in 10^th as the race progressed, with the Northern Irishman’s future the topic of debate after an underwhelming stint with Yamaha. This was the best result for Yamaha, although Bahattin Sofouglu had a strong ride to 15^th that might have been slightly better if he had not been penalised for cutting turn 1 and being docked with a long lap penalty.

Heading into Sunday’s action at the Motul Czech Round, Razgatlioglu will be confident of securing another triple-victory. Bautista will also be confident of a strong showing in the Tissot Superpole race to put himself in a better position for Race 2.

RACE 1 RESULTS

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

17th May 2025
Jose Antonio Rueda backflips to French GP glory

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) channeled his inner Johann Zarco and gave us a backflip backflip in Le Mans after a sensational last-lap victory in the Michelin Grand Prix of France.

The #99 played it smart throughout the race, gradually moving through the lead group to sit third as the final lap began—just in time for chaos to erupt ahead of him.

Photo Credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Intact GP) launched a bold late attack on race leader Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA), the two colliding and running wide in the final corner complex. Rueda seized the moment, sweeping past both to snatch a dramatic win.

“I saw them go wide and just went for it,” he said. “You never know what can happen on the last lap in Moto3, so I stayed patient and it paid off. Winning at Le Mans like this feels incredible—this one is special.” – Jose Antonio Rueda

Muñoz was later penalized for the incident and dropped to third, promoting Kelso to second. It was a significant result for Rueda in the title fight too, as key championship rival Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) crashed out mid-race.

At lights out, rookie polesitter Max Quiles (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) got the best launch, battling Kelso for early supremacy. The Australian eventually took control by the end of the opening lap and set the pace from the front, as the typical Moto3™ slipstream shuffle played out behind.

Photo Credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

The lead group eventually narrowed to Kelso, Muñoz, rookie Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), and Rueda after Piqueras’ exit. Pini’s hopes ended in a sudden crash, leaving a three-way fight for the win, with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in pursuit but just out of reach.

Kelso kept things tidy up front and seemed on course for victory—until Muñoz launched his final-corner lunge. The resulting contact pushed both riders wide, and Rueda needed no second invitation to sweep into the lead and take the flag.

Carpe came home fourth, narrowly missing out on the podium after the late drama, while David Almansa (Leopard Racing) led the second group to round out the top five. He was followed by Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), a fading Quiles, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse), and Argentine rookie Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who secured a strong P10 finish for the French squad.

Just outside the top ten were Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) and Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), with Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE), and Nicola Carraro (Rivacold Snipers Team) all picking up points. Pini remounted to finish 17th, missing out on points but leaving France with plenty of attention after a standout qualifying and race showing.

Feature image photo credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

12th May 2025
WorldSBK: Bulega completes hat-trick at home in Cremona

Nicolo Bulega picked up where he left off the previous day to more-or-less ease to victory in the remaining 2 races at the Cremona Circuit in Italy, with an ardent home crowd and MotoGP figures from Ducati in attendance to witness his historic achievement.

TISSOT SUPERPOLE

The 10-lap Tissot Superople around the shortest circuit on the World Superbikes calendar was a rapid affair. The Sunday morning race took just under 15 minutes and was in many ways a repeat of Race 1 from the previous day.

Bulega led from pole position ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista while Sam Lowes once again fell back from the front row of the grid. Razgatlioglu tried his best to stick with Bulega but by as early as lap 3 it was evident that the latter was managing to pull away at the front.

While Bulega stretched out his lead, Razgatlioglu kept him in sight but was unable to close in while Bautista once again settled in 3rd. Andrea Iannone was hit with a double long-lap penalty for narrowly jumping the start and found himself in 9^th after serving his punishment, having been in contention for 4^th before it.

Sam Lowes held onto 4^th ahead of an Xavi Vierge, with the two faster riders of Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci running out of time to make up more positions. Crucially for Petrucci he was able to secure 6^th place in the race and the same spot on the grid for Race 2 to make up for his shambolic qualifying in the Superpole on Saturday.

As for Lecuona, he crashed out on lap 9 to make it 2 retirements in 2 races so far in Cremona despite having some scintillating pace. After the Honda rider crashed out, Andrea Locatelli, Iannone and Michael van der Mark were those who rounded out the top 9 and inherited those same places for Race 2.

Given how short the race was, the independent Ducati riders Scott Redding and Gabriele Ruiu gambled on running the qualifying tyre but were unable to make much progress. Redding fell short of the crucial 9^th place require to get a better grid position for Race 2, coming home in 11^th while Ruiu was 21^st.

TISSOT SUPERPOLE RESULTS

Image Credit: WorldSBK

RACE 2

It became known that Lowes was suffering from illness this weekend and this was perhaps why he once again went backwards at the start of the 3rd race of the weekend. Despite Bautista starting on the front row, he was unable to challenge Bulega and Razgatlioglu who once again held 1^st and 2^nd places at the start.

Just as in Race 1, Razgatlioglu scythed up the inside of Bulega with a block pass at the final corner of the 1^st lap. Bulega then stalked his rival for another 3 laps before an unsuccessful move at the end of the back straight on lap 4, which he converted successfully at the same spot a lap later to retake the lead.

Unsurprisingly, that was the last Razgatlioglu or anyone else saw of Bulega. In front of a 45,000 strong home crowd and senior figures from Ducati’s MotoGP management, the 25-year-old delivered while the pressure was on to secure an emotional hat-trick that will live long in the memory for him – and his stunned competitors.

Razgatlioglu nonetheless did well to bank three 2^nd place finishes this weekend as he noted Bulega’s superior speed on corner exits, but even Bautista on the other factory Ducati was unable to get close to his teammate. At least Razgatlioglu was much closer to Bulega in Race 2 than he was in Race 1, with one mistake by Bulega probably enough to put himself under pressure from the BMW rider, however the Italian was peerless around Cremona.

After Bulega retook the lead the main action was taking place further down the order. Petrucci was able to take move from up from 6^th into 4^th after dispatching Lowes and Vierge. Of course it was still a disappointing weekend for the man who won all 3 races at Cremona last year, and the gap to Bautista in 3^rd suggests that 4^th may have been the maximum that the Italian could have hoped for anyway.

The battle for 5^th was a thrilling and borderline disastrous affair between the factory Honda duo and Lowes. Lecuona was again coming through from the midfield and after a tough battle with Locatelli he had around 6 laps to catch and pass his teammate and Lowes up ahead.

By the time Lecuona became a factor in the battle for 5^th, time was running out. Some very aggressive racing between the two teammates saw them almost collide at the final corner, then Vierge made contact with Lowes coming onto the start-finish straight.

A thrilling final lap saw Lowes valiantly retake P5 with just 3 corners to go while Vierge had to settle for 7^th behind his teammate – a damning result giving their grid positions. Locatelli was 8^th on a difficult weekend for Yamaha, with Michael van der Mark and Remy Gardner rounding out the top 10.

A hat-trick of wins for Bulega and 3 straight 2^nd places for Razgatlioglu sees the Italian rider stretch his lead in the World Championship to 34 points heading to Autodrom Most for Round 5 in a fortnight’s time. By then, it would not be a great surprise if Ducati has their fuel-flow slightly restricted to try and peg back Bulega in particular, but the concessions system in WorldSBK might not be enough to stop the 25-year-old from running away with this year’s title if the Acerbis Italian Round was anything to go by.

RACE 2 RESULTS

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

4th May 2025