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Tag: WSBK

  • WorldSBK: Lecuona looms but Bulega still on top at Most

    WorldSBK: Lecuona looms but Bulega still on top at Most

    The 2026 Czech Round at Autodrom Most saw Nicolo Bulega under serious pressure from his ever-improving teammate Iker Lecuona while Yari Montella finally secured the podium finishes he had crashed out of more than once already this season, but the ultimate outcome up front was all too familiar…

    Race 1

    The race was immediately red-flagged on lap one when Danilo Petrucci crashed at turn 13 and the BMW rider needed stretchered out of the gravel trap.  With Miguel Oliveria already absent and Michael van der Mark back to replace him this weekend, BMW may need not one but two replacement riders for the next round in just two weeks time, with Petrucci ruled out of Sunday’s action in the Czech Republic… just like Alvaro Bautista who crashed at the same place earlier in the weekend.

    On the restart, Alberto Surra and Sam Lowes provided the entertainment for the first few laps before they came together at turn 15.  Surra was docked with a long-lap penalty which spoiled another impressive run in his debut season while a livid Sam Lowes was knocked out of the race and the podium hunt.

    Profiting from the incident were a rejuvenated Garrett Gerloff with his best WorldSBK result in a long time with fourth for Kawasaki.  Axel Bassani was fifth and his teammate Alex Lowes put on a charge after a poor qualifying to rise to seventh a long way behind Lorenzo Baldassari but prevailing over Andrea Locatelli and the penalised Surra.

    Montella stayed on the bike – unlike in previous rounds where he was running well – and was rewarded with a podium that should have come much earlier in the season.  Up front having unsurprisingly dispatched Montella for second, Lecuona was promisingly keeping Bulega honest as the race progressed.

    Unlike in the first race at Assen where he pounced on Bulega’s mistake when the rain failed, this time around Lecuona caught and passed Bulega with no external factors.  With eight laps still to go Lecuona was right on the back wheel of his teammate and next time around got past at the turn one/two sequence.

    Lecuona then had to perform some block passes over the thrilling final laps of the race, but Bulega ultimately retook and held the lead in time to stretch a one-second gap on the last lap.  Finally the Italian has a genuine competitor in 2026 but importantly Bulega still has the upper hand and his unprecedented winning streak continues.

    Race 1 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Tissot Superpole Race

    Bulega immediately went wide at turn one which allowed Lecuona into the lead and set up a fight for the win… which lasted for half a lap.  Once Bulega struck back he was able to repel his teammate for another victory and guarantee pole for the afternoon race.

    Also at the start, Sam Lowes crashed out while Axel Bassani and Locatelli had to take to the escape road and bypass the first two turns.  Montella settled in third and Gerloff ran as high as fourth before slipping back behind Baldassari (who nearly made it to the podium) and Surra.

    Bahattin Soguoglu’s engine blew up at halfway but thankfully the race was not affected.  The three BSB champions came rounded out the top nine that sets the grid for the full-distance afternoon race while Bulega came home two seconds clear out front.

    Tissot Superpole Race Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Race 2

    For almost the first half of the race, there were six Ducati’s in the top six.  The order at the front was once again Bulega, Lecuona, Montella and Baldassari – the latter coming close to the podium again and who broke free from one of the most interesting battles of the season so far behind him.

    Gerloff and Surra spent the majority of the race locked in a thrilling duel for fifth.  They came together twice before Gerloff finally won out, with their battles allowing the Bimota duo to close in once they had dispatched of Tarran Mackenzie.

    Mackenzie slid out with a small error with seven laps to go, as Locatelli and Bridewell fought all the way to the line over ninth.  Sam Lowes slowly made progress from his poor grid position but spent most of his time battling the struggling Yamaha’s.

    As in Saturday’s race the fight for the lead was closely contested by the factory Ducati duo.  Although this was the closest Lecuona (or anyone) has come to beating Bulega this year, the Italian demonstrated he still has the upper hand and sealed a narrow victory.

    With the rumours of a MotoGP switch for 2027 intensifying and both Montella and Surra putting on an audition to replace him, the Superbike World Championship finally enjoyed a competitive weekend of racing at the sharp end in 2026. Ultimately however, the end result was all too familiar as Bulega took another record-extending treble victory.

    Race 2 Results

    Championship Standings

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

  • WorldSBK: Records tumble as Bulega blitzes Balaton Park

    WorldSBK: Records tumble as Bulega blitzes Balaton Park

    Nicolo Bulega has now won a record 16 consecutive WorldSBK races as Balaton Park again claimed several victims across the weekend of the Motul Hungarian Round.

    Race 1

    Bulega got the holeshot ahead of a flying Alberto Surra and Yari Montella.  Sam Lowes was hit with a double long-lap penalty for a jump start while Miguel Oliveira and Andrea Locatelli sneaked ahead of Iker Lecuona.

    Lorenzo Baldassari suffered a huge crash at the same corner Alvaro Bautista went off at last year but thankfully he was unhurt and the race continued.  The next focus after the start was on the inevitable charge of Lecuona.

    It took until lap six for Lecuona to get into runner-up spot.  Such was his pace that some speculated if he could have won the race with a better starting position, although it is difficult to say whether Bulega was simply managing the gap en route to his record-breaking 14th straight WorldSBK victory as the gap started to noticeably come down as the laps progressed.

    The fight for third however was thrilling.  It was great to watch Surra fighting up front but it never lasted long despite his best efforts and some wild defensive manouevers.

    Oliveria prevailed after a great three-way fight with Surra and Montella.  Surra would also fall behind Bautista, Alex Lowes and Andrea Locatelli by race end.  There was another thrilling race-long fight around the bottom of the top-ten like there normally is in WorldSBK with Xavi Vierge being the roadblock in ninth with four of his rivals finishing within 1.3 seconds of him.

    Race 1 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Tissot Superpole Race

    Bulega was forced wide by Montella misjudging his braking into turn one.  Baldassari shuffled through to the lead ahead of Lecuona while Locatelli and Oliveria contested third.

    Halfway around the first lap Locatelli and Oliveria crashed into each other causing a red flag as they narrowly avoided being hit by the rest of the field.  This saved Bulega as the race was reset to the original starting grid for the restarted eight-lap affair.

    Bulega got away clear this time around as Baldassari bashed Montella to let Lecuona through for second at turn two. Bautista slotted into fourth as well and he defended the rest of the race from Montella and Surra.

    Sam Lowes had a strange temporary issue while his brother rode to a comfortable seventh.  Garrett Gerloff and Tarran Mackenzie rounded out the top-nine to set the grid for race two and with Lecuona going to start on the front row, hopes were high that Bulega could be challenged in the afternoon.

    Tissot Superpole Race Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Race 2

    The two factory Ducati’s escaped from the satellite riders behind at the start.  Baldassari’s eventful weekend continued when he ran the two of them wide allowing Montella into third.

    Locatelli crashed out on lap three while Bautista started to fall down the order after his incident with Baldassari.  Axel Bassani, Tommy Bridewell and Alex Lowes also retired in the opening stages with the latter almost running into the back of Mackenzie which caused his crash.

    Baldassari slowly started to close on Montella for the podium having escaped punishement.  Behind them Gerloff did well to pass Surra for fifth with Sam Lowes later deposing the young Italian for sixth.

    Mackenzie finished a comfortable eighth ahead of the two GRT Yamaha teammates with Bautista a lowly 11th ahead of the similarly disappointed Vierge.  Both factory BMW riders were withdrawn due to injuries suffered earlier, while Bulega lead Lecuona home for yet another treble of race wins in 2026.

    Race 2 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Championship Standings

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

  • WorldSBK: Bulega continues crushing form around Assen

    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

     

     

     

  • WorldSBK: Ducati dominate as Oliveria delights home crowd at Portimao

    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

  • WorldSBK: Bulega starts 2026 with Phillip Island sweep

    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

  • WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu withstands Bulega pressure to seal 2025 WSBK Championship in Jerez

    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

  • WorldSBK: Title goes to final day as Bulega wins Jerez Race 1

    WorldSBK: Title goes to final day as Bulega wins Jerez Race 1

    Nicolo Bulega kept his faint hopes of winning the 2025 Superbike World Championship title alive after a controlled victory in Race 1 at the Pirelli Spanish Round well clear of Toprak Razgatlioglu.

    Facing the possibility of losing the championship to Razgatlioglu on Saturday in Jerez if the BMW rider won the race, Bulega had set a blisteringly quick lap record during qualifying to snatch pole position.  It had looked clear since the first practice sessions on Friday that Bulega had the edge and he did what he had to do to prolong the title fight for another day.

    For the first time since 2014, the WorldSBK Championship will be settled on the final day of the season thanks to Bulega’s efforts today.  The Ducati rider raced clear of the chasing pack and by the time Razgatlioglu had recovered from his underwhelming start he was clear enough to manage the gap behind.

    Sam Lowes should have been starting on the front row but was sadly declared unfit as the chest injuries he had hoped to recover from by now flared up again.  This promoted his brother Alex to the front row.

    The two championship contenders very nearly came together about halfway around the 1st lap, with Razgatlioglu being pushed out slightly wide by Bulega at turn 5.  The Turk ran even wider at the end of the following straight to let Andrea Iannone slip by into 2nd place.

    By lap 3 Razgatlioglu moved back in front but Bulega was already 3 seconds clear.  This gap would remain roughly the same for the remainder of the race as Razgatlioglu had to bank the 20 points for 2nd.

    All Razgatlioglu has to do to wrap up his 3rd WorldSBK Championship tomorrow is finish in the top 7 in the morning’s Tissot Superpole Race.  The only realistic path to the title for Bulega is if he wins both races and Razgatlioglu fails to score in both, with the BMW ride 34 points clear ahead of the Sunday showdown.

    A huge crash for Jonathan Rea at turn 4 thankfully left the Yamaha rider uninjured and fit to compete in his final World Superbike races tomorrow.  As the race stalled out front, the capacity crowd around the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto were treated to their home hero Alvaro Bautista’s bid for the podium.

    The order settled after the 3rd lap with Bulega up front, Razgatlioglu clear of the chasing pack in 2nd, then Iannone, Lowes, Xavi Vierge, Remy Gardner, Andrea Locatelli and then Bautista.  The latter’s rise through the order was captivating to watch, particularly as he made his bid for the podium in the 2nd half of the race.

    Having moved past the slower Yamaha duo of Locatelli and Gardner, Bautista had a fight on his hands with the Honda of Vierge and Bimota of Lowes who were squabbling over 4th.  With 9 laps to go the Spaniard scythed up the inside of both in one fell swoop at the first corner in a thrilling pass for 4th and all 3 riders then began to close in on the slowing Iannone.

    2 laps later, Bautista made another lunge at turn 1 but ran wide and nearly lost the front end of his bike at turn 2 while battling Iannone for the podium.  He fell to 5th behind Vierge with Lowes right there as well in 6th, but Bautista was soon back into 4th just a few corners later.

    Bautista eventually made it past Iannone with plenty of time to spare but the battle for 4th raged until the very end.  Iannone and Vierge were swapping positions out of the last corner and into the first on the penultimate lap but the defiant Italian held on as his future remains unclear beyond this weekend.

    Further back, Gardner was under threat from an impressive Tarran Mackenzie in the battle for 8th while Michael van der Mark was 10th. The Dutchman’s team will be hoping he can go out on a high tomorrow as Ducati have opened up an 8-point lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship, although the big story tomorrow will almost inevitably be the crowning of Razgatlioglu for the third time in five years.

    Race 1 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

  • WorldSBK: Bulega keeps championship alive with Estoril Race 2 rebound

    WorldSBK: Bulega keeps championship alive with Estoril Race 2 rebound

    Nicolo Bulega bounced back with a dominant Race 2 victory at the EICMA Estoril Round to take the 2025 WorldSBK title down to the final round in Jerez next weekend, although Toprak Razgatlioglu still holds the upper hand after a victory in the Tissot Superpole Race.

     

    Tissot Superpole Race

    The start of the 10-lap Sunday morning race saw Bulega snatch the lead, with teammate Alvaro Bautista in 2nd and Razgatlioglu down to 3rd.  Xavi Vierge mounted a brief attack for 3rd, but the top 3 settled after the first corner.

    When Razgatlioglu fell down the order in yesterday’s race, it did not stop him coming back through to the front.  This time he had only fallen to 3rd so predictably the BMW rider was still in contention for the win despite another poor start.

    Within half a lap, Bautista had succumbed to the pressure from Razgatlioglu.  By the start of the 2nd lap, Razgatlioglu made a successful move for the lead however he then ran wide at turn 6.

    This began a half-lap scrap where the positions changed at turns 8, 10 and then turn 1 on the following lap. Ultimately, Razgatliolgu prevailed and after this entertaining battle it was a done deal for the win, although Bulega at least kept him honest and under pressure for the remainder of the 10 laps.

    Bautista had slipped back and was locked in a battle with Jonathan Rea.  Rea, his teammate Andrea Locatelli and Vierge were stuck behind Bautista after the former very briefly ran in 3rd in the early stages only to crash out at turn 7 on lap 6.

    Yari Montella also crashed out at turn 7 but was able to rejoin while Michael Ruben Rinaldi pulled into the pits of his own volition and Tito Rabat was eliminated late on.

    Andrea Iannone made the most of Rea’s exit as he moved past Remy Gardner and a fading Vierge to seal 5th.  He was also aided by Alex Lowes eliminating himself when he lost the front of the bike at the first corner on the last lap, securing 4th for Locatelli with Bautista broken clear up the road for 3rd with Axel Bassani and Michael van der Mark being promoted into the crucial top 9 that sets grid spots for Race 2.

    Tissot Superpole Race Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

     

    Race 2

    Thanks to 2 consecutive runner-up spots, Bulega put himself in a position of near certainty going into the final race of the weekend to prolong the championship battle into Jerez.  However, what the Italian pulled off on Sunday afternoon in Estoril was a real warning shot to his rival ahead of next week’s showdown.

    Once again, Bulega made the hole shot to turn 1 and was followed by Locatelli from 4th on the grid.  Bautista was 3rd, a jump-starting Iannone 4th and Razgatlioglu down to 5th from pole position.

    Predictably, Razgatlioglu’s fightback began on lap 2, passing Bautista for 4th at turn 1.  He did not really need to pass Iannone on-track who would soon be docked with a double long-lap penalty (far from his first this year) but did so anyway at the penultimate chicane of the Estoril track later on lap 2.

    There followed a forceful move on Locatelli by Razgatlioglu at the final chicane, which Iannone also took advantage of.  It was not long before the Italian departed the fight but Bautista and Locatelli had passed him before he dived off the racing line for his penalty.

    By this stage, Bulega was already 1.5 seconds clear of Razgatlioglu.  Surprisingly, the gap did not come down and later in the race Razgatlioglu was caught by the trackside cameras shaking his head as he came out of the last 2 corners.

    It appeared that the hot conditions were causing Razgatlioglu to struggle for rear grip and he had to settle for 2nd place 5 seconds down on a jubilant Bulega.  The race was hardly a classic, but it reignited hope that Bulega was not yet down and out in 2025 as he and Bautista sealed the Teams’ Championship for aruba.it Racing – Ducati.

    Rinaldi and Tarran Mackenzie both crashed out while Lecuona slid out with 8 laps to go.  The fight for the final podium spot was a more muted affair once Alex Lowes (who started 10th) passed Locatelli for 4th on lap 5 but was unable to catch Bautista, as Rea faded to 9th after another promising race start.

    Vierge settled in 6th while Gardner and Axel Bassani fought with Rea for 7th.  van der Mark was 3 seconds back in 10th and was being caught by Garrett Gerloff and a resurgent Iannone.

    The gap now stands at 36 points between Razgatlioglu and Bulega (with BMW and Ducati even closer in the Manufacturers’ Standings) ahead of the Jerez showdown in a week’s time.  Should Bulega prevail in Race 1, the championship will go down to the final day, and the battle for 3rd overall has intensified as Danilo Petrucci’s absence this weekend saw him lose positions to Bautista and Locatelli in the standings.

    Race 2 Results

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    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

     

  • WorldSBK: Match point to Razgatlioglu after Estoril Race 1 win

    WorldSBK: Match point to Razgatlioglu after Estoril Race 1 win

    Toprak Razgatlioglu put one hand on the 2025 Superbike World Championship trophy after winning race 1 at the EICMA Estoril Round, with there now being a possibility that the Turkish rider can win his third title in the class tomorrow if he outscores Nicolo Bulega by 21 more points – ahead of the Jerez finale next weekend.

    Starting from pole position with a new lap record around Estoril, Razgatlioglu was pipped to turn 1 by his title rival Nicolo Bulega.  However, five riders crashed and left a chaotic scene at the first corner that necessitated a red flag being flown by the end of the 1st lap.

    The race was interrupted after Tetshuta Nagashima, Bahattin Sofuoglu, Axel Bassani and Michael van der Mark went down together at turn 1 without any serious injuries, while Tarran Mackenzie narrowly avoided going down after also being hit.  Nagashima is a wildcard for Honda HRC this weekend, while Danilo Petrucci, Sam Lowes and Michael Ruben Rinaldi had all been declared unfit prior to the race.

    All of the riders were thankfully able to restart the now 20-lap race.  Razgatlioglu had a nightmare getaway dropping to 5th while Alvaro Bautista shot into the lead ahead of his teammate Bulega.

    For Razgatlioglu, it was imperative that he passed the Yamaha duo Andrea Locatelli and Jonathan Rea in case the Ducati duo escaped up front.  However, the BMW rider made it back into the lead by as early as lap 3…

    When Razgatlioglu moved clear of the Yamahas, Bulega and then Bautista by turn 1 on lap 3, he was able to immediately stretch his lead.  Bulega had to battle past his teammate to stop Razgatlioglu blasting off into the distance, but the consequence of his move at turn 6 left Bautista vulnerable to Rea.

    As has so often been the case in 2025, Razgatlioglu was able to control the pace and came home 2 seconds clear of Bulega.  The gap had been stretched in the first half of the race and steadily came down in the second, but this may have been down to a tyre offset from a swtich made during the red-flag period and Razgatlioglu had enough in hand over the closing laps to respond to Bulega’s pace to give himself a narrow shot at wrapping up the championship after Race 2 tomorrow.

    There was at least plenty of action in the battle for the final podium spot which eventually went to Bautista.  On lap 8, Rea made a mistake by running wide at the first corner but was able to close right back up to Bautista, with the latter then slipping up on lap 12.

    Bautista’s error just after half distance allowed Alex Lowes to close in for the podium battle.  Thankfully for the Ducati rider Lowes slowed down Rea’s assault and Bautista was able to come home 2 seconds clear for 3rd place but a whopping 15 seconds down on the race leader.

    Sadly for the outgoing Rea, there was to be no podium result as he slipped behind both Lowes and Locatelli on lap 15 of 20.  On the following tour an impressive Locatelli got past Lowes into turn 1 to seal 4th while Bautista had gotten clear of the battle behind.

    Xavi Vierge (who replaces the retiring Rea next season) nearly caught the bike that will soon be his and Andrea Iannone was right behind at the chequered flag.  In 9th came Remy Gardner ahead of a charging Garrett Gerloff with Tito Rabat the other big mover from his starting spot.

     

    Race 1 Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

  • WorldSBK: Bulega bounces back on Sunday in Aragon

    WorldSBK: Bulega bounces back on Sunday in Aragon

    Nicolo Bulega bounced back on Sunday at the Tissot Aragon Round to keep the Superbike World Championship battle rolling on into the last two rounds after a pair of hard-fought victories against Toprak Razgatlioglu, whose record-breaking winning streak he has finally ended.

     

    Tissot Superpole Race

    As with Race 1 yesterday, Razgatlioglu established a pattern of passing into turn 15 but Bulega would retaliate through the long final corner of turn 16.  This first occurred at the end of lap 1 then again on laps 2, 4, 5 and 9.

    When both realised they would have to get a little more creative to pass each other, turns 7 and 12 became passing hotspots.  Razgatlioglu preferred the former and Bulega the latter.

    Behind them was Alvaro Bautista who made it into 3rd place but still had Sam Lowes sticking with him.  Dominique Aegerter, Yari Montella and Tito Rabat collided at turn 5 on the opening lap but it was an otherwise clean 10-lap affair.

    The TV direction had no chance to much of the action further down the grid as the titanic battle constantly played out at the front.  With 3 laps to go, Bautista had broken free of Sam Lowes after the Brit made a small mistake and it looked as if the Spaniard could possibly make it a 3-way fight for the win or at least try and take some points off Razgatlioglu to help his teammate.

    The other notable thing to happen on lap 8 was that there was no overtakes between the top 2.  Razgatlioglu was preparing himself for a late lunge and it came at turn 7 on the penultimate lap.

    However, Bulega was back ahead at turn 12 before Razgatlioglu slid through at turn 15 and lost the lead again at the end of the straight going through turn 16.  It was all so predictable but heading onto the last lap through the last two corners but going into the last lap it was all to play for.

    Razgatlioglu surprised Bulega with a move into the corkscrew halfway around the final lap.  The BMW rider held the lead right up until the last corner, when the inevitable happened…

    Bulega slingshot his way underneath his rival and took victory by    to avenge his narrow defeat yesterday and ended Razgatlioglu’s winning streak of 13 races to seal his first victory since back in May at Most.

    Tissot Superpole Race Results

    Image Credit: WorldSBK

     

    Race 2

    The whole grid made it cleanly around the opening corners of Race 2 as Bautista fell down to 5th behind Andrea Iannone and Jonathan Rea.  Then came the inevitable Razgatlioglu pass on Bulega at turn 15 before the Ducati’s retaliation at turn 16.

    Razgatlioglu had to try something different and one lap later bullied his rival out of the way at turn 14 instead of 15, but again Bulega was far superior through the long left of the last corner.  When Razgatlioglu passed into turn 16 himself on lap 3, by the exit of the corner Bulega was immediately back ahead.

    Thankfully for Razgatlioglu he carried enough speed to retake the lead at turn 1 as it became clear that we were once again in for an absolute classic World Superbikes race.  Bulega was back ahead by turn 16 next time around.

    Meanwhile, Bautista had gotten back up to 3rd place and began to slowly reel in the leaders.  Ultimately, he lost too much time to catch Razgatlioglu and try to take some points off him to help his teammate Bulega.

    At the end of lap 7 Razgatliolgu was again briefly ahead through turn 16 but was close enough to scythe through on Bulega at turn 7 on the following lap.  Bulega struck back at turn 12 and held on until turn 1 on lap 10.

    The defining moment of the race sadly did not come right at the end as it had yesterday or in the Tissot Superpole Race.  After a successful move at turn 7 again on lap 11, the next time around at the same corner Razgatlioglu uncharacteristically ran wide to let Bulega through easily.

    That was it as far as the race was concerned and Razgatlioglu had to focus on repelling Bautista behind to bank the points for 2nd place.  Meanwhile, Bahattin Sofuoglu and Zaqhwan Zaidi crashed out further down the order.

    The next most interesting fight to develop was over 4th place.  With 4 laps to go the battle intensified between Iannone, Rea and Sam Lowes but the latter slid out at turn 14 on the penultimate lap.

    Alex Lowes was around 3 seconds further back and trying to keep Andrea Locatelli at bay with Michael van der Mark close behind.  The latter rider on the second BMW crashed out at high speed at turn 16 on the penultimate lap but thankfully was not too badly hurt.

    The late accidents promoted Garrett Gerloff and Ryan Vickers to the points.  Bulega eased to the line 3.2 seconds clear of his title rival with Razgatlioglu just over a second clear of Bautista so that the championship lead comes down from 39 to 36 points with 2 rounds (6 races) to go in 2025.

    Race 2 Results

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    Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK