Check out our other racer tests here…

The 2011 season marked an exciting time for BMW Motorrad Motorsport WSBK team. After an encouraging debut season in 2009, where the team achieved 17 top 10 finishes, followed by a first pole position and podium in 2010, 2011 was going to be the year that the team could concentrate on racing for more podiums and perhaps an ambitious win…

Rainer Baumel, previously technical director, moved into the role of Head Of Race Operations, while Stephan Fischer became Head Of Development and logistics, personnel, finance and responsibility for the race factory was placed in the hands of alpha Racing Manager Josef Hofmann.

There were extensive changes to the machine for 2011. The engine specifications were dramatically altered to give more mid-range power, evident by the use of a new shorter exhaust pipe. But maximum power was increased to 220RWHP. The year began with specification engine number nine and spec 10 was introduced mid season. The goal was to increase top end without losing mid range. This was achieved and saw a 5hp increase.

However, maximum power is not the only criterion in WSBK, with throttle response being equally important. The BMW S 1000 RR throttle-bodies are controlled by a ride-by-wire system that was continually developed throughout the season. It is controlled by an RSM5 management system, developed in-house by BMW Motorrad Motorsport.

Chassis-wise, there was also a lot changed for 2011. The weight distribution of the bike was optimised with the seating position of the rider shifted back to increase weight over the rear of the bike. The fuel tank was also new, as was the rear sub-frame and new Ohlins TRSP25 forks were used. Also, interestingly, a cast rear swingarm replaced the previous fabricated swingarm. Lastly, new livery was added to the carbon-fibre fairings to make bike look more like the limited edition blue and white road version. Nice touch…

THE RIDE
By the time I rode the BMW of hero Troy Corser, I’d already sampled the Althea Ducati, Yamaha, Alitalia Aprilia and a few 600s. So I was well and truly back in the groove on the track and the nerves had settled. As much as they can when riding a World Superbike!

The BMW Motorrad Motorsport pit set up was the most professional of the lot. It was incredibly clean and the team were really friendly. Fellow Speed TV WSBK face Steve Martin was hanging around so I had a chat with Steve about the bike he played such a big role in developing. Troy Corser popped in to the pit garage however I was not able to get a chance to chat to the two-time WSBK champ sadly.

Looking over the bike, the attention to detail is incredible. From the stunning Akropovic shorty four-into-one to the amazing and huge handmade radiator, the bike is incredibly perfect to the eye. Not a mark or a scratch and nothing looks like its worth anything under a million bucks.

I’d overheard a few fellow journalists complaining that the electronics on the bike were too intrusive, perhaps set too conservatively for some of us, so as the team fired up the bike I was a little concerned the ride might be less than the real deal – so far on the day every other team had left the bikes as raced, and showed us the data to prove that – and the settings they used.

The bike was fired up and I jumped on. The first thing that blew me away was just how tiny the machine is and how compact Troy must be! He’s no Marco Melandri midget but I was more cramped on Troy’s bike than on Marco’s, Checa’s, Rea’s or Biaggi’s machines.

The ‘bars are very traditionally positioned – wide, pulled back with an angle downwards. The levers are tiny and only for two-fingers. And the footpegs very, very narrow. The seating position feels way back over the rear wheel and despite the ride height in the bike; it feels rear biased and low. Overall, tiny. I felt like I was on a 250!

The engine idled over at a fast pace as I clicked up into first gear and headed off down pit lane with a fist full of revs to get moving in the tall first gear. The pit lane limiter kept me at 40km/h then automatically switched off as I exited onto the end of Portimao’s fast chute.

I was lucky again as I had new tyres. So I put my head down and started to push from turn three onwards. The peaky nature of the bike was immediately noticeable and it did not have the punch and throttle response off the turns that the other fours enjoy and nowhere near the Ducati. However, the throttle could be opened really early without torque tying the bike in knots – and the top-end acceleration was incredible. Much more than the Castrol Honda or the Yamaha and similar in feeling to the Alitalia Aprilia.

It was about now that I got into a rhythm and the electronics started to spoil my fun. At anything but close to upright the bike would cut ignition and fuel and splutter off the turns slower than a 600 supersport bike. In fact, the bike felt slower than the street bike in some instances. Off any of the first or second gear corners, right on apex when I started to pickup the throttle and feed some power in, the traction control would cut in and sometimes it almost caused me to crash when the bike did not react to the throttle and pick itself up to drive off the corner. To adapt I had to basically park it turn, stand it up and fire it off the corners. It was a shame as most of us there were experienced racers and should have been given the opportunity to ride the bikes as raced.

The only other theory s that Troy is carrying more speed and higher rpm at that lean angle and the TC is set to be less intrusive there – so I was not riding in the same rpm range as him, therefore the TC was misbehaving. However, after speaking with the other test riders, the experience was a common one apart from for the really slow guys that were not opening the throttle hard enough.

The handling of the bike was different to the other four-cylinder machines. Firstly, Troy has the set-up very stiff compared to all of the other superbikes. And as mentioned, you really feel like you are riding the rear wheel everywhere – whereas looking at the bike in 2009 and 2010 it looked very forward biased and Troy was a weapon at running it into corners blindingly fast.

With the narrow footpegs and tiny levers, I felt like I was slipping off the bike and I could not get the hang of the thumb rear brake – but I did make a point of trying it. I reckon once you got used to the mental mechanical action it would be brilliant.

Initial turn-in on the bike is brilliant. The steering light and agile and I could get the turning process done more quickly than I could on the other fours. There is a mix of braking turns and non braking turns at Portimao and the bike was great in both situations, turning with accuracy and speed and not much effort. However, I found that I had to put quite a lot of effort into keeping the BMW on its side through a turn, really using my outside knee to hold the bike down. On picking up the throttle for exit, the bike would snap and try to stand up. So running a long, accelerating line off a corner was difficult. It was a shame, as the lack of torque made the bike easiest to open the throttle early on and the chassis should not get upset so much without torque there to tie it in knots…

I think it was a combination of me not fitting in the seating position and having my 90kg at the time weight over the rear wheel, plus the aggressive nature of the engine in the higher rpm in some situations, that caused the reaction in the faster corners. In the slow corners I can’t explain it…

On the brakes the bike was extremely stable and the slipper clutch and back-shift system was brilliant. But with the thumb rear brake and stubby levers on the handlebars, the experience was different and would take some getting used to.

Acceleration down the front chute was definitely a thrill on the 220hp S 1000 RR as the electronics battled to keep the front wheel on the ground coming over the crest at 200-odd km/h before accelerating to close to 300 before the braking area. And experiencing how the electronics work was great, although it would have been more interesting if it was raining for example.

Overall I really enjoyed the ride but left thinking that the ASBK winning S 1000 RR of Glenn Allerton is a better handling package and I wonder how Troy would go on that if it had another 20hp…

BMW Motorrad Motorsport 2011 Season
Team Partner: alpha Racing
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: Bernhard Gobmeier
Head of Race Operations: Rainer Bäumel
Head of Development: Stephan Fischer
Managing Director Stephanskirchen: Josef Hofmann
Riders: Troy Corser, Leon Haslam
Crew Chief Troy Corser: Tom Larsen
Crew Chief Leon Haslam: Giacomo Guidotti

TROY CORSER – active WSBK 1992 – 2011.
Date of birth: 27th November 1971 in Wollongong
Place of residence: Monte Carlo
Nationality: Australian
Marital status: Married to Sam, two children: Kalani and Kelisa
Height: 1.70m
Weight: 68kg
Hobbies: Golf, wakeboarding, karting, jet ski, motocross
Passion: Racing
Favourite circuits: Phillip Island, Valencia, Portimão
First bike: Yamaha TY80, Honda CR80
First race: 1989 Australian Production Series 250cc
Career highlights: 1996 Superbike World Champion, 2005 Superbike World Champion
World Superbike record: 377 race starts, 130 podiums
33 wins, 47 seconds and 50 third places, 43 pole positions, 45 fastest laps

Troy Corser’s WorldSBK BMW S 1000 RR Specifications

Power: Over 220hp
Wet weight: 162kg
Fuel capacity: 23L

Engine: Liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder, DOHC, 16-valve, four-stroke, Bore and stroke 80 x 49.7mm, 999cc, compression ratio: 14:1, fuel delivery: Dell’Orto fuel management system with 48mm throttle-bodies, gearbox: Six-speed cassette-style, clutch: wet multi-plate slipper clutch

Frame type: Twin-spar alloy frame with adjustable geometry
Wheelbase: Adjustable
Rake: Adjustable
Trail: Adjustable
Front suspension: Ohlins forks
Rear suspension: Ohlins TTX shock
Front brakes: Dual 320mm Brembo rotors with Brembo four-piston radial-mount monoblock calipers and radial-pull master-cylinder
Rear brake: Brembo
Front wheel: OZ Racing
Rear wheel: OZ Racing
Front tyre: Pirelli Slick, 120/70 – 16.5
Rear tyre: Pirelli Slick, 190/50 – 16.5 or 200/55 – 16.5
Instruments: BMW Racing

The post Racer Test: Troy Corser’s WorldSBK BMW S 1000 RR appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP

Jack Miller endured a frustrating start to November in Portugal, salvaging just 14th in the Sprint after what had promised to be a competitive weekend. The Prima Pramac Yamaha ace had shown genuine pace in qualifying, progressing through Q1 with the second-fastest time to lock down eighth on the grid. But any hopes of a points finish evaporated almost immediately, as Miller haemorrhaged five positions on the opening lap and never recovered, ultimately bringing it home 14th.

Sunday’s Grand Prix offered little respite. Despite starting with renewed optimism, Miller found himself wrestling with severe grip issues throughout the race, eventually crossing the line a distant P12.

“Sunday went a little better than yesterday. I had a decent start and tried to challenge the guys ahead of me, but there were some areas where I was really struggling – especially on the exit of turns 14 and 15, and also through turn six. When the tyre started to drop, it just got harder and harder; the bike was pumping like hell, and I was just trying to do the best I could. So, not happy with the day,” Miller lamented.

Onto the finale, and after topping FP1 and running sixth in practice before qualifying P8, Miller’s weekend was looking promising. A rapid launch in the Sprint then put him in a tight battle with Fermín Aldeguer for eighth, but contact between the two on lap three derailed his charge. Miller was handed a three-position penalty which went unserved, leading to a long-lap penalty that dropped him to 12th.

In the main dance, Miller claimed a credible ninth. After spending much of the race in sixth and seventh with an attacking yet controlled ride, a late tyre drop forced him onto the defensive, which consequently cost him two positions to Luca Marini and Brad Binder.

“Over the season we‘ve been up and down – some good highlights and some decent lowlights too – but in the last couple of races, since Australia, we‘ve managed to understand the front end a bit more. Maybe we lost a little in terms of outright performance, but we gained good feedback in stability and in managing the tyre. Now I understand this bike more and more. Next year’s bike will be different, but the DNA is the same,” reflected the popular veteran.

Senna Agius – Moto2

Senna Agius began the weekend in fine form at Portimao by posting third in FP1 before backing it up with fifth in Friday afternoon’s practice session. While qualifying 13th represented a slight dip in fortunes, he remained optimistic about his race prospects.

Come Sunday, Agius demonstrated the pace that had served him well in practice, but a sluggish getaway off the line proved damaging. Although he recovered to bag ninth at the chequered flag, a result he was satisfied with given the circumstances, the young maestro knew a stronger launch could have yielded a considerably better finish.

“It wasn’t a bad race, even though I didn’t get off to the best start and the first lap didn’t go perfectly. That’s why I fell back a few positions. I also had a little trouble finding my speed at the start of the race, which is why I ended up losing a few positions. I think if I had been able to attack at the beginning, I would have made some really good progress, because I had good pace at the end of the race. In the last three laps, I overtook some good riders and made it into the top ten. So, let’s take the positives, because we have a strong race pace,” Agius explained.

Agius brought his campaign to a solid close with seventh in the season finale at Valencia. Having qualified an impressive third on the grid, the Australian ran inside the leading group for much of the distance. However, fading grip in the closing stages saw him slip back to eighth at the flag.

A post-race time penalty for Filip Salac ultimately promoted Agius to seventh, which was a solid way to draw the curtain on his campaign.

“Once again, a big thank you to Jürgen, Stefan and Wolfgang for giving me the opportunity to be here, because without them I wouldn’t have gotten this far. I really felt their support this year, and they believed in me during difficult moments. On the other hand, the good moments motivate us for the future. Now we’re going home and set for next year. I have a lot to do in the winter. Fortunately, that keeps me busy so I can come back in good shape in 2026. Finally, I would also like to thank everyone involved in this project for their work and help this year,” commented the gifted talent.

Joel Kelso – Moto3

Joel Kelso produced a masterclass in qualifying at Portimao, securing pole position with a composed and confident display that saw him top the timesheets with aplomb.

Starting from the prime grid slot on race day, he fought valiantly but found himself on the back foot as the laps ticked by. Mounting tyre wear in the latter stages hampered his charge, thus leaving him to settle for seventh.

“Took a gamble in yesterday’s race and tried my hardest to break away. Unfortunately the soft front just faded towards the end. Overall it was a super positive weekend, and we will leave it all on the line in Valencia next week,” posted Kelso.

Joel Kelso saw his crusade come to a premature and annoying end at Valencia, with him crashing out after qualifying 12th. It was far from the conclusion he’d hoped for. However, despite his disappointment, Kelso looked back with satisfaction on what had been his strongest season at this level to date, stating: “Not the way I wanted to end our final race of the year. A crash brought my progress to a halt quite early, but this year I’ve had my best season yet and was lucky to share it with the Level Up MTA team. We created some great memories together, and I wish them all the best for the future. Now we turn our eyes to 2026.”

Jacob Roulstone – Moto3

Jacob Roulstone was forced to sit out the penultimate round in Portugal after undergoing surgery on a fractured left hand sustained in Malaysia. The Australian’s focus quickly shifted to returning for the last stop on the calendar. And that he did, despite carrying that injury into his final outing with Tech3, as Roulstone put in a gutsy performance at Valencia. Starting 23rd on the grid, he wasted no time carving through the field, reaching 16th by lap three and climbing as high as 13th at the race’s midpoint.

The compromised hand inevitably took its toll as the laps wore on, and Roulstone gradually dropped back down the order. Nevertheless, he held on to cross the line 16th.

“Sunday’s race had to be the hardest of the season. Finishing P16, it was the only race this season where when finishing a race I wasn’t able to score points. I took some painkillers and held on for as long as I could. I managed to work my way up to P13 from P23 and battled till the end. But once they wore off, I struggled to keep going with only three fingers working the left bar and holding on.

Considering I still had pins in my hand on Wednesday, I didn’t think I’d be able to say that. It wasn’t the way I wanted to wrap up the season, but I’m proud I was able to put the helmet on and do the last race of the season. The team and I worked very hard these past days to get a comfortable and competitive feeling on the bike. Which I’m proud we were able to do. And I really want to thank the boys for those efforts,” insisted Roulstone.

Off-Track
Jett Lawrence – Paris Supercross

Jett Lawrence certainly endured an eventful time of it at the 2025 Paris Supercross. Night one was nothing short of a catastrophe, for he was taken out by Tom Vialle and then crashed in both Superpole and the third final to cap off a disastrous opening day. To his credit, the phenom responded emphatically on Sunday, as the #18 dominated proceedings with victories in two of the three races and a third in the other, ensuring he left the French capital on a decidedly high note.

Hunter Lawrence – Paris Supercross

Hunter Lawrence also had a wild ride at Paris Supercross, mixing the ups with the downs in dramatic fashion. Beginning with first place in Saturday’s Superpole before going 4-2 in the opening two motos, things were looking promising for the #96. But a nasty spill in the whoops derailed his evening and threatened to rule him out for the rest of the event. Thankfully, the banged-up star was able to compete on Sunday, where he bravely fought through the pain to go 4-5-4, which was a gutsy showing given the circumstances.

“I’m happy I could ride today as well. I wasn’t sure how I’d be. Thankful to keep Eric [Peronnard] happy. Rule number one at these races, keep the promoters happy. Yeah, we were just, I mean, you’ve seen it, compared to yesterday,” he told RacerX.

“I could do enough, you know, get out there and still get some good practice laps in, and no, it was good. I take the riding from yesterday, Superpole, even the motos and how I was riding up until the crash. The crash was just one of those things. The whoops were abnormally large this year, and, just going into them, had a bit of a bad run out of the corner – the rut kind of caved in – and then trying to drive through the first three, and I think on like the fourth one, my front wheel just missed the tip of it. And as I’ve gone to extend, like, commit to putting it on the next one, as you do, the rear wheel spun as I’ve pretty much pushed all my chips in on that one to get traction. So, yeah, it was pretty scary.”

Luke Clout – Paris Supercross

Luke Clout delivered a brilliant performance at the 2025 Paris Supercross to clinch second in SX2 after a weekend in which he came so close to reigning supreme.

The Australian was nothing short of excellent across the two nights, reeling off an impressive string of 2-1-1-1 finishes in the opening four motos to establish himself as the man to beat. His speed and consistency had him firmly in control of the overall classification heading into the final day.

Read our October Aussies Racing Abroad column here…

Heartbreak struck in the penultimate moto, though, when Clout was caught up in a first-turn incident beyond his control, thus seeing him limp home 13th to watch his title hopes slip through his fingers. The experienced Aussie bounced back strikingly to win the final race, but the damage had been done. Even though he missed out on the overall triumph by a narrow margin, Clout could hold his head high after a tremendous display.

The post Aussies Racing Abroad | November 2025 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP

0.088s covered the top three at the end of Day 1 in Portimao. We’ll have some of that. It was Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #73) who led the field thanks to a 1:37.974, as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #63) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37) hunted the #73 very closely on what turned out to be another brilliant Friday afternoon in MotoGP.

Well, that wasn’t a bad qualifying session, was it? Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) grabbed pole for the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Portugal with a 1:37.556 in a relentless MotoGP Q2 that saw Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) earn a first front row start of the season in P2. Third place went the way of Q1 graduate Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20), who once again pulled a rabbit out of the hat in qualifying trim.

Moto2

With a late rain shower during Moto2 Practice, the standings were decided before the chequered flag as Aron Canet (Fantic Racing #44) topped the order. Getting out early, the Spaniard was able to sport a 0.192s lead ahead of the opposition and lead the charge into Saturday.

The Moto2 title was on the line this weekend, and Championship leader Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team #10) put himself in a prime position for that first match point. He took pole in Portugal ahead of Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #96) and rookie Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo #95).

Moto3

David Almansa (Leopard Racing #22) was the Moto3 pacesetter heading into Saturday’s action in Portugal after his 1:47.056 was good enough to see the Malaysian GP podium finisher beat the Malaysian GP winner, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia #72), by 0.135s. A flurry of personal best lap times before the rain fell saw Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team #28) complete the top three.

Australian Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA #66) claimed a ninth front row of 2025 and a second pole in the last three Grands Prix with a stunner in Portugal. He denied Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power #19), who put in a late charge to start second, with Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI #36) rounding out the front row. It was a closely fought session, with 16 riders covered by less than a second.

Saturday
Tissot Sprint

Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) vs Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). It was the sky blue of Marquez that edged the blazing orange of Acosta in a barnstorming Saturday showdown that will live long in the memory. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing #72) had the perfect view – and a big say – as the polesitter finished just 0.5s from victory in a spectacular Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Portugal Tissot Sprint.

Bezzecchi launched perfectly from pole to grab the holeshot, with Acosta holding P2 ahead of a lightning-fast start from Marquez, who jumped two places as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #1) slipped to fourth and fifth.

By Lap 2, Bezzecchi had Acosta glued to his rear wheel, and the rookie sensation made his move into Turn 1 to hit the front. Marquez was next to strike, copying Acosta’s move on Lap 3 to take second, as the leading trio broke 1.5s clear of Quartararo, Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #49).

Lap 4 claimed Nicolo Bulega (Ducati Lenovo Team #11) at Turn 13, while Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol #36) was forced to retire soon after. Up front, Marquez attacked again, and the duel that followed was breathtaking. Acosta briefly reclaimed the lead at Turn 5, only for Marquez to counter with a clean run out of the final corner to retake P1 into Turn 1.

The pair traded blows again as Bezzecchi hovered menacingly behind, ready to pounce. But with three laps to go, Marquez found an extra gear, stretching a slender 0.4s gap heading onto the final lap. Acosta dug deep, closing right up, but the Gresini man held firm to win by just 0.120s, with Bezzecchi third, half a second adrift.

Quartararo secured P4 to round off a strong showing for Yamaha, with Di Giannantonio completing the top five – a thrilling Sprint that showed MotoGP at its absolute best.

“I was feeling really good, and at the last corner, our acceleration was really good so I was able to attack at that point. It’s true that I used too much tyre in that point to overtake, but that was my plan. The plan was perfect,” Marquez stated.

Tissot Sprint Race Results

1. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati)
2. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM (+0.120s)
3. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing (+0.637s)
4. Fabio Quartararo Monster Yamaha (+5.276s)
5. Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati (+6.088s)

Sunday
MotoGP

It was perfection from start to finish for Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing #72), who led every one of the 25 laps at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Portugal. The victory moves him comfortably clear in the battle for third overall in the Championship, with only a handful of points needed to secure it next week in Valencia. Behind him, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #73) held off a late surge from Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37), reshuffling the podium from Saturday’s Sprint.

Acosta had a lightning start but couldn’t overcome Bezzecchi, who grabbed the holeshot from pole. Marquez mirrored his Sprint start to climb into third, while drama unfolded further back. Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #21) was caught in a bundle at Turn 5 but escaped unscathed. On Lap 2, Marquez moved past Acosta into second and began chasing the leader, while Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol #36) retired with another technical issue.

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #1) ran fourth until crashing at Turn 10 on Lap 11, handing the position to rookie Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #54), who had earlier made a bold Turn 5 pass on Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #33). Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP #20) battled hard in fifth but ultimately ceded positions to Aldeguer and Binder.

At the front, Bezzecchi steadily extended his advantage, reaching 2.2s over Marquez by Lap 15. Acosta was 2.4s further back, holding a comfortable margin over Aldeguer and Binder. In the closing stages, Acosta found a late burst, reducing Marquez’s lead to just one second with two laps remaining, but couldn’t mount a final challenge.

Further back, Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team #79) passed Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR #5) for seventh, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #49) taking eighth.

Bezzecchi’s commanding ride from lights to flag secured a majestic victory, becoming the sixth different winner in as many Grands Prix and giving Aprilia a historic third win of 2025 – the first time the manufacturer has claimed three wins in a single season. Marquez and Acosta completed the podium, with Aldeguer fourth ahead of Binder and Quartararo.

“Very happy, it was a fantastic race for me. This morning I felt better, and yesterday evening we worked a lot in the box to try to find that last step that was missed. I was super afraid of Pedro and Alex because yesterday they were super quick, but I was also very motivated to try to get a win. It’s super important to be back on the top of the podium,” Bezzecchi said.

MotoGP Race Results

1. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing
2. Alex Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati (+2.583s)
3. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM (+3.188s)
4. Fermin Aldeguer BK8 Gresini Ducati (+12.860s)
5. Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+16.327s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

1. Marc Marquez BK8 Gresini Ducati – 545
2. Alex Marquez Ducati Lenovo – 445
3. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing – 323
4. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 288
5. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM – 285

Moto2

A champion’s performance from Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team #21) saw the Brazilian move decisively towards the Moto2 World Championship with a superb victory at Portimão. The points gap heading to Valencia is now 24 in Moreira’s favour after Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #18) finished sixth, leaving the odds firmly stacked for the Brazilian. Completing the podium were two rising stars: Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo #49) claimed his first Moto2 rostrum in P2, with David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team #80) taking his third straight podium in P3.

From pole, Moreira needed a win or second to strengthen his title bid and executed a perfect start to grab the holeshot ahead of Veijer. Gonzalez was sixth on the opening lap, while Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #96) dropped to third. Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing #7), third in the standings, lost several positions after sitting up at Turn 1, falling to P11.

By Lap 3, the top six – Moreira, Gonzalez, Veijer, Dixon, Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team #13) and Alonso – were tightly bunched. Veijer led briefly into Turn 1 on Lap 4, but Moreira regained control, putting pressure on the rookie, while Gonzalez struggled following a dramatic moment at Turn 5 on Lap 5 and dropped to P7. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing #44) moved past Gonzalez and Dixon to push into podium contention.

With five laps to go, Moreira was closing in on Veijer, Alonso 0.8s behind and Canet in fourth. Turn 11, with two and a half laps remaining, saw Moreira make a decisive move up the inside of Veijer to reclaim P1, opening a 24-point advantage in the championship fight.

The last lap saw Dixon crash out from P7, leaving Moreira unchallenged. Veijer took second, Alonso third, Canet fourth and Baltus fifth. With the Fantic duo and Dixon now out of title contention, the championship will come down to Moreira vs Gonzalez in Valencia. Fantic can celebrate the Moto2 Teams’ title, thanks to strong rides from Baltus and Canet.

Moreira’s flawless win under pressure sets him up in ideal fashion for next weekend’s showdown, while Gonzalez will hope for a miracle to close the gap at the season finale.

Moto2 Race Results

1. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team
2. Collin Veijer Red Bull KTM Ajo (+0.090s)
3. David Alonso CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team (+0.492s)
4. Aron Canet Fantic Racing (+0.992s)
5. Barry Baltus Fantic Racing (+5.214s)

Moto2 Championship Points

1. Diogo Moreira Italtrans Racing Team – 281
2. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 257
3. Barry Baltus Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 232
4. Aron Canet Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO – 226
5. Jake Dixon Elf Marc VDS Racing – 215

Moto3

The penultimate Moto3 showdown of the season saw a superstar performance from Max Quiles (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) as he escaped the group to cross the line over a second clear. Angel Piqueras (QJMotor – FRINSA – MSI) put up a huge fight for second and secured it, limiting the damage as he fights for second overall in the Championship. Malaysian GP winner Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) completed the podium, taking back-to-back rostrum finishes for the first time in his career.

Off the line it was a dream start for Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA) as he led Quiles early on, but the group remained close. On Lap 3, Joel Esteban (Red Bull KTM Ajo #78) was able to attack into second before having a twitch at the final corner, with the resulting reaction seeing Quiles then drop down to sixth as the slipstream effect down the straight made it all change again behind Kelso.

The Australian led the way for the first half of the race, keeping some tenths in hand, but on Lap 10 he was wide at Turn 5, and the door was open for Quiles and Piqueras. Kelso slotted into third, but the battle was hotting up, and it was soon several riders wide as they jostled for position. As the dust started to settle again, Quiles led Furusato as Piqueras was left scrambling for position in the group. But the #36 hung on to move back into third and then second by Turn 1 on the penultimate lap.

Onto the final lap, Quiles had time in hand over Piqueras, who likewise had just enough over Furusato. They crossed the line in that order as the fight behind took its final shuffle, with Esteban next up as he managed to just stay ahead of rookie teammate Alvaro Carpe.

Moto3 Race Results

1. Maximo Quiles CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team
2. Angel Piqueras FRINSA -MT Helmets – MSI (+1.663s)
3. Taiyo Furusato Honda Team Asia (+2.886s)
4. Joel Esteban Red Bull KTM Tech3 (+3.243s)
5. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo (+3.537s)

Moto3 Championship Points

1. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo – 365
2. Angel Piqueras FRINSA – MT Helmets – 271
3. Maximo Quiles CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team – 263
4. David Munoz Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 197
5. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo – 195

MotoE

It was title-decider day in the final ever MotoE season – and it did not disappoint! Fans were treated to two thrilling races at the Portuguese GP, where Alessandro Zaccone (Aruba Cloud MotoE Team) ultimately clinched the electric class crown in Portimão.

Arriving as the Championship leader, the Italian could hardly have asked for a better start, converting pole position into a hard-fought Race 1 victory ahead of Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) and Jacopo Hosciuc (MSI Racing Team). That triumph gave him a commanding 17-point advantage heading into the second lights-out of the day.

With the title within reach, the mission was simple: finish P7 or better. In the end, a composed ride to P4 was enough for Zaccone to seal the deal and secure the crown. Up front, Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) pushed hard to keep his title hopes alive, but Oscar Gutierrez (MSI Racing Team) snatched victory by just 0.098s, with Nicholas Spinelli (Rivacold Snipers Team MotoE) completing the podium. It proved an emotional and electric final day of the MotoE season.

MotoE Race 1 Results

1. Alessandro Zaccone Aruba Cloud MotoE Team
2. Eric Granado LCR E-Team (+0.105s)
3. Jocopo Hosciuc MSI Racing Team (+0.185s)
4. Mattia Casadei LCR E-Team (+0.740s)
5. Lorenzo Baldassarri Dynavolt Intact GP (+1.718s)

MotoE Race 2 Results

1. Oscar Gutierrez MSI Racing Team
2. Mattia Casadei LCR E-Team (+0.098s)
3. Nicholas Spinelli Rivacold Snipers Team MotoE (+1.281s)
4. Alessandro Zaccone Aruba Cloud MotoE Team (+2.105s)
5. Hector Garzo Dynavolt Intact GP (+4.521s)

MotoE Championship Points

1. Alessandro Zaccone Aruba Cloud MotoE Team – 198
2. Mattia Casadei LCR E-Team – 188
3. Matteo Ferrari Felo Gresini MotoE – 168
4. Eric Granado LCR E-Team – 162
5. Nicholas Spinelli Rivacold Snipers Team MotoE – 159

How Did the Aussies Do?

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP ace Jack Miller (#43) finished the Sprint race in 14th place after advancing through Q1. He then followed that up with a 12th in the main race, in a bout where he struggled severely with grip.

Senna Agius (#81) made a strong start to the weekend, finishing third in FP1 and fifth in Friday afternoon’s practice. The Australian then qualified 13th and remained hopeful of a solid result. In the race, Agius ultimately claimed P9 – a result he was content with despite showing rapid pace, as a poor start ultimately cost him a better finish.

Joel Kelso produced a superb performance to secure pole position at Portimão, topping the timesheets with a composed and confident display. After starting from pole, Kelso brought his machine home in seventh at Portimão, as he fought hard but struggled with tyre wear in the latter stages.

Jacob Roulstone (#12) was forced to miss the Portuguese GP after undergoing successful surgery on his fractured left hand that occurred in Malaysia. The Australian will now focus on his recovery, with the goal of returning to action for the season finale in Valencia.

The post MotoGP 2025 Round 21 Report | Bezzecchi reigns supreme in Portimao appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Phillip Island will once again host the traditional season-opener for both WorldSBK and WorldSSP, with an Official Test scheduled for 16–17 February, just days before racing begins. The calendar sees several key changes in date allocations, with Balaton Park and MotorLand Aragon moving forward in the year, while Italy’s Cremona Circuit shifts to a later September slot.

Read our WorldSBK reports here…

After opening in Australia, the series returns to Europe for Round 2 at Portugal’s spectacular Autodromo Internacional do Algarve (Portimao) from 27–29 March. This round will also mark the racing debut of the all-new WorldSPB class. Next is a return to Assen in The Netherlands on 17–19 April, maintaining its traditional mid-spring slot.

Hungary’s Balaton Park, which joins the calendar for the first time in 2025, has been confirmed for 1–3 May in 2026 – a move forward from its original debut timing. Two weeks later, Czechia’s Autodrom Most takes its place on 15–17 May, followed by MotorLand Aragon on 29–31 May at the halfway mark of the season. Italy’s Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” plays host to Round 7 from 12–14 June, before the UK’s Donington Park welcomes the paddock on 10–12 July to close out the pre-summer break schedule.

Following the traditional summer pause, racing resumes in France at Magny-Cours on 4–6 September, a popular venue known for close racing and unpredictable weather. Two weeks later, WorldSBK makes its third visit to the Cremona Circuit from 25–27 September – a venue rapidly growing in significance on the calendar. The final two rounds return to Portugal and Spain. Estoril hosts the penultimate event from 9–11 October, and the 2026 season is currently set to conclude at the Circuit de Jerez – Angel Nieto on 16–18 October, pending final contract confirmation.

2026 WorldSBK Provisional Calendar:
20–22 February: Phillip Island GP Circuit, Australia
27–29 March: Portimao, Portugal
17–19 April: Assen, Netherlands
1–3 May: Balaton Park, Hungary
15–17 May: Autodrom Most, Czechia
29–31 May: MotorLand Aragon, Spain
12–14 June: Misano, Italy
10–12 July: Donington Park, UK
4–6 September: Magny-Cours, France
25–27 September: Cremona Circuit, Italy
9–11 October: Estoril, Portugal
16–18 October: Jerez*, Spain (subject to contract)

Stay tuned to PitBoard for full 2026 rider and team announcements as the new season approaches.

The post 2026 WorldSBK Calendar Announced: Phillip Island Opens Season Once Again! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Friday practice
WorldSBK

It wasn’t just the temperatures that were rising at the Misano World Circuit as the pace ramped up in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11) claiming Friday honours by 0.190s ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team #1). The top two in the standings traded fastest laps throughout the day, with ‘El Turco’ fastest in FP1 and ‘Bulegas’ quickest in FP2, at the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna round.

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team #5) was an impressive third in FP2, which gave him fourth in the combined classification after setting a 1’33.640s, although it wasn’t enough for third in the combined standings – that belonged to Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19) who was fourth in FP2, just 0.014s away from Montella.

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team #87) was the fastest Yamaha rider on Friday through his FP1 effort, with the Australian star losing track time in FP2 after a crash at Turn 3. He was able to rejoin the action in the final minutes of FP2, before he crashed at Turn 13, but his 1’.33.669s gave him P5 overall.

Read our WorldSBK Round Five report here… 

WorldSSP

The FIM Supersport World Championship field popped the cork on Friday’s Tissot Superpole action at a balmy Misano. Taking pole position, Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura #51) was the fastest after the 45 minutes, followed on the timesheet by Mattia Casadei (Motozoo ME Air Racing #40) and Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse #11) in P3.

Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing #23), with his 1’37.395s lap, missed the front row by just four hundredths of a second behind Bendsneyder. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team #61) snagged a second-row spot through his 1’37.513s lap, finishing as top Yamaha in the session.

Saturday
WorldSK
WorldSBK Race 1

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) ran away with P1 as he put distance between himself and rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who finished P2 for his 18th WorldSBK podium. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team #9) held off Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team #22) for P3 in a nail-biting battle for his 19th career podium in the category after Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team #47)’s strong start was ruined by his Lap 2 crash.

Razgatlioglu held onto his P1 grid start as he claimed the holeshot, followed into T1 by Bassani and Bulega; however, the pair of Italians strode past the #1 as he ran wide.

After Bassani disappointingly crashed out of the race, ‘El Turco’ thundered back towards Bulega in P1, overtaking him on Lap 4. The pair from there locked horns as the #1 doggedly defended his P1 to try to win back Championship points. Behind them, Alex Lowes and Petrucci had a protracted duel of their own as they each wanted to claim the final rostrum spot for their own.

In the late running, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha #55) closed the gap to Alex Lowes in P4, nipping at the British rider’s heels as they battled in front of him. In the end, he lacked the pace to fight for P3 as well, finishing top Yamaha in P5.

“This is very good for me. After signing for next year in MotoGP, I’m really happy, but I’m just focused on my job. This weekend is very important for me because we’re still fighting for the title in WorldSBK,” Razgatlioglu said.

WorldSBK Race 1 Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.045s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +16.684s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +16.824s
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +17.450s

WorldSSP Race 1

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing #62) took his 50th WorldSSP rostrum, becoming only the third rider to reach this milestone alongside Kenan Sofuoglu (85) and Jules Cluzel (63).

Manzi thundered across the line in the opening race for his 14th career win, and the fourth this year. Rookie Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) struck a late move on Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) to land P2, relegating Oncu to P3 for Masia’s third podium and Oncu’s 20th.

Manzi charged up the grid on the first lap of the race, and after just one lap, Manzi had recovered from his P10 starting position to P3. On lap 5, Oncu made an incisive move to take P1 from Masia, and Manzi followed him through the break, contacting Masia and Oncu as the riders went three wide, relegating Masia to P3. Manzi, shortly after setting up shop in P1, put on a defensive masterclass as Oncu launched assault after assault, and Manzi consistently held his P1 position. A late move by Masia on the race’s final lap cut in on Oncu and shuffled the Turk to the bottom rung of the podium as the Spaniard earned his third career WorldSSP podium.

Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing #69) hung with Schroetter and Debise in front of him for most of the race, as he eventually earned a solid P5.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
2. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +0.514s
3. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +1.518s
4. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) +1.573s
5. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +1.783s

Sunday
Superpole Race

The final day at Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” and the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna round got off to a jaw-dropping start as MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out from the first two positions. Seizing the opportunity, the #1 topped the podium, followed by Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), who notched his first podium since the Tissot Superpole Race at Jerez 2024, and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), who earned his first-ever podium at Misano.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) found themselves in the gravel just moments after lights out as Bulega surged up for the holeshot. Bassani lost control of his bike as he lost the front on the inside, and his KB998 Rimini slid into Bulega, ending the race for both of them, and ending a 50-race streak of at least one Ducati on the podium. The incident was investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards, and Bassani was given a double Long Lap Penalty for Race 2 for irresponsible riding at Turn 1.

Toprak cut inside of Bassani as his bike slid out from under him to avoid the danger and cruised home for P1 to give BMW its fifth consecutive podium at Misano, the best streak for a manufacturer since Kawasaki and Rea’s seven-race streak from 2014 to 2017. Joining Razgatllioglu on the podium was Alex Lowes and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) for Bimota’s first podium in 25 years and Locatelli’s 22nd career WorldSBK podium, respectively.

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) did well to climb positions as he started in P9, but he was unable to keep up with a strong jump off the line from Alex Lowes and Locatelli, finishing in P4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) gained positions up from his P11 starting position, battling with Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) for stretches of the race reminiscent of the pair’s duels from seasons past to finish in P5.

Superpole Race Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +4.281s
3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +6.122s
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.542s
5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.855s

WorldSBK Race 2

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) landed his ninth season win as he cruised to a Race 2 win by nearly a 10-second margin. Bulega glided up the grid from his P10 grid start for his 15th podium of the season, limiting the damage to his Riders’ Championship lead. His lead now stands at a tenuous nine points ahead of the #1. In third place, Bautista earned his 10th podium of the year; however, his race win drought continues, as he last topped the podium at Aragon Race 2 in 2024.

Toprak flew off the line to claim the holeshot, followed into the first corner by Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), and that was the closest any other rider got to home in the race. While Locatelli, Alex Lowes and Danilo Petrucci battled in the early running for P2 until Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) shuffled them aside as they tried in vain to catch ‘El Turco’. Toprak held a strong pace all race to cruise to an uncontested race win to complete his second Misano hat-trick in back-to-back years. Bulega and Bautista finished in a lonely P2 and P3, as they had the pace to separate themselves from the riders behind them but lacked the speed to catch the streaking #1.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) won a protracted battle with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) (Barni Spark Racing Team) to claim P4. ‘Petrux’ and Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) gave a sequel to their Race 1 battle for P3, a struggle which Petrucci won, but not without Locatelli, Bulega and Bautista passing the pair, shuffling the #9 to P5.

“I’m really happy because I was pushing really hard this weekend, and I hit my target of winning all three races. In the last race especially, the bike felt much better; we have improved the bike step by step, and it allowed me to settle into my rhythm and have a very strong pace. I’m very happy, last year I had three wins here – and this year I did it again – now I’m looking forward to Donington,” explained Razgatlioglu.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +9.685s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +14.438s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +16.752s
5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +19.273s

Championship Points

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 292 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 283
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 179
4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 172
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) 157

WorldSSP Race 2

Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) closed out the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna round at Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” with a race win over Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) in P2 and P3. Race 2 was the 30th race hosted at the Emilia-Romagna venue. Championship Leader Stefano Manzi crashed out on Turn 16 from P1, as another opportunity to solidify his championship lead was spoilt for the #62, as his lead over Oncu is now cut to 47 points.

Can Oncu and Stefano Manzi brought their Yamaha R1 machines to bear on each other as they battled from lights out. Manzi had established himself in front of Oncu by a slim margin, until a sudden Turn 16 lowside crash saw Oncu sail past him into P1. Several laps later, Japanese rider Kaito Toba (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team #27) had a big highside tumble over his handlebars on Turn 14, prompting a red flag and ending the race as it had run more than two-thirds of the distance. Disappointed as they had begun to show pace and looked like they could have given Oncu a run for his money, Jaume Masia and Valentin Debise settled for the second and third spots on the podium.

Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team #65) was in the mood in Race 2, battling with Jaume Masia, Valentin Debise and Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team #52) at different points in the race. He finished in P4 for his second-best finish of the season so far. Alcoba finished in P5, tying his best result of the season, which was earned at Phillip Island Race 2.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

1. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team)
2. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +0.291s
3. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) +0.424s
4. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.846s
5. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) +4.924s

Championship Points

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 210 points
2. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) 163
3. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 156
4. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 146
5. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) 142

WorldSSP300 Race 1

Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki #50) topped the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship podium for the first time in his career at the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna round Race 1. He was followed across the line by Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse #43), who earned his first podium since Portimao 2023, and rounding out the podium was new championship leader Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Italka Racing #48).

Torres protected his P1 grid start as he claimed the holeshot, with Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300 #91) in P2 all over the Spaniard as he badgered the #47 for P1 in the early running. The pair sparred throughout the first laps, contending with David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI #38), Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Italka Racing) and Carter Thompson, as the pack of Kawasaki Ninja 400s set their sights on the race win. Thompson’s podium hopes looked to be in dire straits as the Australian had fallen to P7 with just a few laps remaining, but, picking his moment well, the Australian slotted into P1 midway through the last lap, and didn’t leave enough time for any of his competitors to steal it from him for his first WorldSSP300 win of his career. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) chased him across the line for his fourth podium in the category. In P3, Garcia made it 16 races in the points in a row, one point-scoring race shy of the record set by Dorren Loureiro from 2017 to 2018.

Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove #7) had his hopes of a fourth podium snubbed by Championship leader Garcia, shuffling the Kove rider to P4. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) fell to P5 after his P4 grid start, battling for the podium spots throughout the race.

WorldSSP300 Race 1 Results

1. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki)
2. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.338s
3. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) +0.473s
4. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.494s
5. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.737s

WorldSSP300 Race 2

Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove) slipped by the Championship leader, Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Italka Racing) on the final straight of the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna round to claim the race win. Fernandez’s win raised his tally to two wins and four podiums in his rookie season so far. Garcia earned his 12th podium to tie Ana Carrasco in WorldSSP300 podiums, and David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) notched his fourth rostrum finish in his two years in the Championship.

Seconds after lights out, a crash between Felix Mulya (ProGP NitiRacing #27) and Emanuele Cazzaniga (Racestar Trasimeno #4) caused a red flag as medical attention was being rendered to Cazzaniga, who was taken to the medical centre before the race restarted over a decreased eight-lap distance.

The race saw a host of different leaders across the shortened distance, as Salvador Garcia and Benat Fernandez all led for stretches of the final lap. Garcia made a late move to brush aside Fernandez, riding defensively to hold off moves, corner after corner, by the Kove rider until a desperate dash to the line on the home straight. In a photo finish, the rookie #7 pipped Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Italka Racing) by just 0.009s. Behind him, teammate David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) was just behind the two fellow Spaniards ahead of him after overcoming his long-lap penalty, just 0.035s slower than Fernandez in P1.

Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI #47) was the odd man off the podium; a shame for him as he rode a strong race but couldn’t fight his way through the three riders ahead of him to get on the podium. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) was less than 0.05s behind Torres, and despite having led the race for stretches and starting from P1 on the grid, the Aussie was bundled down to P5 by the end of the race.

WorldSSP300 Race 2 Results

1 Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove)
2 Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Italka Racing) +0.009s
3 David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.026s
4 Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI) +0.099s
5 Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) +0.049s

Championship Points

1. Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove) 134
2. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Italka Racing) 133
3. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) 114
4. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) 104
5. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) 93

How did the Aussies Do?

Despite a strong qualifying to grab sixth and finishing eighth in the Superpole Race, Remy Gardner was frustratingly taken out while showing promising pace early in Race 2 to end his weekend on a low note. Oli Bayliss (#32) had a tough start to round six, dropping from P12 to P18 early in Race 1, as he struggled with the bike throughout the bout, ultimately finishing 19th. Although improvement was evident in Race 2, as he moved from P13 to 11th, a red flag halted his progress to end the race early.

For the full WorldSBK Round 3 results in all classes for all days, click here...

The post WorldSBK Round 6 | Razgatlioglu sparkles at Misano appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The announcement marks one of the biggest changes in racing tyre partnerships in recent memory. Michelin has been the exclusive tyre supplier to MotoGP since 2016 and brings a long legacy of premier-class experience to WorldSBK. Pirelli, meanwhile, has held the role of sole tyre supplier in WorldSBK since 2004 and will now return to the MotoGP paddock, having last competed at the highest level in the early 2000s.

Read our WorldSBK and MotoGP articles here... and our tyre articles here…

Dorna Sports, who promote both MotoGP and WorldSBK, said the switch is part of a broader strategy to bring fresh technical challenges and development to both championships, while also refreshing commercial partnerships.

Both tyre brands have deep motorsport heritage and extensive technical expertise, with Michelin focusing on continuous performance evolution through MotoGP, and Pirelli priding itself on tyre consistency and adaptability across a wide range of production-based bikes in WorldSBK.

The switch is expected to significantly influence race dynamics, team strategies, and ongoing tyre development, as both championships adjust to their new suppliers.

The post Michelin to WorldSBK, Pirelli to MotoGP in Historic Tyre Switch appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Friday practice
WorldSBK

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished Friday at the Autodrom Most on top of the timesheets after two practice sessions for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field. Razgatlioglu cemented his position as pre-round favourite as he topped both FP1 and FP2, posting a 1’31.318s in FP2 for his fastest time of the day to secure first place on the combined timesheets. ‘El Turco’ was the first rider to lap in the 1’31s bracket as the track dried in both practice sessions.

Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #14) secured P2 on Friday with a 1’31.542s to finish as the lead Ducati rider. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fourth in the combined classification as he felt the effects of his huge FP1 highside at Turn 6, which left him with contusions to his right ankle and left knee.

WorldSSP

Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA #94) claimed his first pole since 2019 at the Motul Czech Round’s opening FIM Supersport World Championship Tissot Superpole session.

Following Mahias across the line was Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team #61) and Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse #53) to form Race 1’s front row. With their best results of the season so far, Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team #65) and Raffaele De Rosa (QJMOTOR Factory Racing #3) stepped up their game in the wet, earning P5 and P6 respectively.

Read our WorldSBK Round 4 report here…

Saturday
WorldSK
WorldSBK Race 1

The sun was out as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid took to the track for Race 1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) returned to the top of the podium, cruising past Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) for P1 and not letting go of it from then on. Bulega and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team #9) claimed P2 and P3. Elsewhere, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19) recovered from a Lap 1 incident to secure P5.

Razgatlioglu overcame a streaking holeshot from Bulega, who started in P2, to top the podium in Race 1. He took P1 from Bulega with a vintage ‘El Turco’ late braking overtake on the inside of Bulega into T1. It was his fifth race win of the season so far and broke a three-race streak of placing P2 behind Bulega. For Bulega, tomorrow’s Tissot Superpole Race would be his 50th WorldSBK race. He had finished on the rostrum in more than 70% of those races. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) ran a solid race, doing well to convert his P3 in the Tissot Superpole session to P3 in Race 1.

Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team #22) had a good jump off the line, and while he was behind the streaking Bulega and Razgatlioglu, he powered to a P4 after holding off a late attack by Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).

“This has been the best race of the season so far. I’m really happy because I needed a win. I had not won a long race since Portimao, so I’m really happy here after so many races. Every session we are improving the bike, but we still need more because there are still two more races tomorrow,” Razgatlioglu stated.

WorldSBK Race 1 Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +6.015s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +10.230s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +14.814s
5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +15.520s

WorldSSP Race 1

Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura #51) claimed the first win of the Motul Czech Round weekend at the Autodrom Most as he led Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) and Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) into Parc Ferme.

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing #62) crashed out of the race on Lap 8, but second and third in the FIM Supersport World Championship standings were unable to take advantage of Manzi’s misfortune as Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse #11) finished P8 and Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing #69) crashed out.

Grey skies once again hung above the Autodrom Most, causing low track temperatures, which affected grip on the track. Oncu, Masia, Mahias and Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) managed to hang on behind Manzi, who surged forward early in the race to claim P1. Debise fell out of the running early on with a crash in Lap 6, preventing him from being able to take advantage of Manzi’s crash.

After Manzi’s Turn 16, Lap 8 lowside, Oncu strode into P1, first fighting with Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) and then Masia, with Masia sliding up the inside of Oncu at Turn 20 to claim P1 and shuffle Oncu to P2. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing #23) earned his second-best result of the season, which was also his best result since his P3 at Phillip Island’s Race 1.

Aldi Mahendra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team #57) landed his best-ever WorldSSP finish in P5, leaping up the grid from his P11 start. Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport #6) was not only the fastest Honda on the day, but he was also the best-performing WorldSSP Challenge rider on the day in P6.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results

1. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura)
2. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +0.137s
3. Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) +7.997s
4. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) +14.560s
5. Aldi Mahendra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +14.796s

Sunday
Superpole Race

The final day of race action at Autodrom Most’s Motul Czech Round saw Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) atop the podium. He was followed into the rostrum by Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in P2 for his second P2 of the weekend so far. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) took P3 for his second consecutive third-place finish at Most this weekend.

Bulega claimed the holeshot, passing Razgatlioglu into Turn 1. The pair then traded overtakes throughout the first half of the race before Bulega ran through the shortcut instead of taking the Turn 1-2 chicane, being forced to give up a second and granting the #1 a cushion behind him. From there, Razgatlioglu sailed ahead and finished the race with more than a second and a half margin. It was his tenth win at Most, the first circuit he’s recorded double-digit wins at. Bulega still managed to take home P2, finishing four seconds ahead of Petrucci.

Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) nearly finished top Independent ahead of Petrucci for what would have been his second WorldSBK podium; instead he took home a healthy P4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) again stacked up the overtakes after his Race 1 passing frenzy, moving up from his P10 start to finish in P5, including passing Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC #7) on the final lap at Turn 20, the penultimate corner, as the #7 finished in sixth.

Superpole Race Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.917s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +5.943s
4. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +6.033s
5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +7.700s

WorldSBK Race 2

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) stunned Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) with an overtake to steal away the Race 2 win from ‘El Turco’ in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The venue is one the #1 historically dominates, however, Bulega’s dramatic late move rained on the #1’s parade and prevented his hat-trick.

The race’s first corner featured a chaotic incident, which sent Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC #97) tumbling, and a double long-lap penalty applied to Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha #65) for irresponsible riding. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Rea traded paint at the first chicane, the collision pushing Bautista sliding into Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC), ending the race for the pair of Spaniards and sending Vierge to the medical centre.

After the dust cleared, Bulega led the race ahead of Razgatlioglu, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team). ‘El Turco’ was close behind Bulega, however, the #11 did well to hold off the #1 for the first half of the race. Turn 17 of Lap 12 was Toprak’s first assault on Bulega for P1, cutting inside on the home straight. Bulega quickly steamed back past him before Razgatlioglu caught Bulega by surprise on the Turn 2 switchback to wrestle P1 back.

Bulega hung around into the last laps of the race, meaning he was just close enough to reel in Toprak, and on the exit of the final corner, he pipped Razgatlioglu for his first-ever race win at Most and prevented the Turk’s hat-trick. Petrucci made a move on the inside on Sam Lowes to claim P3 from the Brit, the overtake earning ‘Petrux’ his 17th WorldSBK podium and his third P3 podium of the weekend. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) didn’t settle for P4 lying down, battling to the line with Petrucci and only crossing the line +0.176s behind.

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team #87) did well to come out on top in his battle with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team #47), Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) and others for P5.

“It was incredible, Toprak had more than I did all race; his pace was stronger than mine. But I was trying to push 200 per cent every lap to follow him. By halfway through, he was about a second ahead of me, but I never gave up. Most is not the best for my riding style or our bike, we prefer long and fast corners, and this one is small and slow, so I’m happy to win here. It’s very special,” Bulega explained.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.027s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +16.276s
4. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 16.452s
5. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +20.703s

Championship Points

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 252 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 221
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 146
4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 141
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) 127

WorldSSP Race 2

Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) topped the podium for his third win of the season ahead of Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) and Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team), with Oettl rounding out his best weekend of the season on the podium. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) battled in the podium positions early on before a crash out of the running for Masia dropped him out of the top positions to a P6 finish.

Oncu flew off the line to claim the holeshot from P1, followed into the second sector by Masia and Manzi. The pair passed Oncu back to lead the race at different points as the lead swapped hands on several occasions. Oncu took back P1 with a double overtake on the pair under braking at Turn 1 and pulled away from there to seal his first race win since Assen. Mahias went into Most podium-less, and now after his Race 2 P2, he will go to Misano with a pair of podiums under his belt.

Oettl took another step with his P3 podium finish, achieving his first WorldSSP podium result since returning to the Championship for the 2025 campaign. Masia was duelling with Manzi for P2, until the Spanish youngster crashed out of the race on Lap 12’s Turn 10, leaving him to finish with no points. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) in P4 will look ahead to Misano with a smile on his face as he seems to have returned to form after struggles at Cremona. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) righted the ship with his P5 finish after his Race 1 DNF.

Despite temporarily leading the race and fighting for the race win for most of the race, Manzi’s pace dropped off in the final laps and saw him fall to P6. This capped off a weekend of struggles for the Championship leader, as he only took away 10 points from Most.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

1. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team)
2. Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) +1.706s
3. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +3.643s
4. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) +4.956s
5. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) +5.081s

Championship Points

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 185 points
2. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 145
3. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) 131
4. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) 122
5. Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) 110

WorldSSP300 Race 1

Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Italka Racing #48) earned his first race win in 2025 and his second race win of his FIM Supersport 300 World Championship career at Autodrom Most’s Race 1 of the Motul Czech Round. He was followed across the line by David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI #38), who ran a tremendous race to overcome a P28 start and a long lap penalty in P2, and Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove #7) in P3 for his second podium in his rookie season so far.

Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing #6) had a rollercoaster race; the Championship leader going into the encounter fell as low as P8, climbing back to lead the race for moments before crashing out from P2 on the final lap. Garcia’s win was his second in WorldSSP300 and the 40th race win by a Spaniard in WorldSSP300. Salvador finished in P2 for his third podium, followed by Benat Fernandez in P3 for his second podium. Fernandez, however, was under investigation for his and Daniel Mogeda’s (Pons Motosport Italika Racing #88) last lap incident, which saw Mogeda crash out of the race.

Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing #12) started from the front of the grid, but as the grid grouped up in the first corner, he found himself shuffled all the way down to P9. He recovered to lead the race for stretches but ultimately was beaten for pace by the trio of Spanish riders ahead of him in the final straight for P4.

WorldSSP300 Race 1 Results

1. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport)
2. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.012s
3. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.027s
4. Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) +0.041s
5. Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300) +0.136s

WorldSSP300 Race 2

The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship’s Race 2 at the Motul Czech Round was rain-delayed during the Warm-Up lap. After a delay for teams to change tyres, the riders returned to the track for the race over a shortened 10-lap distance. The two-time WorldSSP300 World Champion reasserted himself atop the podium and Championship standings alike. Buis’ 25 points from the race win put him back on top of Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Italka Racing) with 97 and Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove) with 96.

David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI), Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki #50) and Benat Fernandez had a great start to the race, shooting off at lights out, however, after the first chicane, Buis had slid his way into P1. Fernandez, Maier, Buis, Salvador and Bartolini (#23) all battled for P1, overtaking each other repeatedly as the group slipstreamed off of each other to shuffle the order.

On the final lap, the Brazilian and the #7 tailed Buis as the final straight approached, and as they rounded the final corner, both lacked the pace to catch the streaking Buis, who claimed his first race win since his Assen double and his 17th career WorldSSP300 win. Maier’s P3 meant a sixth career podium for the Brazilian, who still chased his first win. Rookie Fernandez made it back-to-back podiums at Most for his third in his rookie season.

WorldSSP300 Race 2 Results

1. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing)
2. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.045s
3. Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) +0.095s
4. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.167s
5. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) +0.215s

Championship Points

1. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) 100 points
2. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) 97
3. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) 96
4. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) 77
5. Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) 69

How did the Aussies Do?

Despite a DNF in Race 1, there were still many positives to be extracted from Remy Gardner’s Most, as he secured sixth place in the Tissot Superpole before claiming a brilliant fifth in Race 2.

PTR Triumph’s Oli Bayliss (#32) banked a solid ninth in Race 1 in the demanding Supersport class. Starting 17th, he fought his way up to challenge for sixth, but a late mistake saw him slip to ninth, in a race where he rode to his best finish since the season opener. His second race was then scuppered by two long lap penalties, but, to his credit, he recovered admirably to bag 12th.

Luke Power (#68) continued on his path to get back to his best following his shoulder injury, with an 18th in qualifying and 18th in Race 2 a decent effort by the Aussie.

For the full WorldSBK Round 3 results in all classes for all days, click here...

The post WorldSBK Round 5 report | Bulega and Razgatlioglu excel appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP

The most recent stop on the MotoGP calendar in Qatar was one to forget for Jack Miller, as tyre issues and a crash in the race ensured it was a tough encounter for the popular Aussie. Beginning his weekend with a crash, this wasn’t ideal for Miller, who was also dealing with a bout of food poisoning during the event.

Read last month’s Aussie’s Abroad here...

His disappointment frustratingly carried over to the race under the lights at Losail, where an early spill ended his chances of getting a positive result. “That was the best I‘d felt all weekend – the bike was working well until it suddenly wasn‘t. My rhythm was strong, and I was feeling pretty comfortable catching back up to the group ahead. I switched the map, and then just before the crash, coming into Turn 15 on what could have been my best lap, the bike suddenly started vibrating violently at the rear, so much so that my legs came off the pegs,” reflected Miller.

“I lost the front. I managed to keep the bike up with my elbow, but when I pushed in deeper, it started vibrating again”…

“I had to slow down, and even then my time was a 1‘53.9. Martin passed me, and I followed him into Turn 1, but at Turn 2, another left-hander, as soon as I leaned in, I lost the front. I managed to keep the bike up with my elbow, but when I pushed in deeper, it started vibrating again. I was off-line and onto the dirty part of the track, and the bike just slid out from under me. We saw very clearly in the data that something changed from one lap to the next.

“Why, we don‘t know. The tyre looked fine; everything seemed okay, so we need to understand more about what happened. Honestly, it ended the way the whole weekend had been going. I‘m happy to be heading to Jerez; I think this bike will work well there.”Miller will now immediately shift his focus to round five in Jerez in his pursuit of a much better outcome.

Senna Agius – Moto2

Forced to undertake three Long Lap penalties in Qatar, mustering 14th was a decent result in the trying circumstances by Senna Agius. Kicking things off with a 13th in qualifying, which was a solid effort given he was working hard to find an ideal setup, he then proceeded to bank 14th in the race. Disaster struck from the off for Agius, for he was instantly handed a double Long Lap penalty for a jump start before receiving another Long Lap for not executing his initial penalty adequately. To his credit, the #81 fought back remarkably to register two points following a strong comeback from the aforementioned adversity.

“I apologise because I made a rookie mistake today. I don’t think I’ve ever jumped a start before”…

“I apologise because I made a rookie mistake today. I don’t think I’ve ever jumped a start before, so I’m angry with myself. I’m sorry because we worked really hard this weekend and made a step with both my feeling and my riding, and I threw it all away with my mistake. I tried to come back and get some points to take something home. In the end, it was my mistake. I’m sorry for my crew because they work really hard, and I work hard too to get the results I know we can achieve. I am now focusing on Jerez, but all in all, I would like to apologise to everyone,” he lamented.

Joel Kelso – Moto3

Aussie flyer Joel Kelso enjoyed a brilliant performance in Losail, as not only did he secure P2 in qualifying, but he also went on to produce a fine display to cross the line in fourth. Rapid from the outset in Qatar, Kelso laid down a marker by claiming P2 in qualifying to earn his spot on the front row.

In the hunt for the win throughout the thrilling race on a night full of drama and action, the gifted Aussie eventually grabbed P4, just 0.097s off the win in what was a crazy surge to the line. “A little bittersweet, that one. Really happy with how the weekend went. We fought super hard but just came up a little short. Feeling really good heading into the European rounds and ready to fight for that podium in Jerez.” said Joel. Hungry for more in Jerez, watch for Kelso, who occupies third in the standings, to come out swinging in Spain too.

Jacob Roulstone – Moto3

On his return to racing following a brutal injury, Jacob Roulstone logged a respectable 14th in the hugely competitive Moto3 class. Despite feeling confident and good on the bike, 22nd was all he could do in qualifying, which was more than reasonable in the situation.

“Quite a decent race today. Was able to get a better first few laps and be more aggressive. Lost touch with the second group but could close a 3.0s gap to catch them to be in P9. Unfortunately, I chewed up my tyres a bit too much doing this, so I couldn’t fight at the end and fell back to P14,” stated Roulstone. “Huge thanks to the boys and the team for the work over the weekend. Time to get stuck into some hard training this week ahead of Jerez.”

Remy Gardner – World Superbike

Remy Gardner produced an outstanding effort in Assen in what was a terrific weekend by the Australian ace. Getting off on firm footing, the GYTR GRT Yamaha pilot’s eighth in the opening race and P7 in the Superpole race were quality results. Not content with this, Gardner capped off his tremendous weekend by storming to third in race two at the historic circuit after blasting off the line to put himself in a promising spot to succeed.

“What a relief! The Superpole race wasn’t too bad in the wet, though the last laps were tough to manage. Still, I held on to secure a decent spot on the race two grid. In the final race, I got a great start and was able to battle for the win early on, staying up front until the end. We did get a bit lucky with Nicolò’s retirement, but it was still a strong race and a big improvement over Saturday. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going into the next rounds,” insisted a delighted Gardner.

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport

Even though he demonstrated many glimpses of his excellent speed, a crash in race one and a technical issue in the second stanza meant Assen was a rough round for Oli Bayliss aboard his PTR Factory Triumph machine. While there wasn’t too much upside to be extracted from his outing, the fact he launched off to a nice start in the second race was something to take away from an unsatisfactory Assen.

“Difficult day today, I struggled with the bike overheating in warm up, and then for the race on the first lap, it happened again. I rode the bike until it cut out and I unfortunately had to retire. Difficult to end the weekend like this as in qualifying/warm ups we had good speed. Thanks to my team and supporters,” recalled Bayliss.

“With Oli, when you have instances where you crash there can be problems. It was a new engine that went in the bike, and it overheated and he had to stop in the race. Another disappointing weekend for him, but we know the results will come so we just have to stay positive. We’ve a test coming up at Donington next week and we’ll look to the next round at Cremona,” said TR Triumph Racing Factory Team Manager Simon Buckmaster.

Luke Power – World Supersport

Having missed Portimao, Luke Power was back for Assen. And while his shoulder injury was still giving him grief, getting P2 in the warm up and 17th in Race 2 were highlights. Able to log some vital laps and get back in the groove, plus engage in plenty of fights for supremacy on track, this was a valuable building round for him in his search to get back to firing on all cylinders.

“Overall, it wasn’t a bad weekend after missing Portimão,” commented Power. “I started a little bit behind, but we worked through the plan on Friday and were able to qualify. I made a good start in Saturday’s first race and was aggressive, which was my focus before going into the race. I struggled a bit with pace and strength in the shoulder towards the end of the race, but it wasn’t the worst result we could have had. Finishing P2 in the warm on Sunday was really cool, and I felt I had plenty in reserve if it had continued to rain. It dried out for race two, and I made a big step with my riding to finish P17. I know on paper it doesn’t look that good, but we’re close to the points, and we showed some good speed, especially at the end of the race, which is encouraging for the rest of the year. Thanks to the team for their hard work and for sticking by me. I am already looking forward to Cremona.”

Jason O’Halloran – EWC

The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team of Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika and Australian legend Jason O’Halloran impressively reigned supreme at the first round of 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) at Le Mans. The 48th edition of the legendary 24 Heures Motos definitely lived up to the hype, and O’Halloran played a key role in the memorable victory. Making a dream start to this new beginning, it was little wonder the O’Show cut a delighted figure when speaking after this pulsating triumph.

“My first race with YART and my first 24-hour race…so to win here at Le Mans is incredible! The whole team has done an amazing job throughout the week. Due to the conditions, it is certainly the trickiest race I have ever been involved in. We had to think on our feet on the bike all race, deciding whether you needed to pit to swap tyres or what strategy we needed to adapt. It was a long race, but my teammates were incredible. I actually enjoyed riding during the night because you can get your head down and work away at it, but when the sun comes up, you realise there is still a long way to go. The final ten minutes were probably the longest ten minutes of my life, but we did it. The whole team should be so proud, and I want to thank each and every one of them; they worked so hard, and we deserved the victory,” he explained.

Off-Track

Jake Cannon – EMX250

Trentino and Switzerland were next on the agenda for Jake Cannon, as he looked to make further strides in the demanding EMX250 class. While he’s adapted admirably to making the massive switch to Europe and already taken home some top results, the last couple of rounds have posed many challenges. Suffering some unfortunate crashes and bad luck, the Bud Racing Kawasaki speedster missed out on the points in Trentino.

Bouncing back outstandingly in Switzerland, a seventh in the first race was a fantastic result to breathe life back into his campaign. While a frustrating first-turn crash in the second moto ruined his hopes, Cannon notably recovered to bag 17th to get 12th overall.

Liam Owens – EMX250

Liam Owens’ up-and-down crusade continues in EMX250. But there have importantly been many signs of him making desired progress, which was illustrated by his pair of 15ths in Trentino even though he was caught up in an early crash and had goggle issues.

Relishing heading to Switzerland for his Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s home GP, Owens eye-catchingly banked P2 in time practice and was running in fourth in the opening race before a bike problem scuppered his chances and meant he had to retire. Undeterred by this misfortune, the talented youngster posted a superb seventh in the second moto to clinch 13th overall.

The post Aussies Racing Abroad April 2025 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Friday practice
WorldSBK

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11) claimed top spot on Friday as the first day of the Pirelli Dutch Round for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship concluded. Bulega was one of three riders to set a lap time in the 1’33s as he laid down his marker at the iconic TT Circuit Assen, finishing ahead of Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team #47) as he secured a P2 finish. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team #1) completed the top three.

Read our Round Two report here…

WorldSSP

Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team #61) secured his second consecutive pole position in the FIM Supersport World Championship by a huge half-a-second margin over Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing #69) in P2 at the TT Circuit Assen. The Turkish star had waited until his sixth season to claim his first pole but didn’t have to wait as long for his second as he smashed the lap record in Tissot Superpole to start from P1 for Race 1.

Saturday
WorldSK

WorldSBK Race 1

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s first race at Assen was a good one, as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the podium, followed by Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in his return to the podium after featuring at Portimao and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team #9) in P3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) saw his hopes of continuing his podium streak dashed after missing the rostrum spots in P4.

Bulega claimed the holeshot into the first corner ahead of Locatelli, with ‘Loka’ bundling his way through at Turn 5 before Bulega responded immediately. That allowed Bulega to cruise his way to victory while the chasing pack scrapped it out over the remaining podium places.

Meanwhile, behind Locatelli, sharks in the form of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #14), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Razgatlioglu began to circle until, out of nowhere, on Lap 7, Bautista and Lowes collided at Turn 9 to wipe them both out of the race from the podium fight.

‘El Turco’ briefly overtook Locatelli, however the much-improved Yamaha rider battled back to lock in P2 after following the reigning Champion for a few laps. Petrucci surged late to pass Toprak to bump ‘El Turco’ off the podium for his first podium since Australia’s Tissot Superpole Race.

Razgatlioglu had a sluggish start to the race, falling to P8 in Lap 1, however by Lap 3 he was already back up into the podium fight. Strong performances from Locatelli and Petrucci saw them overtake Toprak’s BMW M 1000 RR to shut the rostrum’s doors to the Turkish star. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC #7) and Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC #97) both had strong results, earning the best combined result of the season for the Honda factory riders, with Vierge only two tenths of a second behind his teammate.

Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team #77) earned the best result of his season so far in P7.

“I’m very happy because we started really well from FP1, and we improved a little bit in every session,” said Bulega. “I had a lot of fun riding my bike during the race, so thanks to my team. They gave me a very good package and I tried to use it 100 percent until the last lap.”

WorldSBK Race 1 Results

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +7.801s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +14.827s
4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +17.137s
5. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) +22.653s

WorldSSP Race 1

Assen’s ‘Cathedral of Speed’ welcomed the FIM Supersport World Championship riders for their Race 1 in the Pirelli Dutch Round. The afternoon’s action saw the stacked WorldSSP grid lay it on the line again, with Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse #11) coming out on top for his home fans after a Lap 2 red flag. Oncu held an early lead, but first Bendsneyder and later Manzi (#62) caught him to drop him to P3.

The red flag was waved on Lap 2, after Loic Arbel (#4) and Eduardo Montero (#33) collided at Turn 5, with both riders immediately being taken to the medical centre, where Montero was to be reassessed, however Arbel was diagnosed with a lower leg fracture. The race was restarted over a 12-lap distance with the grid based on the Superpole results.

Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) had another trademark quick start to claim the holeshot, establishing a margin for himself at the front of the pack. As the race continued, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) – who leaped up the timesheet into the first corner from P6 – and Bo Bendsneyder gradually cut away at the lead of Oncu until the Dutchman caught Oncu and overtook the Turk for P1. Manzi then seized his opportunity and took on Oncu in the final chicane to claim P2, relegating the polesitter to P3.

Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura #51) didn’t quite have the pace to battle with Manzi and Bendsneyder for the podium positions, but a strong day at the office for the young Spaniard earned him a comfortable P4. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) and Leonardo Taccini had a thrilling dogfight for P5, as the Italian and the Brit trading overtakes until Booth-Amos sealed the fight and claimed P5 and left P6 for Taccini.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results

1. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +3.228s
3. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +3.930s
4. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +6.298s
5. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +10.800s

Sunday
Superpole Race

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s final day at Assen got off to a flying start with the Tissot Superpole Race. Rain fell overnight, leaving the track saturated with water, and by the 10-lap race’s start, the track remained wet, however the sun had broken through the cloud cover. Toprak took his first P1 of the weekend for his first-ever career win in the wet, overtaking Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who suffered a tech issue which forced him to retire. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) seized the opportunity to take his first-ever WorldSBK podium in P2 at the same track his brother had his maiden win back in 2014. In P3, Alvaro Bautista (#19) claimed his 112th podium, his 12th in Assen.

Bulega started the race in P2, behind only Sam Lowes who started from pole. He claimed an early P1 after overtaking the #14, a lead he clung to until Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took his chance and passed ‘Bulegas’ on the inside to claim P1.

From there, Razgatlioglu pulled away and went on to top the race in P1. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) later was able to take advantage of a tech issue which forced Bulega to retire and passed him in Turn 1 of Lap 7 to earn his best-ever WorldSBK result, although this was after he dropped all the way back down to P10 at the start after running wide at Turn 1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) benefitted from his teammates’ misfortune, claiming P3.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) stayed hot in the damp conditions at Assen, right around the battle at the front once again, and finished P4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had his best result of his latest home round so far, placing P5 after almost passing ‘Loka’ on several occasions, finishing just two tenths of a second behind the Italian. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing #45) enjoyed a ride in the rain and earned P6 after fighting his way up from P16.

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team #87) nearly broke into the second row for Race 2 with his P7 in the Superpole Race, finishing four tenths shy of Redding for P6.

Superpole Race Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +3.798s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +6.895s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +9.907s
5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +10.147s

WorldSBK Race 2

Andrea Locatelli topped the podium in the final race after Nicolo Bulega’s likely victory was dashed due to a tech issue. Alvaro Bautista scored another podium for Ducati, and Remy Gardner again showed his improvement, earning his first podium since Assen’s Race 2 in 2024.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) fought his way back up to the front after starting in P10. ‘Bulegas’ started a race for the first time outside of the top five in his two years competing in WorldSBK; but that made no difference to the Championship leader as he pulled into P1 by Lap 16, to what seemed like he would cruise to claim his second Race win of the weekend. Everything changed when suddenly his bike sputtered to a stop and he was forced out of the race with a tech issue.

Seizing the opportunity, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) took first to claim his first-ever race win in WorldSBK in his 153rd race start for Yamaha. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) made his rostrum return in P2, earning his 113th career podium. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) rounded out the podium for his first podium since Assen 2024 in Race 2, showcasing the progress made by him and his Yamaha factory team with their Yamaha R1.

Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) fell behind from having started in the first two grid positions. They were each overtaken quickly by Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who took an early P1. From there Lowes battled for the podium positions before falling out of the podium fight, finishing in a still-strong P4. Razgatlioglu fell farther back and continued to lose positions, which he was unable to make back before he finished in P8. In P5, Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) once again carried the flag forward for his new Bimota team, charging up the grid from his P11 start.

“It’s an amazing day! I cannot understand that it’s true. I have good memories here from 2021; I got my first podium, and now my first victory; it’s a sign, maybe! We did an amazing job this weekend,” Locatelli explained.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results

1. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha)
2. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.968s
3. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +4.396s
4. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +4.803s
5. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +7.380s

Championship Points

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 136 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 115
3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) 107
4. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 86
5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 81

WorldSSP Race 2

The final race at Assen featured a dramatic last lap overtake, where Turkish young star Can Oncu got by Stefano Manzi who led most of the affair to take his first race win of the weekend. The win was a special moment for Oncu, as it was here in Assen back in 2023 when he suffered a very concerning arm injury which cast doubts on his ability to return to competition. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) was up in the podium battle once again, until an unfortunate spill late in the running on Turn 10 dashed his podium dreams. He was, however, able to continue, and without a fairing, he took P15 to salvage a point.

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) led the race for the majority of the contest, fighting off constant pressure from Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) and Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) repeatedly until the final chicane. Oncu passed Manzi, and while Manzi passed him back upon the exit of the chicane, he did so by cutting the corner, riding onto the green, and was applied a one position penalty for Exceeding Track Limits. Oncu had a blistering start to the race, jumping up from a P5 grid start position to nip at Manzi’s heels until his late move.

Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) lacked the pace to catch up to Oncu and Manzi ahead of him for the race but powered forward to lead the second group for his second podium of his home round. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) similarly battled his way up into the podium battle before crashing out late in the race at Turn 10 to miss out on the podium, however, as he salvaged a point from the round to finish P15.

Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse #53) partook in the spirited battle for P5 among Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing #23), eventually coming out on top of the group to finish P4. Masia started from P3 on the grid, enjoying a strong start to the race before falling back to P6.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

1 Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team)
2 Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.012s
3 Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +3.150s
4 Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) +3.422s
5 Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +5.131s

Championship Points

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 125
2. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 111
3. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) 84
4. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) 77
5. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 52

WorldWCR
WorldWCR Race 1

The WorldWCR season is officially underway as Herrera (#6) topped its first podium after a track limits penalty for Neila (#36). The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship took to the track for the first point-scoring opportunity of the season. The second-ever season in WorldWCR history was inaugurated with a win by Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team), who battled all race with Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha), hinting at what might be a battle in the season to come for the Riders’ Championship.

Herrera’s pole position start helped her to a quick getaway, taking the holeshot into Turn 1. She had a tougher time defending P1 than she did in Friday’s Superpole however, as Nelia clung to Herrera’s shadow, looming nearly within striking distance for most of the race. She gave Herrera a run for her money from Lap 9 on, trading overtakes in consecutive laps; culminating in a final sector duel, where Neila overtook Herrera for P1. However, she was given a one position penalty for exceeding track limits on the final lap at Turn 17, demoting her to P2.

Rookie Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports #21) jumped up from the second row to take P3 into the first corner. From there, Lewis, Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team #96) and Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team #64) entered a protracted battle for P3, repeatedly overtaking each other as none of the three riders could pull away until Ponziani fell slightly behind the pair of Lewis and Sanchez, going on to finish in P5. As Sanchez and Lewis separated themselves from the pack behind them, they locked horns and battled for P3 until Sanchez in turn pulled away from the New Zealander rookie, who impressed in her first career WorldWCR race, earning P4.

British rookie Chloe Jones (GR Motorsport #6) distinguished herself in her first WorldWCR race, earning P6 ahead of second-year Australian rider Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing #8) in P7.

WorldWCR Race 1 Results

1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team)
2. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +0.133s
3. Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) +8.976s
4. Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports) +10.348s
5. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) +16.455s

WorldWCR Race 2

The opening round of the WorldWCR season saw a tie for first and second place between Neila and Herrera for the title lead after Neila claimed P1 in Race 2 via a brave final lap overtake.

The final event of the weekend for the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship capped off a season-debut weekend to remember. Unlike the rest of the weekend, Sunday’s Race 2 was impacted by overnight rain, which left the track soaked throughout the morning’s warm up sessions. By WorldWCR’s Race 2, the track had largely dried out, allowing the riders to open the throttle, something Maria Herrera was able to do to claim an early P1. However, a dramatic late overtake by Neila earned the #36 her first WorldWCR win, with Sara Sanchez rounding out the top three.

Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) had a quick jump off of the line from P2, pipping Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) for an early P1. Behind Herrera, the trio of Beatriz Neila, Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) and Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports) all rode close behind, whittling time off the margin between them and P1. The group stayed compacted as the race wound down, until Madrid Native Neila made her move in the final lap, holding off Herrera in the final chicane to claim her first career WorldWCR win. Herrera and Sanchez followed her across the line for P2 and P3, while Lewis caught a tough break when she suffered a lowside crash in the final chicane to lose out on her P4.

WorldWCR Race 2 Results

1. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha)
2. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) +0.173s
3. Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) +.423s
4. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) +19.732s
5. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) +19.919s

Championship Points

1. Beatriz Neila – 45
2. Maria Herrera – 45
3. Sara Sanchez – 32
4. Roberta Ponziani – 24
5. Tayla Relph – 19

WorldSSP 300
WorldSSP 300 Race 1

Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing #6) secured an emotional home victory at the TT Circuit Assen after a last-lap scrap featuring six riders fighting until the final chicane and to the line in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as he fended off Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing #12) and Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport #48) in Race 1 for the Pirelli Dutch Round.

Buis got the holeshot when lights went out as he looked to win on home soil and, while he was able to pull out an initial gap, he was soon swallowed up by the chasing pack as six riders battled for victory.

While the lead was predictably changing hands throughout the 12-lap battle, Brazil’s Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) took the lead on the run to the chicane on the final lap, but the #6 responded under braking to claim a famous home win, his 15th in the Championship. Maier was P2 and less than a tenth away from Buis, while Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) completed the rostrum, just 0.191s away from victory.

Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove #7) crossed the line in fourth place but was demoted one place for exceeding track limits on the final lap, putting him in fifth. That promoted David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI #38) to fourth, while Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki #50) was sixth.

WorldSSP 300 Race 1 Results

1. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing)
2. Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) +0.093s
3. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) +0.191s
4. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.355s
5. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.400s

WorldSSP 300 Race 2

Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) and David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) made history in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as they crossed the line separated by just 0.001s after a 12-lap Race 2 duel at the TT Circuit Assen. 10 riders were fighting for victory across the line as Buis completed a home double and took the championship lead following the Pirelli Dutch Round.

The fight for victory went down to the final chicane with 10 riders separated by a second across the line, before penalties for track limits violations were applied. Buis led heading into the final chicane and held it through the three-turn complex, before just fending off Salvador by 0.001s at the line, breaking the record for closest ever finish.

Daniel Mogeda (Pons Motosport Italika Racing #88) was classified in third after Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) and Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) were given two-place penalties for course cutting on the final lap. Fernandez and Thompson were therefore classified in fourth and fifth respectively.

WorldSSP 300 Race 2 Results

1. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing)
2. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.001s
3. Daniel Mogeda (Pons Motosport Italika Racing) +0.656s
4. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.665s
5. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) +0.827s

Championship Points

1. Jeffrey Buis – 75
2. Julio Garcia – 61
3. Benat Fernandez – 60
4. David Salvador – 44
5. Carter Thompson – 43

How Did the Aussies Do?

Remy Gardner produced an outstanding effort in Assen in what was an extremely positive weekend by the Australian ace. While P8 in Race 1 and P7 in the Superpole Race were great, his third Race 2 was exceptional to cap off a terrific weekend at the office. Despite illustrating many glimpses of his excellent speed, a crash in Race 1 and a technical issue in Race 2 meant Assen was a rough one for Oli Bayliss aboard his PTR Factory Triumph machine.

Having missed Portimao, Luke Power was back for Assen. And while his shoulder injury was still giving him grief, getting P2 in the warm up and 17th in Race 2 were highlights.

For the full WorldSBK Round 3 results in all classes for all days, click here...

The post WorldSBK Round 3 2025 Report | Assen delivers a cracker appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Friday practice

WorldSBK

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the rider to beat after Friday’s MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action after he set a 1’39.995s to claim P1 ahead of rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11). The Turkish superstar set no times in FP1 due to a technical issue, but responded in style in FP2 for the Pirelli Portuguese Round with the only 1’39s lap of the day, with Bulega trailing the #1 by three tenths at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.

The day got off to a terrible start for Razgatlioglu, with just one out lap completed in FP1 thanks to a technical issue. However, in FP2, the #1 was back out on track – and one of the first riders to hit the track – and it didn’t take him long to be towards the top of the timesheets. He moved into P2 with his first flying lap with a 1’40.735s as he embarked on the first of two 10-lap stints as he traded times with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). He later improved to a 1’40.637s on that first run before his times dropped off as the stint progressed.

Read our Round One report here…

With 12 minutes remaining, ‘El Turco’ set a 1’40.089s to move into a provisional P1 before improving to a 1’39.995s for the first lap in the 1’39s bracket this weekend. Teammate Michael van der Mark (#60) put in a late lap of a 1’40.506s to ensure both BMWs were in the top three, lapping more than half a second slower than Razgatlioglu.

The reigning Champion narrowly missed out on a 1’38s lap time, but claimed his second consecutive pole at Portimao ahead of Bulega.

For the second time in one day, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) utterly annihilated the lap record at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve as he claimed his 19th MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship pole position. ‘El Turco’ posted two times that beat his previous record in Tissot Superpole for the Pirelli Portuguese Round as he took P1 ahead of Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team #9), who both beat last year’s pole time to complete the front row.

WorldSSP

Round 2 of the FIM Supersport World Championship got going at a sunny Portimao with Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team #61) claiming his first career WorldSSP pole, as the Turkish superstar ousted Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA #94), who snuck into P2 minutes before the end of the session, followed by Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME Air Racing #64) in P3. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team #52) earned his best result of the season so far with his P4 on the back of his 1’43.603s lap, only missing out on the front row by 0.033s.

Saturday
WorldSK
WorldSBK Race 1

MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action burst back onto the track on Saturday, Race 1 bringing with it the possibility of claiming the first points of the Pirelli Portuguese Round.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed the holeshot, however after Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) recuperated his positions from his poor start to the race; what followed was the best duel between the two since the Italian rider joined WorldSBK last year.

Neither rider backed down as they stayed close behind one another from Lap 4 until Toprak claimed P1 on Lap 19, where he was able to hold off Bulega’s final assaults. The defending Riders’ Champion now sits behind Bulega in second in the Championship standings, Bulega’s 82 points to Toprak’s 45. Toprak’s 58th win puts him just one win behind four-time World Champion Carl Fogarty. His triumph also marked the sixth win for BMW at Portimao and the first time the German manufacturer has hit that number of wins on any track.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha #55) secured a podium finish by holding off Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) for P3. For his part, Petrucci was once again metronomically consistent, finishing the race where he started in P4 after regaining the position from Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #14) on Lap 9, with ‘Petrux’ finishing as top Independent rider.

“It wasn’t a good start, I made some mistakes. But after that I went step by step until I started fighting with Nicolo. He did some really, really good riding especially with pushing hard on every lap. Ducati has an advantage here with the hot conditions and in the corner exits from what I was seeing, but also Nicolo was riding very well. We are still learning, and we hope to improve the bike tonight, especially in some corners. The Ducati in some corners has some really, really good acceleration. I need more grip as well, anyway, in general. But I am really happy because we are back in the race,” Razgatlioglu said.

WorldSBK Race 1 Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.067s
3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +7.855s
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +8.991s
5. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) +15.475s

WorldSSP Race 1

Oncu brought home Yamaha’s 150th WorldSSP win from Portimao’s Race 1, followed by Manzi (#62) and Bendsneyder (#11). Oncu claimed the holeshot from pole position and quickly stretched his margin to establish a commanding lead, 2.658s ahead of Manzi in P2 by Lap 8.

Manzi and Lucas Mahias (GMT94-Yamaha) were glued to one another for the first 10 laps, the two veterans battling with one another as they both tried to make time on Oncu in the distance ahead of them.

After putting distance between him and the rest of the pack, Bendsneyder closed down the Yamaha pair in P2 and P3. He passed both Manzi and Mahias in consecutive laps before the #62 brushed him back out of the way to claim P2 on Lap 14. Manzi, from there, staved off the Dutchman to secure second, earning his 44th WorldSSP podium, equaling Fabian Foret for third in all time podiums. Bendsneyder, who started the race in P5, locked down P3 to taste the prosecco for the 3rd time in WorldSSP.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results

1. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.836s
3. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.767s
4. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +3.801s
5. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +9.630s

Sunday

Superpole Race

Portimao’s Tissot Superpole Race kicked off racing action in the Pirelli Portuguese Round’s final day. Razgatlioglu and Bulega battled once again in the first laps of the Superpole Race. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) followed up his Race 1 duel with Toprak by seizing the holeshot from the Turkish polesitter. He clung to P1 as Toprak made time on the Italian rider until in Turn 3 of Lap 5, when Razgatlioglu overtook him to go first.

Bulega clung to his heels and almost passed the #1 exiting the race’s final corner as Toprak had a moment, trying to push his bike to the limit in the straight. Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) Portimao weekend had been a rollercoaster of its own up to this point. He began the Superpole race from P9 on the third row, climbing up to P5 by Lap 2, and by Lap 9, he sprung a move on Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in Turn 1 to claim a spot on the podium in P3.

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) had been up around the top positions all weekend, P3 in the Superpole session, P4 in Race 1, and then finished the Superpole Race P4, snubbed from the podium by a streaking Bautista.

Superpole Race Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.055s
3. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +4.407s
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +5.327s
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +6.206s

WorldSBK Race 2

The final ride on WorldSBK’s favourite rollercoaster took place Sunday afternoon, providing another nail-biting battle between rivals Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).

A red flag was thrown on Lap 10 after Jason O’Halloran (Pata Maxus Yamaha #20) crashed at Turn 1. In the ensuing 11-lap sprint, two of the title contenders engaged in a thrilling battle for the race win. ‘El Turco’ came out on top for the third time on the weekend, completing his second consecutive Portimao hat-trick to earn his ninth win at this track to equal his tally at Donington Park.

Prior to the red flag, Toprak and ‘Bulegas’ had paired off at the front of the pack, while Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had maintained his P3 grid start, and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) had fallen down to P9 from his P4 grid position.

Bulega took the holeshot of the restarted race; and he was able to defend his P1 until Toprak overtook him, taking P1 momentarily on Lap 2, at Turn 1. Bulega retook the lead in the run to Turn 1 of Lap 3, then Laps 6-8 saw the pair grit their teeth and throw caution to the wind, overtaking each other a total of 6 times.

The final three laps were fought tooth and nail as Toprak held on through the final stages of the race to claim his 60th WorldSBK win, which means he now sits third all-time in WorldSBK wins ahead of Fogarty.

Bautista pushed his Ducati Panigale V4R hard to try to keep up with the #1 and his factory Ducati teammate, however the gap increased as the race went on, with him crossing the line 3.512s behind the #1 as he secured third place.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) had a good jump off the line after the red-flag restart, moving into second place before falling to P4, closing out a strong weekend for the top Yamaha rider.

“For me, I love fighting. I never give up. The bike isn’t 100%, but I’m only pushing for the win. Race 1 was a hard race because I lost the front a few times. I just tried to follow him and then win the race. In Sunday’s two races, the pace was incredible. We improved the bike and I felt more grip, but turning was the same. I’m just fighting for the wins, and everyone enjoyed it. After Phillip Island, we are coming back very strongly and showed everyone we’re here,” Razgatlioglu stated.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.195s
3. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.512s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +6.617s
5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.478s

Championship Points

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 111 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 82
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 60
4. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 59
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) 56

WorldSSP Race 2

The final event of the FIM Supersport World Championship’s Portimao weekend jumped off the line at lights out. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) became the fourth different race winner in four races to claim his first win in any championship since his Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup win in 2015 at Misano.

Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) had enjoyed a dominant weekend up to this point, winning Race 1 from pole and leading Race 2 until Lap 9, when the Turkish rider crashed and opened the fight for the race win to a pack of condensed riders who had struggled to catch him prior to the crash.

Tailing Bendsneyder into the podium spots was Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing #69), with Manzi securing his 13th consecutive podium and Booth-Amos claiming his fourth WorldSSP rostrum.

Bendsneyder was the only rider who was able to keep up with the Yamaha R9s in the podium fight in Race 1, and after dropping to P5 from his P3 start, he surged all the way up the grid, eventually taking P1 from Manzi, clinging on to win his first race in WorldSSP.

Manzi, Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) and Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura #51) spent much of the race tightly grouped as the trio tried to cut away at the front that Oncu had carved out for himself, leading to a battle which sprung to life after the #61’s crash.

Aside from Bendsneyder’s pass, pushing him down to P2, Manzi held off the rest of the pack behind him to take home his fourth podium of the 2025 season, maintaining his lead in the Riders’ Championship. Booth-Amos chipped away at the leading group from his starting position behind them in P6, eventually whittling away at the margin to pass Mahias on Lap 12.

Mahias spent the majority of the race in P3, hunting Manzi, then after Oncu’s crash, P2, narrowly missing out on what would be his first podium appearance of 2025. His P4 finish places him P4 in the Championship after Portimao. Fellow Frenchman Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse #53) was the top performing Ducati on the day, charging up the grid from a P11 start to bank fifth.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

1. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +2.348s
3. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +3.443s
4. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +3.684s
5. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) +3.900s

Championship Points

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 85 points
2. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) 72
3. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 70
4. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) 43
5. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) 36

How Did the Aussies Do?

Kicking off his Portimao with a pair of tenths on the Saturday in the Tissot Superpole and the opening race, this was a promising beginning to the second stop on the calendar for Remy Gardner.

Wanting more on the Sunday, it frustratingly was a day full of ups and downs, for he bagged a respectable 10th in the Superpole Race, which was followed by a fall in Race 2.

Stepping in for the injured Jonathan Rea in WorldSBK, Jason O’Halloran made strong progress across the weekend, with his best effort being a 17th in Race 1.

It was also a challenging one for Oli Bayliss in World Supersport, as he battled to find grip and comfort throughout on his way to bagging 17th in Race 1 before crashing in the second race when on track for bagging a decent points haul.

For the full WorldSBK Round One results in all classes for all days, click here...

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