WorldSBK 2025 Round 11 Report | Toprak & Bulega split it, Thompson Takes a Win!

Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega split the honours at the Estoril Round of WorldSBK in Portugal. WorldSBK now travels to Jerez for the final round of the season next weekend with the Riders’ Championship still to be decided. Report: Ed Stratmann/WorldSBK

Friday practice
WorldSBK

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) set the pace on Friday at the Circuito Estoril in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as he looked to claw back valuable points on rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). The #11 was the only rider in the 1’35s bracket, while ‘El Turco’ showed some impressive speed during the afternoon session.

Read our previous WorldSBK reports here…

WorldSSP

The 2025 FIM Supersport World Championship season got off and running in their penultimate round at the Circuito Estoril as the grid was set for Saturday’s Race 1 with the conclusion of their Tissot Superpole Race. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team #61) was the fastest on Friday to kick off the EICMA Estoril Round, taking his fourth pole of the season. Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team #76) gave him a late run for his money, but he finished behind Oncu in P2. Rounding out the front row, Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse #53) took P3 for his third front-row start of 2025.

Saturday
WorldSBK

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was virtually unbeatable in the Tissot Superpole session at the Circuito Estoril after setting an incredible 1’34.203s to claim pole for the EICMA Estoril Round. ‘El Turco’ was a second quicker than his own FP3 lap record and more than a second faster than the 2022 pole lap record, as he beat title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to P1 in Portugal.

WorldSBK Race 1

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed a hard-fought Race 1 win at Estoril after dropping to fifth on the opening lap and charging back to the front. The victory allowed him to gain five points on title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who finished second in a red-flagged encounter during the EICMA Estoril Round.

The race was red-flagged following a Turn 1 incident involving Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team #47), who crashed and triggered a pile-up. Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC #49), Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team #99) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team #60) also went down, while Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action #95) took a hit but stayed upright. All five riders restarted from their original grid positions for a 20-lap race.

At the restart, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19) jumped from third to first, ahead of Bulega, while Razgatlioglu dropped to P5. He quickly passed both Jonathan Rea (#65) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha #55) to move into third, then overtook Bulega and Bautista to take the lead by Lap 3. Despite pressure from Bulega mid-race, Razgatlioglu – running the SC1 front tyre after the red flag – responded and controlled the final laps to take his 20th win of the season. Bulega claimed his 51st career podium in second.

Bautista and Rea fought over third in the early stages, with Rea looking faster but unable to make a move stick. A mistake from Rea on Lap 8 gave Bautista breathing room, though the Kawasaki rider closed the gap again. On Lap 12, Rea attacked after another Bautista error, but Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team #22) joined the fight and passed Rea on Lap 15. Locatelli then followed through, pushing Rea to sixth. On Lap 16, Locatelli overtook Lowes for P4, with Lowes finishing fifth and Rea sixth. Bautista held on to take his 16th podium of the year.

“I’m very happy, but I was pushing so hard in the race, especially in the beginning. I felt like everything was good, but in the middle, Nicolo started catching me. I always accepted that Ducati has more grip in hot conditions. When he started catching me, I said I was ready to fight,” Razgatlioglu stated.

WorldSBK Race 1 Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.948s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +14.729s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +16.563s
5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +17.044s

WorldSSP Race 1

Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) continued his red-hot form at the EICMA Estoril Round, claiming his second career WorldSSP victory with a commanding Race 1 performance. The Frenchman outpaced both title contenders in a strategic ride that saw him steadily pull away from the lead battle.

Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) launched from pole and grabbed the holeshot, leading the opening lap. But by Lap 2, title rival Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing #62) had stormed from 13th to P5.

As the race unfolded, Oncu and Manzi battled intensely for P2, allowing Debise to stretch his lead. The Renzi Corse rider maintained a consistent pace and built a gap of nearly half a second to secure the win, while Manzi edged Oncu for second.

The result extended Manzi’s championship lead to 64 points, putting him on the verge of securing the WorldSSP title in Race 2 – so long as he didn’t lose more than 14 points to Oncu.

Behind the podium fight, Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team #65) ran strong early but slipped back to P5 by Lap 8. He recovered his rhythm and brought it home in P4. Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA #94) held station in P5, unable to close the small gap to the lead group despite running a consistent pace.

With Manzi in control of the title race and Debise delivering back-to-back wins, all eyes turned to Race 2, where the championship could be decided.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results

1. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.440s
3. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +0.814s
4. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +2.616s
5. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +2.667s

Sunday
Superpole Race

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took a major step toward the 2025 WorldSBK title with a second victory at the EICMA Estoril Round, his 21st win of the season. Holding off title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in a tense 10-lap Superpole Race, Toprak extended his championship lead by three points.

Bulega made the strongest start, taking the holeshot ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Razgatlioglu. The BMW rider quickly passed Bautista and took the lead from Bulega at Turn 1 on Lap 2. The pair swapped positions multiple times in a thrilling sequence through Turns 6 to 9, but Razgatlioglu held firm and began to pull away. Although Bulega applied pressure late in the race, Toprak managed the gap and claimed another crucial victory.

Bautista completed the podium in P3 after an early scrap with Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha), who was running P5 before crashing at Turn 7 on Lap 5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) capitalised, passing Rea and holding off a charging Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven #29) to secure fourth. Iannone had to settle for fifth after slicing through the field once again.

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team #87) claimed P6 after fending off Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC), who gambled on the SCQ tyre.

With momentum on his side, Razgatlioglu entered Race 2 with the title in reach, needing one final push to seal another WorldSBK crown.

Superpole Race Results

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.545s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.942s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +10.060s
5. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) +10.122s

WorldSBK Race 2

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a crucial Race 2 win at Estoril, his 17th WorldSBK victory, to keep the 2025 title fight alive. The #11 held off Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who finished second, ensuring the championship will be decided at the final round in Jerez.

As in the previous races, Razgatlioglu lost ground at the start, dropping to fifth behind Bulega, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). He moved past Bautista early on and overtook Iannone – who was handed a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start – before passing Locatelli at Turn 9 to take second by Lap 3.

At that point, Bulega had a 1.4-second advantage. The pair traded rapid lap times over the next few, but Bulega began to edge away, stretching the gap to 1.5 seconds by Lap 7 and over two seconds at halfway. Though Razgatlioglu kept the pressure on, Bulega controlled the pace to take the win and delay Toprak’s title celebrations.

The fight for third was intense, with Bautista under pressure early in the race. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) muscled past Locatelli to challenge for a podium, but Bautista held firm. The reigning Champion claimed his third P3 finish of the weekend, moving into third in the overall standings. Bulega’s win, combined with Bautista’s podium, also secured the 2025 Teams’ Championship for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati. Lowes finished fourth, losing time in the final laps, while Locatelli rounded out the top five.

With one round remaining, the title showdown between Bulega and Razgatlioglu is set for a dramatic conclusion in Jerez.

“It was a very good race in Race 2. We improved the bike a lot from the Superpole Race in the morning. I’m happy because this win is important. I know the Championship looks very difficult, but we’ll never give up. Toprak has been strong all season, but we’ve also had a very strong season. We will give Jerez our 200%. The only things I can do now are do my best and put pressure on Toprak,” Bulega said.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +4.868s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +15.331s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +17.333s
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +20.567s

Championship Points

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 580 points
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 541
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 292
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) 284
5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 284

WorldSSP Race 2

With the round-closing Race 2 of the EICMA Estoril Round, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) was crowned the 2025 FIM Supersport World Champion. The Italian claimed his title at the Circuito Estoril with force, as he won the race by a large margin. The #62 was followed onto the podium by Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) in second and rookie Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team #52) in third.

Oncu shot off the line, followed into the first corner by Roberto Garcia (GMT94-YAMAHA #37) and Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse), with Manzi lying in wait behind the Ducati rider. The trio was joined in the fight for P1 at times by Roberto Garcia (GMT94-YAMAHA) and Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team), however, none had the pace to match Manzi, as one by one, his competitors dropped off.

Emphatically, Manzi won his first WorldSSP Riders’ Championship by a margin of more than two seconds. Oettl weathered the storm of riders dropping off ahead of him to land his second podium of the year. Alcoba tailed the pair across the line from his P25 start position. His recovery ride to P3 marks the lowest-ever starting position for a podium finisher in a WorldSSP race.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
2. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +2.599s
3. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) +2.574s
4. Roberto García (GMT94 Yamaha) +3.944s
5. Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +4.432s

Championship Points

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 425 points
2. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) 343
3. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) 233
4. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) 227
5. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) 185

WorldSSP300
WorldSSP300 Race 1

Racing action at the first day of the EICMA Estoril Round was closed out on Saturday with the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship’s Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300 #91) taking his fifth career win in the category.

Teammates Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki #50) and Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki #71) both made dramatic late moves to get onto the podium ahead of the title leader Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove #7). #50’s P2 spelled a fifth podium of the season for Thompson and a tenth career podium for his #71 Dutch teammate.

WorldSSP300 Race 1 Results

1. Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300)
2. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) +0.304s
3. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.336s
4. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.360s
5. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.517s

WorldSSP300 Race 2

It was an electric afternoon in Estoril on Sunday as the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship field closed out the EICMA Estoril Round weekend. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) topped the rostrum with his third win in the Championship. Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove) chased him across the line as he scored his fifth podium of the season in P2, and Daniel Mogeda (Pons Motosport Italika Racing), who landed his sixth career podium, will ride to Jerez with an Estoril Race 2 podium in his back pocket.

With a win ahead of the #7 directly behind him, the Australian cut his title deficit to 10 points, now sitting five points closer behind Fernandez, who maintains his Championship lead. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) missed the podium in P4, meaning his deficit to P1 increased to 22 points. While the gap is not insurmountable, with one round left, all eyes are now on Jerez.

WorldSSP300 Race 2 Results

1. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki)
2. Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.010s
3. Daniel Mogeda (Pons Motosport Italika Racing) +0.036s
4. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.041s
5. Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI) +0.111s

Championship Points

1. Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove) 205
2. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) 195
3. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) 183
4. Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300) 159
5. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) 145

How did the Aussies Do?

Remy Gardner kicked off his Estoril weekend with a strong P7 in qualifying and followed it up with a solid ninth in Race 1 before delivering consistent performances on Sunday to claim sixth in the Superpole Race and seventh in Race 2. Oli Bayliss (#32) backed up a promising P12 qualifying with a gritty ride to P13, overcoming a tough start to swiftly surge through the field. He then produced another commendable effort to grab 12th in the second bout. Carter Thompson won race two of the 300s!