The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship hit the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and it was a wild ride on motorsport’s most famous rollercoaster. There were three epic duels between Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with the biggest margin between the pair just two tenths. Elsewhere, rivalries ignited, and milestones were matched and then beaten during a historic Pirelli Portuguese Round.

FRIDAY’S ACTION: Razgatlioglu misses FP1, tops FP2; Oncu’s first pole and WorldSSP300 returns

The weekend got off to a terrible start for reigning Champion Razgatlioglu, with the #1 forced to sit out of Free Practice 1 due to a technical gremlin on his M 1000 RR machine. It didn’t impact him across the weekend as he obliterated the lap record and in Tissot Superpole and claimed a treble, but it’s not an ideal way to start a weekend. WorldSSP was back in action as Turkish star Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) claimed a maiden pole in the Championship, while it was also the start of the 2025 season for WorldSSP300 and rookie Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) stunned in Superpole to claim P1.

RIVALRIES RAMP UP: a war of words between Bautista and Redding, Vickers crashes at Turn 9

The day started with a big crash for Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) over the crest and heading into Turn 9, with the Brit’s bike getting a huge wobble on and the #17 unable to keep it under control, eventually highsiding off his machine; thankfully, he was okay bar a deep cut to his elbow. Razgatlioglu and Bulega had their first of many scraps at Portimao in Race 1, with just 0.067s separating the pair at the line, but behind, a rivalry was taken to a new level: after Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) collided at Turn 4 on Lap 1, each gave their view of the incident as the rhetoric went to a new level. In WorldSSP, Oncu converted pole into his first Yamaha victory while two-time Champion Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) started his WorldSSP300 campaign with a strategic victory.

TWO MORE THRILLING BATTLES: last lap fights the order of Sunday’s action

Sunday’s two races brought more of the same for Razgatlioglu and Bulega, with ‘El Turco’ beating ‘Bulegas’ in both races. In the 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race, the gap between the duo was just 0.055s as Razgatlioglu just denied one of his title rivals victory at the very end of the race. In Race 2, the pair battled hard again over the 11-lap restarted distance, including six changes of positions across just a couple of laps. Perhaps it was giving a glimpse of how a potential title fight will unfold in 2025… Looking at WorldSSP, Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) took his first win in any series in almost 10 years as Oncu crashed from the lead, while rookie Fernandez claimed victory in WorldSSP300 after a chaotic last lap.

NEXT UP: the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ as WorldSBK heads north!

Just a couple of weeks after the thrills of Portimao, WorldSBK will be back in action as it heads to another iconic venue. This time, the TT Circuit Assen. Nicknamed the ‘Cathedral of Speed’, the circuit is historic across two-wheeled motorsport and is always good value for a shock – who could forget Nicholas Spinelli’s victory in Race 1 last year? Expect more close racing in the Netherlands as Razgatlioglu looks to overturn a 29-point deficit after kickstarting his title challenge properly at Portimao.

DON’T MISS OUT! Get your tickets for the Pirelli Dutch Round right HERE!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The Pirelli Portuguese Round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is done and dusted, and after a triumphant return to the ‘Rollercoaster Round’, the Championship finds itself tied 3-3 in race wins for the first time since the 2022 season, when Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) started the season in the same fashion. Unlike in 2024, Razgatlioglu’s 2025 Portimao hat-trick was hotly contested, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) making ‘El Turco’ work for every point as each race he nipped at the heels of the Turkish rider, overtaking him repeatedly only for the #1 to reassert his presence in P1.

“I tried everything, my pockets are empty” – Bulega exasperated after a trio of P2s despite great pace

Bulega was woken up from his dream weekend in Australia by a drastically more competitive Toprak than what we saw at Phillip Island. ‘Bulegas’ was tearing around the track all weekend; while he was the only rider who was able to keep up with the #1, just 0.317s separating them across all three races if you add up each gap the #11 was behind. Bulega showed signs of frustration throughout the weekend at his inability to defeat the defending Champion, however he maintained a positive outlook.

Bulega reflected on his weekend, saying: “Honestly, I tried everything, but three times second is not so bad, but my pockets are empty, I played all my cards, I can’t do any more than what it did. I’m still happy because normally this is a Toprak track, he’s always very strong here in Portimao, I think it’s his favourite track, so for me to battle with him here at his favourite track is good, it means we are making steps forward. This is good for me and the rest of the championship.”

“I was able to do good laps times, but they were able to go even faster” – Bautista recounts his Sunday on the track

So far this season Bautista has struggled to match the pace of Razgatlioglu and Bulega in their battles for P1, he still has been very fast, but in closing the gap to the pair at the front, the Spanish two-time World Champion has struggled. Portimao has still been a positive set of results for Bautista, a pair of P3 podiums making up for a collision with Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) which sent the two riders back to the garage early in Race 1.

On his Sunday experience across the two races, Bautista was happy to have taken home two podiums, especially considering the recovery he needed to make in the Tissot Superpole Race from P9: “I think it was a very positive Sunday, in the Superpole Race we were able to recover a lot of positions, especially in the first few laps. I missed the laps yesterday so I needed to get used to the race pace again, but after that I could keep my pace and ride confidently, so it felt really nice to finish on the podium and have a good position for Race 2. In the afternoon, I started well and was able to stay with Toprak and Bulega and Toprak, but after a few laps, they were a bit faster than yesterday, so the pace I could keep was similar to their pace yesterday and I was just going to try to keep my position up until the red flag happened. After the red flag, I had a better feeling, less fuel is less weight on the bike, and I was riding a bit easier. I was able to do good laps times, but they were able to go even faster, so we were in the same position. We used a harder compound in the front, and we were still trying to discover how they work, we found some pros and cons in the data, so now we need to try to analyse that and improve for the future to find little things to be able to keep up with Bulega and Toprak.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) attended the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve on Sunday, joining his team for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action as he continues to recover from the injuries that he sustained in testing at Phillip Island. The #65 was on hand to see teammate Andrea Locatelli finish P5 in the Tissot Superpole Race and P4 in Race 2, after he finished third in Race 1. Speaking on Sunday, Rea provided an update on his recovery, Yamaha seemingly making a step and Locatelli’s performance.

ROAD TO RECOVERY: “Last week, I made a good step with my physical condition and also mentally”

Rea was injured in the Official Test at Phillip Island when he had a highside at Turn 2, the Southern Loop, and suffered multiple fractures to his left foot. He underwent surgery after returning home and has since been focusing on his recovery. Previously, Rea stated he’d be back on the back when he can give 100%, and he didn’t give an exact timeframe of when he’d be back in action when speaking at Portimao, but was able to provide a positive recovery update.

Discussing his injury recovery, the Ulsterman said: “My recovery’s going very well. Last week, I made a good step with my physical condition and also mentally. I’m in a good place now. I would say, for the injury I had which was a lot more severe than we first expected, I’m ahead of schedule. I’m working in a good way at home. Everything we’re doing is working well and next week we’ll speak with the consultant and the medical team back home to understand the next steps and see when I can return to racing.”

Expanding on the next steps, and whether he’d be back at Assen, Rea added: “I haven’t completely ruled it out but it’s probably against a lot of medical advice. It’s quite a severe injury and it takes time to recover. Assen’s just early. We’ll have that conversation this week. Thinking ahead, it’s just week by week. I’m not allowed to put weight through my foot right now, I can only mark it on my crutches. That means I need to be walking and functional, not put myself at risk when I return to racing. That’s at the forefront of our mind but I’m working like an animal at home to be in the best shape I can be, to get back to my bike, because I really miss it. I’ve been at home and thinking about not riding was tough. I’m treating every day like a work day and hopefully I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

YAMAHA’S DEVELOPMENT: “I haven’t tried this configuration, but it sure looks good from trackside”

Yamaha had a tricky 2024 campaign with no wins – their first winless campaign since 2017 – and only six podiums; down from 43 in 2023. Although they ended the season strong with Locatelli on the rostrum at Jerez, Phillip Island was tricky for the Japanese manufacturer with just four top-ten results; three from Locatelli and one from Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). At Portimao, Pata Maxus Yamaha Team Principal, Paul Denning, confirmed Yamaha’s superconcessions would be related to the frame as Yamaha look to return to the podium, and take wins, more frequently.

Talking about Yamaha’s behind the scenes work and development, Rea said: “The frame was one area we could improve on when I first rode the bike and now, I’m super proud and happy to see that they’re working hard to arrive with concession parts. They’re working all over the bike. I haven’t tried this configuration just now, but it sure looks good from trackside and the feedback from the other riders seems good. I don’t really know too many details about it but looking forward to trying it when I get back.”

He also spoke about Locatelli’s Race 1 third place and whether that was a reason for optimism, saying: “Not just that but I felt there was reason to be optimistic even at Phillip Island. All winter, I feel like I’ve been right at the front with race pace and feeling good with the bike. We hadn’t used the Superpole tyres. I think there’s some reason for optimism but still a lot of work to do. We need to be fighting right at the front; right now, Toprak and Nicolo seem to have that little bit of advantage over everybody. Step by step, we’re getting there, and the work ethic looks really good from the outside.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Having set the fastest lap of race one, Italian Marco Truoiolo took the holeshot from pole position, but by the end of the opening lap it was Teppei Kugawa who led the pack across the line despite having started 12^th on the grid.

Once again, almost the entire field was in the leading group for the nine-lap battle with the lead changing on almost a corner-by-corner basis. Race 1 winner Chris Clark also benefitted from a strong start to join the front of the group, taking the lead for the first time on the second lap of the race. Other leaders throughout the nine laps included Alessandro Di Persio (Italy), Arai Agaska (Indonesia) and Emmanule Pastore (Italy).

Di Persio was ruled out of replicating his Race 1 podium after taking avoiding action to avoid contact between two other riders at turn one on lap four.

In the closing stages, it was anyone’s race but Clark became a frequent leader in the second half of the battle. The USA rider looked set to repeat his Race 1 performance – confident enough to lead out of the final corner but it wasn’t quite enough this time as he lost several positions on the drag to the line to cross the line fourth.

Timed to perfection, Salles took the lead as the pack crossed the line to take his first victory of the season. Emmanuele Pastore crossed the line second, but with a time penalty for ignoring both a double long lap and subsequent ride through, he was relegated out of the points, promoting Teppei Kugawa to second place and Chris Clark back on the podium to take the series lead.

Arai Agaska finished fourth ahead of Kakeru Okunuki (Japan) and Aymon Bocanegra (Brazil) who completed the top six.

After round one, Clark leads the series from Salles by six points with Teppei Kugawa sitting third ahead of Round 2 at Misano in June.

Mario Salles Neto – Race Winner

“It was a very good race, to take first position in one of the first races of the year is a good way to start especially after pole position on Friday. I am very happy, thank you to my team! Now we look forward to Misano and hopefully we can fight for the top places again there.”

Source: WorldSBK.com

Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) weekend in Portimao was a solid performance from the Ducati Independent rider overall. #9 earned a pair of P4 finishes and avoided disaster to net a P6 to end the weekend on Sunday afternoon. Petrucci however wanted more from his trip to the rollercoaster round, lamenting having to go home without getting to taste the podium’s Prosecco after his Superpole Race P3 in Australia last round.

“When you are in P17 going into the first corner you know your life will be really tough.”: ‘Petrux’ on his Race 2 fracaso

In the afternoon, Petrucci looked to again be in a good position to fight for a Portimao podium, starting at the front of the second row in P4. Disaster struck at lights out when he had an issue with his bikes gear lever, botching his launch and leaving the #9 in P19 as he exited sector 1. Whatever the cause, ‘Petrux’ was able to string together overtake after overtake to right the ship with a P6 finish.

“We had a problem that we still don’t understand precisely, but when I pressed the lever to go to first gear it did not gear completely, which prevented the launch control from activating.” said Petrucci “Then when I released the clutch, it went into second immediately because I pressed it again, so let’s say half and half mistakes and technical problems. When you are in P17 going into the first corner you know your life will be really tough. I sincerely don’t know if the red flag helped us or if it hurt us. I was very close to van der Mark and Locatelli, then in the second race I was really busy with the other riders, fighting well with them but I was with a worn tire and the feeling was not very good. Sincerely, I’m a bit disappointed about this morning when I lost third place to Alvaro, then this afternoon with this mistake. To look at the positive, are third in the Championship, but no trophy for me this time, last year I went home with two, this time just the third place in the third row. I wish I could bring home a podium this weekend, but we’re third in the Championship and now we’re thinking about Assen.”

“I saw on my pit board +0.6s and I thought ok, still far, I can hold on, but 1 lap later he was in front of me.” Laughed Petrucci

Prior to Race 2, Sunday’s first race event, the Tissot Superpole Race looked to be a good opportunity for the Italian veteran to take home points, starting from P3, however an early move from Toprak, then a late overtake from Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) saw Petrucci miss out on the podium.

“I was really angry because I was able to do my strategy perfectly, I entered the corner at Toprak and I was second and I thought it was perfect because  I knew him and Nicolo could have been faster than me and they’d help me pull away, and it was like that, but in the last 3-4 laps I lost maybe less than half a second ahead of Alvaro and he caught me. It was crazy because I saw on my pit board +0.6s and I thought ok, still far, I can hold on, but 1 lap later he was in front of me. All the race I was dreaming about stepping on the podium again, but at the end they were faster. I would have liked to fight in Race 2, but at least I did a lot of overtakes, because yesterday I finished fourth with none and none this morning, but I think I did almost 20 between the two parts of the race. I was so angry, but I’m happy because I was able to fight my way through the other riders, but I would have liked to finish top 5.”

Catch Petrucci’s next time on track in the Pirelli Dutch Round April 11-13, tune in with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) continues to make history in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as he secured his 59^th and 60^th wins in the Championship after completing a hat-trick at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. He narrowly defeated Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in all three races, with his Sunday double at the Pirelli Portuguese Round enough to move him up Carl Fogarty in the all-time winners’ list.

SUPERPOLE RACE VICTORY: losing ground at the start, holding on for the win on the last lap

Razgatlioglu’s Tissot Superpole Race victory was very similar to his Race 1 win, where he and Bulega went nose-to-tail for almost the whole race. As in Saturday’s race, ‘El Turco’ fell down the order as the lights went out, although only to P3 compared to P7 in Race 1. He was soon back into second as he passed Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) at Turn 1 on Lap 2 and soon chased down Bulega in first, getting ahead of him on Lap 5 at Turn 3 to take the lead. He was unable to pull away from the #11 though, with Razgatlioglu having to withstand his pressure across the final lap, with just 0.055s separating the pair.

Discussing his Superpole Race win, the #1 stated: “For me, I love fighting. I never give up. The bike isn’t 100% but I’m only pushing for the win. Race 1 for me 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.”

HAT-TRICK HERO: a hard-fought Race 2 win

Race 2 was similar as the pair fought hard for the win in a red-flagged battle. In the restarted 11-lap duel, there was a period where the #1 and #11 swapped positions six times, with the overtakes happening at Turns 13 and 14, plus Turns 1 and 3, throughout. Razgatlioglu was able to hold on to take victory and his third of the weekend, plus his second consecutive hat-trick at the iconic Portuguese venue.

Hat-trick vs Bulega and Championship fight: “It’s very different to 2024 because I lost some parts on my bike. We’re fighting in every corner and some sectors he’s very strong, and in some I just tried to close the gap. I think the people really enjoyed it. I’ll keep fighting, we’ll see in the next races. In the first two races, he was very strong. I’m fighting here because it’s my favourite track, I’m always fast here, and we needed to win.”

PASSING FOGARTY: a 60^th win for the reigning Champion

His Superpole Race victory gave him his 59^th win in WorldSBK, putting him level with Carl Fogarty in third place in the all-time list for victories in WorldSBK. ‘Foggy’ was the benchmark throughout so many years after his incredible successful time in the Championship as he won four titles and claimed 59 victories, only exceeded by Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) with 119 and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with 63. In Race 2, he moved ahead of ‘Foggy’ with his 60^th win as he claimed a hat-trick at Portimao.

THE TEAM’S REACTION: “we’ve taken a lot of strength from what we’ve done this weekend”

BMW Team Principal Shaun Muir spoke shortly after the race on BMW’s weekend and how they feel after the round at Portimao. While there is much to be happy about between Toprak’s treble, van der Mark’s P5, and the setup is clearly being in a much better place than it was in Australia, Muir was concerned about the rounds to come. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, we’ve taken a lot of strength from what we’ve done this weekend, Michael was brilliant there to bring it home in fifth and we’re happy to see he’s in a good place again. We thought we could come here and we respect the opposition but this is a track we have more of an advantage but as you can clearly see, we have none against the Ducatis. It just means that over the course of the year this championship is going to be like that every single race, and where we don’t have a balanced setup, and we can’t do it then we’re gonna be struggling. This round, Donington and Most are ones that are in our favour if you get me, but they’re likely to win them all. I think it shows its going to be a really tough year for us.”

Next up in WorldSBK, Assen! Catch everything from the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ across 11^th-13 April using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

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) 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; earning his ninth win at this track, equalling 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.

TOPRAK HAT-TRICK: 60^th WorldSBK win surpassing King Carl Fogarty to sit third all-time

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 60^th WorldSBK win, now sitting 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, crossing the line 3.512s behind the #1 as he secured third place.

LOCATELLI CLOSES PORTIMAO ON A HIGH NOTE: P3, P5, P4 on the weekend

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. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) had an up and down ride in Race 2, starting the race well, before falling to P7. However, the Dutchman was able to recover to P5 for his best result of the season so far. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) started the first race in P4, however a poor jump at lights out saw him fall all the way out of the scoring positions. The red flag helped him out greatly, re-compacting the grid and allowing him to climb up to P6 to complete a great comeback for ‘Petrux’. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) again was the only Bimota rider of their pair to finish the race, taking his season’s best result of P7.

A STEP FOR LECUONA: P8 for the Spanish rider

Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) set a high-water mark for this season, finishing P8 in his return round after missing Australia due to injury. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) benefited from the restart, climbing from P12 to finish in P9. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) had another result to be proud of for the Italian rookie, Top 10 for the third time in six races in WorldSBK. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) finished P11, fighting up from P14 where he began the restarted race. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) showed glimpses of progress after the red flag, climbing from P17 to P12.

ROOKIES SOFUOGLU AND VICKERS SCORE POINTS: Sofuoglu P13, Vickers P14

Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) both took home points from Race 2, with the duo improving after the restart. Scott Redding had a technical issue before the red flag. He was able to take the restart from last on the grid and finished in P15,  to claim a point. Petronas MIE Honda riders Zaqhwan Zaidi and Tarran Mackenzie finished P16 and P17, Mackenzie crashing however was able to finish.

HEAVY HITTERS TAKE HOME 0 POINTS FROM RACE 2: Alex Lowes crashes after restart and Iannone retires

Tito Rabat (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) crashed on Lap 4 prior to the red flag. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) crashed out of the race at Turn 1 of Lap 5, spoiling a very strong start to the race where he led his fellow Honda HRC teammate Lecuona from P6 before his crash. Jason O’Halloran (Pata Maxus Yamaha) crashed in the same Turn 1 as Vierge. After the red flag restart, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed at Turn 12 of Lap 11 ending a difficult weekend for the British rider. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed on Turn 1 at Lap 10. Ducati Independent rider Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) enjoyed a quick start to his race, jumping from P12 to start up to P8. However he was applied a pair of long lap penalties due to a jump start which he failed to complete, earning him a ride-through penalty in the restarted race, retiring shortly after.

The top six from the WorldSBK Race 1: Full results here!

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
   6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +10.155s
   Fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu, BMW – 1’39.614s
   Championship standings:
   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
   6. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) 44

Catch the upcoming round of WorldSBK action from Assen action in  live or on demand with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) became the 36^th winner in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship after taking a stunning last-lap victory in Race 2 at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. The #7 beat compatriots Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) and Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI) by less than a tenth to cap off an incredible Pirelli Portuguese Round, his debut round in the Championship.

DECIDED ON THE RUN TO THE LINE: Fernandez takes the win, Buis crashes on final lap

Victory belonged to the sole Kove rider on the grid as Fernandez utilised the slipstream on the final lap to pip fellow Spanish star Garcia to give Kove their first win of the season, and their first since Garcia’s at Jerez last year. The #48 trailed Fernandez by just 0.018s across the line in a stunning race which featured nine riders within eight tenths across the line. Torres finished in third place as he completed the all-Spanish podium, with the #47 just 0.095s away from victory.

THOMPSON PIPS SALVADOR: a big fight for P4

Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) crossed the line in fourth ahead of David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) Salvador classified in fifth. Phillip Tonn (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) was sixth, but his last lap was not without drama, after he made contact with teammate Jeffrey Buis at Turn 1. That pushed the two-time Champion into Brazilian rider Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing), with both Buis and Maier sliding out of the race; the incident was investigated after the race by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards, with further action taken.

MULYA’S BEST RESULT, OSUNA’S COMEBACK: P7 and P9 for the duo respectively

Indonesia’s Felix Mulya (ProGP NitiRacing) improved on his Race 1 was result as he finished in seventh, only 0.259s down on the race win and finishing as the lead Yamaha rider. Elia Bartolini (Team BrCorse) trailed him by just a tenth, while Pepe Osuna (ZAPPAS-DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team) went from 28^th and last on the grid to P9 at the flag and only 0.747s away from what would have been a remarkable and unlikely victory. Home hero Tomas Alonso (Pons Motorsport Italika Racing) completed the top ten.

RETIRING FROM RACE 2: four more DNFs

The first retirements came on Lap 3 when Faerozi Toreqottullah (ProGP NitiRacing) collided with Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) at Turn 8, with the incident set to be investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards after the race. Gennai was taken to the medical centre for a check-up after the crash. On Lap 8, Emiliano Ercolani (Kawasaki GP Project) crashed at Turn 3, but he was able to re-join the race although did stop with a technical issue shortly after. Filip Novotny (Accolade Funds Smrz Racing BGR) was also a retirement at a similar time to Ercolani, but they weren’t connected.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Race 2, full results here:

1. Benat Fernández (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove)

2. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) +0.018s

3. Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI) +0.095s

4. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) +0.121s

5. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.133s

6. Phillip Tonn (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) +0.166s

Fastest lap: Julio Garcia, Kawasaki – 1’54.423s

Championship standings:

1. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) 40 points

2. Benat Fernández (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) 38

3. Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI) 32

4. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) 25

5. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) 23

6. Phillip Tonn (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) 18

Next up, Assen! Don’t miss any action from the Dutch Round in two weeks using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com