Category Archives: WSBK

World Superbike Championship

CAN IT GET ANY CLOSER? WorldSBK’s newest rivalry set to explode in 2025 as Razgatlioglu and Bulega lock horns

One hot topic heading into the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is who will challenge reigning Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) for this year’s crown. Last year, rookie sensation Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) pushed ‘El Turco’ all the way to the final round, so could this be the rivalry that once again defines WorldSBK? Or will other rivalries come to the fore in 2025?

RAZGATLIOGLU VS BULEGA’S 2024 STORY: a rookie takes on a Champion

Few would’ve predicted Bulega’s quick accession to a WorldSBK title contender. He claimed the 2023 WorldSSP title in style before moving straight into the factory Ducati team, alongside two-time Champion Alvaro Bautista. The #11 was a winner on debut and, although he didn’t win again until the French Round, Bulega was firmly in title contention – particularly with Razgatlioglu missing six races through injury. A technical issue at MotorLand Aragon was perhaps the moment his title hopes slipped away but he had done enough to take the fight to Jerez before Razgatlioglu turned his #54 plate back into a #1 plate.

BARCELONA, ARAGON, AND ESTORIL BATTLES: things heat up under the Iberian sun

It wasn’t too often that Razgatlioglu and Bulega were fighting on track in the middle of the season, partially thanks to Razgatlioglu’s dominant 13-race winning streak. Their first battle came in Barcelona when Razgatlioglu’s tyre management masterclass helped him overturn a four-second deficit to ‘Bulegas’ to claim a first BMW victory. The next fights were at MotorLand Aragon, when Razgatlioglu, Bulega and Bautista were all fighting for first place in Sunday’s two races. It was Spanish star Bautista who came out on top ahead of Razgatlioglu, with Bulega forced to settle for third in both races. Of course, there was also the Superpole Race at the Circuito Estoril. The battle raged on the final lap and out of the final corner, with Bulega just able to win by 0.003s – the closest finish in WorldSBK history.

2025 AWAITS: what will the new season bring for the Razgatlioglu-Bulega rivalry?

A new year brings a new campaign and new challenges, but one thing’s for sure: the rivalry between Razgatlioglu and Bulega is sure to hit new heights. Razgatlioglu has one more year of experience on the M 1000 RR, a combination that was formidable in 2024, while Bulega crucially has a year of WorldSBK experience in general under his belt. He’ll have more understanding of tyres and the Panigale V4 R machine he races with. Could that one year of experience allow Bulega to fight more with Razgatlioglu on track?

RAZGATLIOGLU’S THOUGHTS ON 2025: “My target is easy… I use the #1 again and my target is to win the title”

Speaking at Portimao, where Razgatlioglu was on the M 1000 RR for the first time in 2025 after missing the Jerez test through injury, the #1 said about 2025: “My target is easy because, in 2022, I used the #1 but it wasn’t a good season for me. Now I use the #1 again and my target is to win the title with the #1.” It’s a target he also stated at the BMW team launch in Berlin in January, while also discussing his target of winning at circuits he didn’t win at in 2024 such as Phillip Island.

BULEGA PREVIEWS 2025: “The level will be even higher than last year…”

Giving his thoughts on the upcoming campaign, and what he can learn from 2024, Bulega said at the Jerez test: “It’s a bit in general because when you don’t have experience, sometimes you can make a wrong decision with tyres, or setup or electronics. I think this year, with a bit more experience, I can start already from the Friday of a race weekend a bit better and won’t lose too much time. I think, in 2025, the level will be even higher than last year because last year, there were three or four riders always on the podium. This year, I think there can be some outsiders that you don’t expect to be fast but will be. I don’t know who but I’m sure someone will be at the front.”

CAN IT GET ANY CLOSER? Follow the Razgatlioglu-Bulega rivalry throughout 2025 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

PREVIEW: Busy final testing days in Australia for the WorldSBK grid after a rain-limited preseason

Poor weather conditions limited the running across first Jerez’s pair of testing days, and then similar dreary conditions affected riders’ ability to push their bikes at Portimao as well. It looks like Monday and Tuesday, the 17th and 18th of February and the final pre-season test days that will be held in Australia will finally provide the teams a chance to run their bikes unaffected by wet weather, providing a tremendous opportunity for the teams.

LOADING UP: The WorldSBK grid prepare for lights out for the 2025 season at Australia’s preseason testing

With Toprak Razgatlioglu back in action after his broken finger suffered during the offseason, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team are back to full strength after Michael van der Mark was the sole grid rider representing BMW at Jerez. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) is back on Ducati Machinery, and so far in this preseason, the change seems to be agreeing with him. Fellow Ducati-machinery independent riders will be joining Redding and the others on the track for testing, such as Andrea Iannone and 2024 Top Independent Rider Danilo Petrucci. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) has been similarly impressive throughout the albeit-limited preseason testing so far, even beating the returning Toprak Razgatlioglu for fastest lap in Portimao’s Day 2, and Ducati-independent rookie, Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) will begoing to his first WorldSBK trip to Australia in his career so far. For the new manufacturer Bimota, Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani have impressed many around the paddock with how competitive they and their brand new Bimota KB998 Rimini have been so far in testing. Marcel Duinker, Bassani’s Crew Chief spoke at Bimota’s team launch event and praised Bassani for his improvement in his Tissot Superpole times on the SCQ tire.

Remy Gardner’s (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) preseason has been fast so far as well, and now ahead of his third WorldSBK season, the Australian rider will hope to start his season strong on home soil. Teammate Dominique Aegerter stated that after Portimao’s testing, he was still feeling pain in his shoulder, which still had a metal plate reinforcing it after a bad mountain bike crash in August 2024. He has since had the plate removed in early February 2025 and is looking forward to racing pain-free. Joining them in blue, Six-time Rider’s Champion Jonathan Rea and his Pata Maxus Yamaha team’s work this offseason looks to be paying off so far from what we’ve seen so far from this preseason. Rea is flanked by teammate Andrea Locatelli, who has been consistently fast throughout the preseason however Australia’s two day of testing may provide him an opportunity to make progress on his setup. Rookie Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) suffered a crash at Portimao Day 2, requiring him to go to a local hospital with what is suspected to be a collarbone injury.

Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) has seemingly adapted quickly to his team’s ZX-10RR Ninja after his move from BONOVO Action BMW to Kawasaki this offseason. He consistently placed well throughout the preseason testing days so far, and perhaps dry weather in Australia’s testing days will allow the Texan to show his true potential with the bike, which in his words, will be “fighting at the front”. One of the preseason’s surprises this year has been Team HRC’s fast pace in testing so far. Xavi Vierge has consistently been in the top 10 positions throughout the various testing days, and Iker Lecuona registered a P7 despite still recovering from his broken rib suffered this offseason. The pair of Spanish Team HRC riders will hope to continue to settle in atop their bikes with the final preseason testing days and continue to acclimate to their bike’s new Ohlins suspension.

ROOKIE WATCH: WorldSBK’s group of rookies look ahead to their first WorldSBK trip to Australia

While he technically made his WorldSBK debut back in 2022 with his appearance at the MOTUL Czech Round, Ryan Vickers is one of the grid’s four rookies this year. He looked fast at testing in Portimao, however rainy conditions across Portimao and Jerez have left many guessing as to how he will fare this year. In the offseason, Barni Spark Racing Team expanded to add a new rider in the form of fellow Italian and WorldSBK rookie, Yari Montella. Montella has looked competitive so far, placing  P3 in Jerez’s rainy Day 1. Lastly but not least, Zaqhwan Zaidi joined PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team this offseason and will partake in his first preseason testing event on Monday 17th in Australia

SUPERSPORT’S STACKED LINEUP: WorldSSP looks forward to getting their season underway at Phillip Island as well

The FIM Supersport World Championship will be preparing for their own season start just hours before the WorldSBK grid take to the track, and riders like last year’s runner up Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), Debise Valentin (Renzi Corse), Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) and veteran Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME air racing) are raring to get the racing season underway. The WorldSSP grid is further supplemented by big names from other Championships such as: Phillip Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) and Michael Rinaldi (GMT94-YAMAHA) are joining the WorldSSP grid from WorldSBK, and Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) and Aldi Mahendra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) are joining from Moto2™ and WorldSupersport300, respectively.

Be sure to catch every moment of Australia’s subsequent FP1, FP2, Superpole session, lights out on Race 1 and the rest of the 2025 season from there with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

SCHEDULE: Times announced for the final preseason testing events at Phillip Island!

The 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign is right around the corner and riders are raring for lights out! The final two days of preseason testing will be held just days before Round 1’s race weekend at Australia’s Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. These testing days in particular will be an important opportunity for the teams to continue to test new parts and build confidence with their packages especially as the SBK Commission have introduced new regulations for this season, and the prior testing windows at Jerez and Portimao were limited by rainy weather conditions. The testing will follow the same two-day format and will be held on Monday and Tuesday ahead of Friday morning’s Free Practice 1. For World Supersport riders, testing will begin at 9:10 a.m. (local time GMT +11) and run for just shy of two hours until 11 a.m. For WorldSBK riders, testing starts shortly after, beginning at 11:10 a.m. and running until 13:10. After a short lunch break, testing will resume for the same hour and 50-minute blocks, with WorldSSP starting at 13:40, and WorldSBK starting at 15:40. Tuesday will follow the same format and times, however WorldSBK and WorldSSP will swap times, meaning WorldSBK testing will take place in the earlier windows which WorldSSP tested during on Monday.

CAN IT GET ANY CLOSER? Follow the 2025 season with unparalleled access to WorldSBK, WorldSSP, WorldSSP300, and WorldWCR with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Monday, 17th February (all times Local Time (GMT+11))

09:10-11:00 – WorldSSP Free Practice 1

11:10-13:10 – WorldSBK Free Practice 1

13:40-15:30 – WorldSSP Free Practice 2

15:40-17:40 – WorldSBK Free Practice 2

Tuesday, 18th February

09:10-11:10 – WorldSBK Free Practice 1

11:20-13:10 – WorldSSP Free Practice 1

13:40-15:40 – WorldSBK Free Practice 2

15:50-17:40 – WorldSSP Free Practice 2

Source: WorldSBK.com

THE GARAGE: A lively new way to experience the 2025 WorldSBK paddock in style

The 2025 season is bringing to you a brand-new way to experience the action and excitement inside the WorldSBK paddock. The Garage is a lively lounge situated in the heart of the paddock from which you can enjoy the races, celebrations, and dynamic race-day activities throughout race day. Enjoy fully customized food and drink packages while socializing, watching races, or just taking in the circuit atmosphere with full day hospitality from 9am to 5pm, live TV coverage of all the racing action, and SBK™ hostesses to assist you and you guests throughout your experience.

The package includes exclusive bonuses like reserved parking, a Paddock Pass, a SBK™ Garage Pass, and an exclusive Pit Lane walk. After the race action, enjoy exclusive access to the riders’ jubilant celebrations on the Pac Ferme Terrace, a podium photo op, a fast track through the Paddock Show for rider autograph sessions, and exclusive access to the podium celebrations from a reserved area!

Enjoy all of this and more including a 10% discount on all SBK™ official merchandise at every European race weekend beginning with Round 2’s Pirelli Portuguese Round on the 28th-30th of March through the final Pirelli Spanish Round held 17th-19th of October. Take advantage of the most inclusive paddock access on offer and book your Garage Pass here!

Source: WorldSBK.com

CAN IT GET ANY CLOSER? Rea and Bautista look to bounce back from difficult 2024 campaigns in 2025…

With the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship getting closer, all eyes are on two riders to see whether they can bounce back from a challenging campaign last year. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was a race winner and finished third in 2024 but he was unable to hit the heights of 2022 and 2023, while Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) struggled in his first season with Yamaha despite one pole and one podium, and now the question is whether the pair will be able to make steps in 2025 to fight where they traditionally have been throughout their careers.

BAUTISTA’S STORY: from two titles to a struggle in 2024…

Spanish rider Bautista was running the #1 plate last year, but it was teammate Nicolo Bulega who put up Ducati’s title challenge. A year of disappointing Tissot Superpole results put the two-time Champion on the back foot and, despite often fighting his way to a podium or into victory contention, the damage had been done for Bautista. In the end, he had to settle for third in the standings and just four wins: down from 27 the season before, and 16 in 2022. It was a remarkable downturn in success for someone who had got used to winning, but 2025 brings another chance for the #19 to fight for the title.

HOW DID HIS WINTER TEST GO? Fast but a crash…

Bautista’s testing seemed to be going okay until Day 2 at Portimao, when he crashed his Panigale V4 R machine on Day 2. He returned to the track later on for a few installation laps but any meaningful running was over. On Day 1 at Jerez, Bautista secured eighth place while he didn’t test in the wet on Day 2. At Portimao on Day 1 in the dry, the Spaniard claimed 12th place before his crash in the wet on the final day of European testing.

“More riders are competitive, more bikes are fast…” – Bautista’s expectations for 2025

Speaking on Day 1 at Jerez, Bautista said: “I’m smiling because I feel much better than the start of last season. Fortunately, this winter, I could train with my normal situation without injuries. For races, we’ll see, and it’ll be a big challenge. More riders are competitive, more bikes are fast and 2025 will be even more difficult than 2024. We’re working well and I feel good. I feel motivated for this season to try and recover the good feeling, to try to fight for victories and for the Championship”. However, his optimism was tempered a bit when he spoke after his Portimao testing crash.

REA’S 2024 CAMPAIGN: just one podium…

Rea made the shock switch to Yamaha for last season after enjoying so much success with Kawasaki previously, but he was unable to replicate that on the Yamaha R1. Despite showing pace throughout the winter testing campaign, the #65 celebrated only one rostrum finish – in the Tissot Superpole Race at Donington Park – and one pole position in the wet at Assen. While he was closer to the front as the season progressed, and his race pace was generally decent, the six-time Champion would’ve been hoping for more despite a flurry of top-ten finishes coming in the final couple of rounds.

REA’S TESTING PROGRAMME: new crew chief for 2025

Rea is working with a new crew chief for the 2025 season, with Uri Pallares stepping into the role previously occupied by Andrew Pitt. That’s been one change Rea has had to work with over the winter but he’s also looked fast again on the Yamaha R1, finishing fifth on Day 1 at Portimao – and only half-a-second down on the fastest time, while he topped Day 2 at Jerez in the wet as he reminded everyone of his prowess in the rain.

REA’S THOUGHTS ON 2025: “The goal is to be a lot more competitive than we were last year…”

Looking ahead to his 2025 campaign, Ulsterman Rea said: “My motivation is really positive. Last year was a shock at the lack of competitiveness for both me and the bike. The team’s reacted in a really positive way. You can choose to hope things get better or you can choose to dig in and work, and we’ve both chosen the latter with the new parts and the way we’ve worked through the off-season, it’s optimistic. We still need to put everything together and it’s just testing, but there are signs that things are more positive than last year. The feeling on the bike is a little bit better. I’m starting to feel like I can take liberties with it as I’m starting to trust the bike more. Working relationships in the team are solid. There are reasons to be optimistic, but we still need to go out and do the job. The Championship’s still competitive with many fast riders and the goal is just to be a lot more competitive than we were last year.”

CAN IT GET ANY CLOSER? Discover whether Bautista and Rea can put themselves back in the mix using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Who will win the 2025 WorldSSP title? – Contenders to look out for

Phillip Island will play host to the first battle in what’s sure to be an explosive 2025 World Supersport season, with former champions across several different competitions up and down the lineup. Defending champion Adrian Huertas has made the move to Moto2™ and now 2025 will feature a talented cadre of World Supersport riders all vying for the crown.

BACK WITH A VENGENCE: Manzi and other big names shooting for the 2025 title

Of the riders who competed last season in WorldSSP, few would leave 2024’s runner-up out of the 2025 title conversation, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing). While Manzi led the grid in podiums with 19, including five wins and ten second place finishes, Huertas’ six-win consecutive run midseason proved to be too much for Manzi to overcome despite a red-hot three win run to close the season. In 2025, Manzi will look to finally get over the hump and win the WorldSSP title after finishing as the runner-up two years running.

Finishing fifth in the Riders’ Championship, if Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) can put together a similar season as last year while taking a slight step forward, he can be a dangerous title contender. He was featured on the rostrum four times thanks to his red-hot start to the 2024 season, earning second-place finishes in Race 2’s at both Phillip Island and Catalunya, and third place finishes in Race 1’s at the same circuits. The question around the track will be whether he can replicate or improve on this result on his new Ducati setup, if so, he will prove a formidable contender.

Also new to Ducati machinery will be Dutch rider Glenn van Straalen, (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team) who last year rode on a Yamaha and despite a handful of DNF’s in the second half of the year, finished eighth in the Championship standings on the back of among other strong results, a win at Assen in Race 2. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME air racing) will feature in 2025, his ninth season in the competition, earning 42 podiums across those years. His best finish in the rider’s championship was a runner-up finish in 2019, however he has been consistently around the podium, having finished fifth three times, and fourth in 2023. Another rider who may turn heads in 2025 might be fellow Dutchman Bo Bendsneyder, (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) he made his WorldSSP debut in 2024, earning a third-place podium in the final race of the season, and just his fourth appearance in the championship. Prior to this season, he was racing with Moto2™ since 2018, from 2021 on as a part of Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team.

TALENTED NEWCOMERS: The WorldSSP grid is getting talented reinforcements to what is already a star-studded paddock.

After three years in WorldSBK, from 2022 and 2023 on a Ducati and 2024 on a Yamaha, Phillip Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) is back to WorldSSP where he will hope to pick up where he left off in 2020 and 2021, finishing third and fifth respectively. He will be competing with Feel Racing WorldSSP Team on their Ducati bike, the manufacturer with which he saw his most successful year in 2022’s WorldSBK campaign. His return to WorldSSP will shake up the grid as while Oettl stood out with the talent he displayed in 2020 and 2021, three years in a different championship and a different manufacturer will provide unique challenges to the German rider, however the team formerly known as Aruba.it Racing- Ducati are the 2x defending WorldSSP Champions after propelling Nicolo Bulega in ’23 and Adrian Huertas to Riders’ Championships, so Oettl will have a high-caliber team around him.

Oettl is not alone in his change from WorldSBK to WorldSSP, Michael Rinaldi (GMT94-YAMAHA) moving to the World Supersport Championship will make his WorldSSP debut after seven seasons in WorldSBK. 2021-2023 were his best years in the competition, winning 20 podiums across that period. The Italian rider and Rimini native will look to showcase his talent he showed those years and earlier, in 2017’s Superstock 1000 when he won the title.

Not all of WorldSSP’s new blood comes from WorldSBK, however, two of our rookies come from other competitions. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) is arriving from Moto2™ and Aldi Mahendra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) is ascending to WorldSSP as the WorldSSP 300 defending Riders’ Champion. Masia distinguished himself by winning the 2023 Moto3™ World Championship and raced for a season in Moto2™. Mahendra, for his part, broke onto the scene when he placed second in the FIM Yamaha BLU CRU World Cup, earning a spot on the 2024 WorldSSP 300 grid, going on to win eight podiums and later the Riders’ Championship of that category.

Follow these riders and their storylines with unbridled access and inside-the-paddock footage with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

CAN IT GET ANY CLOSER? Bimota return to WorldSBK… will Alex Lowes and Bassani be in the hunt in 2025?

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship welcomes back Bimota to competition in 2025 after their collaboration with Kawasaki was announced, following the takeover by the Japanese company in 2019. It’s been a work in progress project for a while just to get to this point but now it is reality for Bimota, teaming up with Provec Racing who successfully ran the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK outfit to multiple titles and race wins. Despite all the changes with the team and bike, two riders remain in place: Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and teammate Axel Bassani will lead Bimota’s charge on their return.

STAYING THE SAME: Lowes and Bassani to lead the Bimota effort

Not much has stayed the same between 2024 and 2025 for Provec Racing, although the riders have. It means keeping some continuity in place despite the big changes to the bike. Lowes has been with Kawasaki since 2020 while Bassani joined the team for the 2024 season. While the #22 had one of his best seasons in 2024, it was a challenging campaign for ‘El Bocia’ as he adapted to the ZX-10RR. However, both have looked quick in testing despite different focuses, with Lowes looking at race pace and Bassani aiming to find gains on the SCQ tyre.

BIG CHANGES: introducing the KB998 Rimini

Bimota’s return means the introduction of a new bike with the KB998 being used by Lowes and Bassani in 2025 as they look for podiums and race wins. Named after the two manufacturers involved in the project – Kawasaki and Bimota – the capacity of the engine and Bimota’s base town in Italy, the bike has looked quick so far in testing at Jerez and Portimao. With such a successful team running the operation and two riders who have shown they can fight for wins and podiums in WorldSBK previously, what success will the KB998 Rimini have?

THE HISTORY OF BIMOTA: first-ever WorldSBK race winners

Bimota have a lot of history in World Superbike despite not competing in the Championship for long periods. They will always be down as the first-ever race winners in WorldSBK after Davide Tardozzi won the first race at Donington Park back in 1988. In total, they have 11 wins – the last of which came at Phillip Island in 2000 with Anthony Gobert – 22 podiums and four pole positions. What will be added to Bimota’s numbers in 2025?

FROM BIMOTA: “2025 can be a good season for us…”

The team launch for Bimota took place recently in Italy, at the team’s factory in Rimini, where key figures from both Kawasaki and Bimota gave their thoughts on the upcoming campaign. One of these was Bimota Chief Operating Officer Pierluigi Marconi, who provided more details about the project and what he believes a successful season would be for the Italian company ahead of their first year back in WorldSBK since 2014. Marconi also explained how the two manufacturers are working together, with chassis development in Europe and engine and electronic development in Japan.

Marconi said: “It seems unbelievable, but it’s become very easy to work. We’re both really professional. We know that we need the help of Kawasaki for many things, like engine, electronics, and suspension. They know we can do frame, body, aerodynamics… so we work together, without any discussion, really smoothly. This is unbelievable for everybody, but I need to say, it’s so easy to work together. 2025 for us is the first season and we have two beautiful riders, in Alex and Axel, they are really different, but both are really fast. I think 2025 can be a good season for us.”

THE TEAM’S VIEW: “if we can be a really important part of the show in our first year, I think this is the target”

Bimota by KRT Team Manager Guim Roda also spoke at the launch about his goals for the upcoming season, and the reason for continuity in the rider line-up, saying: “It was one of the first mandatories when considering this project. When you change a lot of variables, you never know which is the one failing. We considered that we already had a good working environment that was performing quite well. We knew with Bassani that 2024 was the year to learn, not only how the bike works, but also how the team worked. When we introduced the bike in the system, we were able to focus on the main point which is the bike, and this is our task this year. I think a successful year is mainly to be part of the show. Not to enjoy the show the others are giving, but be part of it, and make WorldSBK bigger. It means we need to stay there, fighting, be the actors of the podium. The final result is always difficult because there’s high level in the Championship with the riders, but if we can be a really important part of the show in our first year, I think this is the target.”

CAN IT GET ANY CLOSER? Follow Bimota’s comeback year throughout 2025 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

"Fight for the Riders’ World Title and bring it back to Borgo Panigale" – sights and sounds from the Factory Ducati Team Launch

 The Ducati Factory team pairing of Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista look to improve on what was despite coming up short in the Riders’ Championship, a very strong season. The two-time champion Alvaro Bautista, despite contending with minimum weight restrictions and some unfortunate finishes, ended the season in third place. Beside him, 2024’s runner up finisher Nicolo Bulega, who impressed many with the talent he displayed in just his first WorldSBK season. They will both race atop the Ducati Panigale V4R with their brand-new liveries featured in the photos above.

Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team Principal Stefano Cecconi spoke at the team launch event. He emphasized the progress the team still wants to make with their package after having a limited preseason up to this point due to the poor weather. Cecconi outlined his team’s goals in this upcoming season and stressed the importance of not underestimating their rivals.

“In 2024, we fought until the last race, and we know that the season about to begin will also offer us a challenge that is perhaps even tougher. However, we feel ready to face it at our best and with maximum motivation.” Said Cecconi “The weather we found during the winter tests did not allow us to measure ourselves against all our opponents and did not offer us much time to spend on the track, so it will be even more interesting to do so during the next official test days in Australia, where the work of adapting to the new technical regulations will also continue. I know the value of our riders and the guys in the team well, so all that remains is for me to wish them all the best of luck”.

Alvaro Bautista spoke at the event as well, the #19 excited to kick off his fifth season with Aruba.it Racing – Ducati. He referenced last season as being more difficult than expected, and that while expectations are higher this season, he is mentally and physically ready to continue fighting for the title at 40 years old and feels his team supporting him in that endeavor.

“I am very motivated for this season which will be my fifth with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, the fourth in a row.” Said Bautista “Last year was more difficult than expected, but we still got positive results, finishing third in the world championship standings. It’s clear that expectations are higher this season, and if I’ve decided to continue racing, it’s because I feel I’m still physically and mentally competitive. We will try to find a good feeling right away and have fun. I thank the Aruba Racing team and Ducati for their support and commitment. I will do everything possible to reciprocate this trust by obtaining excellent results”.

Nicolo Bulega, who won his first-ever WorldSBK race in Australia in Race 1, sounds confident ahead of his sophomore season, and especially confident about his chances in Phillip Island’s season opener. If he can improve aspects of his riding, Toprak Razgatlioglu and BMW will have a stiff challenge in front of them in accomplishing their shared goal of winning both the Riders’ and Manufacturers’ Title for their respective manufacturers.

“I am thrilled to start my second year with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team.” Said Bulega “I can say that I am very confident about what we did last season. 2024 has been very positive, and an excellent feeling has been created within the team. We start immediately in Australia, where last year I scored my first win on debut, so expectations are undoubtedly high. The first goal is to come home from Phillip Island with even better memories”.

Ducati Corse General Manager Luigi Dall’lgna was present at the event as well, and while he stressed the challenges of the season ahead of them, he reminded WorldSBK fans that Ducati won last year’s Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships. The Manufacturers’ title this year will be likely less of a challenge than the Teams’ or Riders’ Championship as there are more Ducati’s on the grid than any other manufacturer, however in any case, strong performances will be required of their riders in order to stave off numerically smaller teams.

“A new season is beginning in WorldSBK with the same goal as always for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team: to fight for the Riders’ World Title that we did not win last year and try to bring it back to Borgo Panigale.” Said Dall’lgna “This is our mission, and we will give everything to achieve the goal. It is a tough challenge, we are aware of the level of our rivals, but we know what to do, we have already demonstrated it in the past. We know perfectly the potential of our riders, Álvaro Bautista and Nicolò Bulega, who have been World Champions in several categories and who in 2024 fought for the World Championship until the end and were competitive in almost every race with the Panigale V4 R. We can’t wait to see Álvaro and Nicolò take to the track with the new liveries in the next tests in Australia and in the first race at Phillip Island, a truly special track. Let’s not forget the Team and Manufacturer World Titles that we won last year, let’s start from here and continue in this direction. I’m sure it will be a season full of emotions, we will have a lot of fun.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

CAN IT GET ANY CLOSER? New rules introduced for 2025 as fuel flow monitoring comes into effect

The 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is getting closer to the all-important start point and winter testing has been about refining packages and being in the best possible shape for Round 1. One aspect that will have been tested a lot is the fuel flow regulations, coming in for 2025 as part of a new ruleset, while other changes have been made to the rulebook to make this season one of the most exciting yet in WorldSBK.

FUEL FLOW REGULATIONS: everyone starts with the same, changes could come based on performance

All six manufacturers will race with 47kg per hour of fuel flow at the start of the 2025 campaign as per the new rules, with a tolerance of 2 grams per lap; there could be a penalty for exceeding this. A manufacturer who is 12 concession points clear of second place could see their fuel flow reduced by 0.5kg per hour at a concession checkpoint, which is every two rounds. It could go the other way, too: a manufacturer with concessions could opt to increase their fuel flow by 0.5kg per hour. As part of this rule, there will be no rev limits imposed by the FIM.

TYRE ALLOCATION: a reduction in available tyres

The number of tyres available in each round has been reduced for 2025, with 10 front and 11 rear available for the weekend to each rider.

TESTING CLARIFICATIONS AND CHANGES: half-day tests clarified; limits changed

The testing rules have been clarified by the FIM, particularly looking at the definition of a half-day test. It’s been defined in the rules as one consecutive four-hour testing block, or a five-hour testing block with a one-hour lunch break. The regulation concerning the number of days has also been amended, from 10 excluding Supported and Official Tests to 12 including Supported and Official Tests. Of course, teams with concessions receive an extra six days on top of this while there’s a new superconcession for this year: a manufacturer can opt for an additional six days on top of the extra days they receive, potentially bringing their total to 24 days including any Official or Supported Tests.

CONCESSION POINTS: a change in how they’re won and the Concession Token Performance Calculator

For 2025, there’s a change in how concession points are handed out. Previously, every rider would contribute to a manufacturer’s score. For this year, it will now be just the highest-placed rider from each manufacturer. A manufacturer which has 30 concession points fewer than the highest-scoring manufacturer will be analysed by the Concession Token Performance Calculator, potentially allowing for the introduction of concession or superconcession parts subject to reference performance calculations.

Check out the full rulebook for 2025 HERE!

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Source: WorldSBK.com

CAN IT GET ANY CLOSER? Honda aim for another step forward after ending 2024 on the podium

The 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign looks like it’s going to be one of the closest ever with six manufacturers all staking their claim this season. After Honda ended last season strongly, including taking a rostrum at Estoril with Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC), they will be hoping both the #7 and teammate Xavi Vierge can start the new campaign strongly. It’s been a big change over the winter for the Japanese manufacturer, with a new suspension supplier coming in, as Honda looks for a positive start but also aiming to keep their momentum going.

THE HISTORY: strong start, or strong end, but rarely both…

In recent seasons, Honda have tended to start a season well or end a season well, but rarely have they managed to start and end a campaign well. In 2024, they were well off the pace when the season kicked off but made big steps throughout the season to be in a position where they could challenge for rostrums in the final few rounds; something they achieved with Lecuona standing on the podium at the Circuito Estoril. In testing, despite the #7’s absence at Jerez through injury, it has looked as though Honda will start the season roughly where it ended 2024: a consistent presence in the top ten, perhaps challenging for the occasional podium. The next question is whether they can do in 2025 what they did in 2024 and take big steps throughout the season.

THE WINTER CHANGES: new suspension for Honda

For the 2022 season, Honda had an overhaul of riders and suppliers, bringing in Lecuona and Vierge while opting to move to Showa suspension. There’s been some change over the 2025 winter too, although less extreme as the rider line-up stays the same, as they move back to Ohlins suspension; the brand they used when they returned to WorldSBK as a full-factory team in 2020. It shows Honda’s quest for success is still ongoing but they’re leaving no stone unturned as they look to celebrate success in WorldSBK.

WINTER TESTING REVIEWED: positive signs for Vierge, Lecuona with limited action

Vierge has been Honda’s benchmark throughout January testing at Jerez and Portimao, with Lecuona missing the Jerez test and not being fully fit at Portimao through a winter training injury. Vierge was seventh on Day 1 in the dry in Spain and second in the wet on Day 2, before finishing P7 on Day 1 at Portimao and ninth on Day 2. Lecuona only tested in Portugal but was ahead of Vierge in the wet, although in the dry, the #97 was the faster of the two.

WHAT DO THE RIDERS THINK ABOUT 2025? “The goal is to give the same performance we had for most of the end of last year”

Both riders, throughout winter, gave their thoughts about the season ahead. Vierge stated at Jerez: “I’m really excited for a new season. My feeling was that, compared to last year, the base setup of the bike is a little bit better compared to 2024, which, at the end of the season, was quite good. I’m really looking forward to starting this new season and I hope to be fighting inside the top six and to make this last step to fight for podiums regularly.”

Lecuona added when speaking at Portimao: “The first goal is to be 100% ready, mentally and physically. If I’m honest, the first goal is to give the same performance that we had for most of the end of last year; every race we learnt and improved. Finally, we got a podium. I don’t want to say, ‘every race on the podium’, but I want to be there, the last one of the first group like last year.”

THE TEAM’S VIEW OF THE UPCOMING SEASON: “As long as we can keep improving every time, it’s going to be good”

Team Manager Jose Escamez was optimistic of success in 2025, saying in Spain: “I’m confident that we can keep the momentum that we’ve had since mid-season of 2024. I expect that we can keep improving which we’ve been doing lately. I think that it’s not easy, of course, as the other manufacturers are going to be really strong as they have always proved. At the moment, I’m positive and I’m confident. The target is always to win but that’s a really hard part of this job. As long as we can keep improving every time, it’s going to be good.”

During the team’s season launch video, Escamez also revealed that there would be closer ties between Honda Europe and the manufacturer’s test team. He stated when asked about European facilities: “Actually, we’ve had a logistical base in Europe since the very beginning of this project. It’s true that this year we are going to increase this collaboration with Honda Europe, which will be more involved with our test team and the development of the bike. We are putting in extra effort with the aim of speeding up our work and the way we reach our goals.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com