WorldSBK Race Two
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was the winner of his third straight WorldSBK race at Phillip Island and he was the gilded point of a long Ducati spear that saw a complete domination of the top six places. That sextet of leading V4-R riders finishing within 10.097 seconds of each other.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was the runner-up in the race and joined his tall team-mate to wave their respective national lags for a celebration photo at T4 on the slow-down lap.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had an eventful race, starting well down because of his Superpole Race misfortunes, and fighting his way back into contention, too hard at times.
He pinged Petrucci when passing that even his visual apology was ignored by the authorities and he was penalised to drop one position. He dropped two as Sam Lowes also went past – but then Toprak would have to retire with a technical problem.
Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven Ducati) placed third, and Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing Ducati) fourth, after a near-three-second penalty was applied for leaving pitlane too early.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati) were the final member’s of Ducati’s super six at the very top of the classification, heading up a loose group six riders.
Top Yamaha rider was Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in seventh, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was eighth, rookie rider Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) was ninth and the top ten was completed by the second bimota of Axel Bassani.
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) had a very high speed fall to round out a tough weekend with a no-score. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) got points on the board for 13th, as he just won a drag race with top BMW finisher, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).
In the championship standings, Bulega has a perfect total of 62 points, with Bautista on 36 and Iannone on 35.
Next round, Portimao, at the end of March.
2025 Australian WorldSBK Results—WorldSBK Race Two
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) | |
| 2 | Álvaro Bautista | (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) | +2.603s |
| 3 | Andrea Iannone | (Team Pata Go Eleven) | +3.980s |
| 4 | Scott Redding | (MGM BONOVO Racing) | +8.043s |
| 5 | Danilo Petrucci | (Barni Spark Racing Team) | +10.009s |
WorldSSP Race Two
Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) won his first career WorldSSP race, on Sunday 23 February at PI, after an 18-lap that featured another mandatory tyre change stop, several big and high profile crashes, and Triumph’s first WorldSSP race win since
- Booth-Amos’ victory was also the first for a British rider since Taz Mackenzie scored a surprise Honda win at Most in 2023.
Booth-Amos worked hard and well for his victory, holding off Race One winner Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) by 0.671 seconds.
Rookie WorldSSP rider Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) crossed the line third but was relegated to fifth after a pit lane exit infraction during the mandatory pitstop.
Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was the beneficiary of Alcoba’s loss, finishing third and making it three different bikes on the podium.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (GMT94-Yamaha) was a solid fourth and his team-mate Lucas Mahias (GMT94-Yamaha) sixth.
There were several big crashes, with Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Ducati) hitting the back of Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse Ducati) near the end.
Oli Bayliss was seventh on his factory Triumph, 13 seconds from the race win.
Can Öncü (Yamaha bLU cRU Evan Bros Racing) fell from the leading pack with one to go.
In the championship standings. Booth-Amos and Manzi are tied for the lead on 45 points each.
2025 Australian WorldSSP Results—WorldSSP Race Two
| 1 | Tom Booth-Amos | (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) | |
| 2 | Stefano Manzi | (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) | +0.671s |
| 3 | Bo Bendsneyder | (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) | +1.125s |
| 4 | Michael Rinaldi | (GMT94 Yamaha) | +3.373s |
| 5 | Jeremy Alcoba | (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) | +9.467s |
WorldSBK Superpole Race
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) once more hit the front from pole and he was joined in the leading push by Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven Ducati). It was would end up a totally dominant race for Ducati as a factory, with the first non V4-R riders in sixth place.
When both Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) ran wide – very wide – entering T4, their races were effectively over. Bautista would later crash, rather than merely run off, on Lap Two, although he would restart. Toprak got up to 12th at the flag but scored no points in the sprint race scoring system.
By lap four of ten, Bulega was 0.5 seconds up on Iannone, with third placed Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) already 3.5 seconds down on the lead.
Both leading riders would have eventually lonely races, with Bulega 2.3 seconds up in his fellow Italian at the chequered flag.
Petrucci was third, the resurgent Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing Ducati) was fourth, with a career best WorldSBK ride to fifth by Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati) showing him some second season light at the end of the tunnel after last year’s long dark race weekends.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the best R1 rider in sixth place, with Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) seventh.
Local rider Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) ended his sprint race in tenth, with America’s Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) crashing out at the T4 hairpin on lap one.
A full distance Race Two, with a mandatory pit-stop in the middle, will round out the WorldSBK action in Australia on Sunday afternoon, and 16.00 local time.
2025 Australian WorldSBK Results—WorldSBK Superpole Race
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) | |
| 2 | Andrea Iannone | (Team Pata Go Eleven) | +2.324s |
| 3 | Danilo Petrucci | (Barni Spark Racing Team) | +4.923s |
| 4 | Scott Redding | (MGM BONOVO Racing) | +5.312s |
| 5 | Sam Lowes | (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) | +5.452s |
WorldSBK Race One
Any hopes his rivals may have had that Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) would not be quite as fast in a real race as he had been in pre-season testing and Superpole qualifying disappeared within two laps, as Bulega broke the entire field very early on and kept on building his advantage all the way to the flag.
The only time he was not in the lead across the stripe over 20-laps was when the mandatory tire changes happened at mid-race distance.
Bulega was an early pit entrant for new tyres, leaving eventual second place race Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to stay out, with Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing Ducati) a shadow for a time. Redding would end up fifth, but 40-year-old double champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was the final podium finisher in third place.
Bulega eased up near the end, reducing a six second penultimate lap advantage to 4.811, but it was still a transcendent performance from the tall Italian.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) was fourth, the aforementioned Redding fifth, and early podium runner Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven Ducati) dropping back then getting going again in a disturbed race for him, to round out the top six.
With top Yamaha rider Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in a solid seventh, 8.892 seconds behind the winner, the latest bimota WorldSBK return was rewarded with eighth place for Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) – despite a small penalty for leaving pitlane too early – and ninth place for his team-mate Axel Bassani. Top Honda rider was Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) in 11th.
After Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) had fallen his bike had caused a worrying moment, after leaving blue smokescreen out of the scary-fast last corner before Gardner could pull off the track surface. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) ran off track, rejoined the race in last position, and was later forced to retire. Only 16 riders finished a race that was held in air temperatures of 36°C and track temperatures of 55°C.
Superpole Race and Race Two will be held on Sunday at PI.
2025 Australian WorldSBK Results—Race One
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) | |
| 2 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) | +4.811s |
| 3 | Álvaro Bautista | (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) | +5.108s |
| 4 | Danilo Petrucci | (Barni Spark Racing Team) | +6.813s |
| 5 | Scott Redding | (MGM BONOVO Racing) | +6.986s |
WorldSSP Race One
There were a few glum faces in some Yamaha teams after pre-season testing was completed earlier this week, but in the first real test of the new three cylinder R9 proven WorldSSP star rider Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) secured a narrow win, from a strong ‘second half’ performance of Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing). Marcel Schrötter (WRP Racing Ducati) wad finally classified third, despite running wide on the final lap.
A mandatory tire change at mid-race distance shook up the running order in the first half of the race, with not all the top riders pitting for tyres at the same time.
Declared fit after a big practice crash, Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) fought his way to fourth place, just 1.447 from Manzi’s winning pace after a time penalty was applied ot him. Can Öncü (Yamaha bLU cRU Evan Bros Racing) was fifth.
Potential winner Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Ducati) was eventually ranked sixth, despite going over the line in the podium position, as he was penalised 3.5 seconds for exiting pitlane too early after his tire change.
Local hero Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) was finally seventh but had been closer to the front than his eventual 4.2 second gap to Manzi. First time Ducati rider, Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse Ducati), finished eighth.
Race Two takes place on Sunday at 14.30 local time in Australia.
2025 Australian WorldSSP Results—Race One
| 1 | Stefano Manzi | (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) | |
| 2 | Tom Booth-Amos | (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) | +0.322s |
| 3 | Marcel Schroetter | (WRP Racing) | +0.480s |
| 4 | Bo Bendsneyder | (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) | +1.447s |
| 5 | Can Oncu | (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) | +2.513s |
WorldSBK Superpole
The big uplift in air temperatures on Saturday saw Superpole take place in hot and windy conditions. An early and painful crash, then a red flag stoppage, maybe said all that needed to be said about how Honda’s pre-season had been going.
The Superpole session got going again after a short delay, with the Ducati riders in the early mix.
And the late one, as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured the first Superpole ‘win’ of the season, but only by 0.094 seconds from a clearly determined Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). Bulega used an SC1 front and a D0922 (development) rear tyre.
Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven Ducati) took the last place on the Race One grid with his third best Superpole time, but he was a significant 0.442 seconds down on the lead Ducati of Bulega.
Ducati continued its near domination at PI so far with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) fourth fastest and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) fifth. Just for good measure, prodigal Ducati son Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing Ducati) was sixth fastest in his first Ducati Superpole for literally years. Five Ducatis nestling inside the top six places tells a visual story of his this pre-season has been shaping up.
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the second BMW rider on the grid, with two Yamaha riders, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) inside the top nine places. The best new bimota entry, from Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), was tenth in its first Superpole, and just over a second from the best lap time.
The top Honda rider was Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) in 12th place.
2025 Australian WorldSBK Results—Superpole
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) | 1:28.824s |
| 2 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) | +0.094s |
| 3 | Andrea Iannone | (Team Pata Go Eleven) | +0.442s |
| 4 | Alvaro Bautista | (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) | +0.696s |
| 5 | Danilo Petrucci | (Barni Spark Racing Team) | +0.833s |
Friday WorldSBK
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) smashed the hopes of all comers in the first day of practice at the opening round of the WorldSBK championship after setting the quickest lap by some distance. His 1:28.790 best was a significant 0.406 seconds faster than second placed rider Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven Ducati). Both top riders went faster in the FP2 afternoon session than they had in the earlier FP1.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had to rely on his FP1 session to go third quickest overall, after a slow FP2 fall lost him some track time in the afternoon.
A top opening day for Ducati in general saw Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) take fourth the best combined Friday time.
Reigning champ Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) seemed to have to rely on what was a de facto on track tow from Bulega around the 4.445km circuit to set his best time of the opening day – a 129.599. It took him to overall fifth place.
Behind the first non-Ducati, a slightly surprising but truly impressive lap of 1’29.739 in FP1 saw Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) not only become lead Yamaha rider, but a strong sixth overall.
Two more Ducati riders showed good pace on the ‘real’ first day of school, as second season rider Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati) was seventh and rookie WorldSBK runner Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) eighth.
The exciting new bimota project was in the mix but not up front per se, with Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) ninth overall – and just a second or so from Bulega’s best. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 11th.
Tenth place, in a bimota sandwich as it were, was factory rider Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha).
The lone Kawasaki of Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) was 15th, even if he set a faster FP2 time than in FP1.
Top Honda rider was Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) in 16th. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 17th.
2025 Australian WorldSBK Results—Friday
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) | 1:28.790s |
| 2 | Andrea Iannone | (Team Pata Go Eleven) | +0.406s |
| 3 | Alvaro Bautista | (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) | +0.725s |
| 4 | Danilo Petrucci | (Barni Spark Racing Team) | +0.794s |
| 5 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) | +0.809s |
Friday WorldSSP
After a delayed start to the 40-minute long WorldSSP Superpole qualifying contest – for the uniquely Aussie hazard of wallabies roaming around the live track – Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) continued his strong form from testing and FP1 to secure a Superpole ‘win’ and earn the best starting position on the grid for the first race on Saturday.
He would suffer a big highside crash soon after, injuring a toe on his right foot. His medical condition will be reviewed again on Saturday, before warm-up.
Leader for a time Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) ended up second on the grid and 0.189 seconds behind Bendsneyder.
The new R9 Yamaha had a strong enough debut in the hands of former WorldSSP champion Lucas Mahias (GMT94-Yamaha), in third place for a front row start to Race One on Saturday.
Recent Kawasaki rider Can Öncü (Yamaha bLU cRU Evan Bros Racing) was immediately fourth quickest in his first truly competitive WorldSSP ride on the R9, with new Ducati rider Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse Ducati) fifth quickest.
Spain’s Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Ducati) was the second best Ducati rider in qualifying, in sixth place overall.
Local rider Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) made Friday an even more joyful start for the factory Triumph team by ending up 0.504 seconds behind Bendsneyder, in a strong seventh place.
2024 runner-up Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) earned a third row start in eighth place, with new Ducati rider Marcel Schrötter (WRP Racing Ducati) ninth, Recent WorldSBK rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (GMT94-Yamaha) rounded out the top ten.
Philipp Öttl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati) did not ride due to his heavily swollen knee, while replacement rider for Glenn van Strallen (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team Ducati) Harrison Voight did not get to set a clean lap and recorded no official Superpole time.
There will be the first of two flag-to-flag 18 lap races in WorldSSP on Saturday 22 February, with a mandatory pitstop to change tyres at half race distance.
Local rider Luke Power (Motozoo ME air racing MV Agusta) was 17th on day one, from 23 competing riders.
2025 Australian WorldSSP Results—Friday
| 1 | Bo Bendsneyder | (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) | 1:32.310s |
| 2 | Tom Booth-Amos | (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) | +0.189s |
| 3 | Lucas Mahias | (GMT94-YAMAHA) | +0.325s |
| 4 | Can Oncu | (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) | +0.334s |
| 5 | Valentin Debise | (Renzi Corse) | +0.414s |
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