One and a half days of warm and sunny weather at Phillip Island in Australia allowed the assembled WorldSBK and WorldSSP teams a relatively clear run towards the first round of the season this coming weekend.
The now customary two-day official tests, held between February 17-18, saw 2024 World Championship runner-up Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) lead the field in terms of single best lap times, with a strong 1:28.680.
He set his best pace in the third of four sessions at PI, as rain fell ahead of the final afternoon session, which was held in largely wet conditions until the very last 10 minutes when the track had almost dried out again.
“I improved the feeling from yesterday, which was already good, so I think we have a strong package to start the race weekend. I’m happy with how the bike feels—everything is working well at the moment,” Bulega said. “Of course, we still have room for improvement, but I’ve already made a small step forward from yesterday, and if we can take another, that would be great.
“Testing is one thing—it’s important to have a good feeling, but at the end of the day, you don’t score points in testing. I’ll start Friday with a positive mindset, knowing we have a strong package. I feel good at this circuit, and the bike is working well here. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going and improve a little more.
“I’m really looking forward to the first race of the year—finally, we’re getting started!” Bulega added. “I have to admit, I don’t enjoy testing that much; I prefer race weekends. Testing can get a bit boring, so I’m really excited to start racing.”
Second fastest overall was Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven Ducati), despite losing track time on a sunny and wind-free day one due to tech issues with his two bikes. He was 0.482 of a second behind Bulega.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) was third quickest overall, making it as strong a Ducati end to the preseason as everyone expected.
Reigning champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the first ripple in the otherwise clear Ducati pool of pace, and overall fourth fastest thanks to his best time from FP4.
Toprak, like several other riders, crashed on day one. Luckily, he did not seriously re-injure his damaged right index finger, but he took a heavy beating, nonetheless.
“After the crash, especially on the second day, we started off well because our main target is to find the right setup for the race,” the defending champ, Razgatlioglu, said. “We finally found something, but we’re not 100 percent ready yet. After the crash, we lost two hours of riding, and the afternoon brought some rain, so we only got the last eight minutes to ride the bike. We found a few things, but we’re still not 100 percent, so we’ll see how it goes on Friday. The weekend is important, and we’re doing our best, as always.
“I feel the same as before, but I’m continuing to ride the bike,” he added. “We’re racers, and it’s crucial to keep riding. This is an important weekend because it’s the first race of the 2025 season. Even though I’m still not 100 percent, after a couple of laps, the pain isn’t too bad, and I can still ride without problems. We also did some good lap times on race tires, so I’m a bit excited for the first race!”
Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) is out of the first round of the new championship completely after a big highside saw him break multiple bones in his left foot.
Rea’s teammate, Andrea Locatelli, claimed sixth place with a 1:29.493 while also completing 24 laps as he continued testing the 2025 package featuring chassis components and new electronic strategies. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took 15th place with Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Tito Rabat (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and teammate Bahattin Sofuoglu in 18th, 19th and 21st, respectively.
Bimota’s strong preseason form continued with P6 and P7 on Tuesday, with Alex Lowes (Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) leading teammate Axel Bassani by just 0.093. The number 22 completed 36 laps while Bassani added another 30 in the dry FP3 session. The best time for Bimota was recorded by Alex Lowes who set a 1:29.534 while Bassani’s P8 meant he was the last rider within a second of Bulega’s time.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took fifth as he found more confidence on his Panigale V4 R, showing consistency throughout the dry conditions as he often lapped in the 1:29s; he also completed 38 laps in the morning session. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) completed the top 10 as he continued re-adapting to the Panigale V4 R as he completed 35 dry laps, finishing just ahead of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) in 11th. Rookie Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) impressed on day one of the Official Test and did again on day two, despite a crash at tturn four, as he finished 13th place ahead of fellow rookie Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team).
Honda HRC had a positive test with Xavi Vierge finishing ninth on the CBR1000RR-R.
“It has been a very productive test, and I think we did a great job, especially after day one,” Vierge said. “We found something with the bike setup that gave me a good feeling and helped me improve my race pace, so I can say I’m ending the winter test season in a positive mood. We focused a lot on the electronics to better manage tire life, and we’re happy with the progress we made in that area, too. We also practiced for a flag-to-flag situation, as that will be one of the key factors during this weekend’s races, and we feel ready. It’s just a pity that the fourth session was affected by rain, so we didn’t get a chance to make any time attacks here in Australia yet. But overall, we’ve covered all areas of the setup and are ready for the race weekend.”
Vierge’s teammate Iker Lecuona rode well but is still not yet 100 percent from his injuries last year.
“My body has healed, and I generally feel good, but I’ve lost muscle mass in my left shoulder area, so I don’t have my usual strength to ride the bike,” Lecuona said. “Of course, that makes things more difficult, especially in the changes of direction, and there are parts of the track where I struggle a lot. After four months, it feels really good to be back on the bike, but at the same time, it’s frustrating because I can’t ride in my usual style.”
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) has been quick throughout the winter so far, but day two in Australia was more difficult for the American. A crash at turn eight briefly brought out the red flags, with the number 31 completing 16 laps and posting a best of 1:30.350. He was also one rider to venture out in the wet, setting a 1:44.955 after he didn’t go out in the best conditions.
The fastest WorldSSP rider at the tests was Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), with returning WorldSSP rider Philipp Ottl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati) second fastest, despite a big crash on the final morning. He will be medically reviewed before race weekend.
“In the end, it’s just testing—there are no points,” Bendsneyder said. “We’re staying calm and focused on our main job. Of course, it’s nice to start the season this way, but the most important thing will be Saturday and Sunday afternoon when the real points are on the line.”
The best of the new Yamaha YZF-R9s was in overall fourth place and ridden by Can Oncu (Yamaha Blu Cru Evan Bros).
Phillip Island WorldSBK Test Results
- Nicolo Bulega (Duc) 1:28.680
- Andrea Iannone (Duc) +0.482
- Danilo Petrucci (Duc) +0.499
- Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) +0.567
- Alvaro Bautista (Duc) +0.797
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