WorldSBK – Race 1
After a 125-day wait, the lights went out for the first time for the 2025 FIM Superbike World Championship, with Nicolo Bulega [Aruba.it Racing – Ducati] capitalising on his pole position to take the holeshot and lead the race from start to finish. The Italian quickly pulled a two-tenths lead out of Turn 2 on the opening lap, and that was all the riders saw of him as he settled into the 20-lap race.
Australia’s Remy Gardner [GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team] was an early casualty, crashing at Miller Corner after tucking the front on his Yamaha YZF R1. Fortunately, he was able to remount and continue, albeit at the back of the pack.
At the front, it was business as expected, with Bulega leading the way and pulling an impressive six-tenths gap early on, trying to maximize his momentum ahead of the dramatic flag-to-flag phase later in the race.
Rookie Yari Montella [Barni Spark Racing Team] endured a tough start to his WorldSBK career, crashing out on Lap 2. Meanwhile, Andrea Iannone [Team Pata Go Eleven] suffered an issue at Turn 3, slowing abruptly and bunching up the pack behind him. This allowed Bulega to extend his lead to 3.4 seconds within just three laps of the 4.445km circuit.
While Bulega continued to dominate, Scott Redding [MGM BONOVO Racing] was delivering an impressive performance further down the field. His move to Ducati machinery for the 2025 season appeared to be paying off, as he aggressively passed Alvaro Bautista [Aruba.it Racing – Ducati] to move into third place at the start of Lap 5.
By Lap 5, just one second separated positions 2 to 6, with Toprak Razgatlioglu [ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team], Scott Redding, Alvaro Bautista, Danilo Petrucci [Barni Spark Racing Team], and Michael Van Der Mark [ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team] all locked in battle.
Mandatory Pit Stop Phase
As the riders entered Lap 8 of the 20-lap race, pit lane was nearing its opening window. By the start of Lap 9, pit boards flashed the vital “BOX” signal, showing us which riders would choose to pit early, or stay out for as long as they were legally allowed to.
Mandatory Pit Stop Regulations:
- Riders may not complete more than 11 laps on a single dry rear tire.
- The minimum pit intervention time is 1 minute and 3 seconds, indicating how long riders must remain in pit lane during their mandatory stop.
Riders Who Pitted on Lap 9; the first chance to pit:
- Nicolo Bulega was the first rider to enter pit lane.
- Bautista, Petrucci, and Iannone also opted to pit early, while Razgatlioglu and Redding stayed out on track.
Riders Who Pitted on Lap 10:
- Scott Redding and Toprak Razgatlioglu
Unfortunately, Redding lost time in the pit stop, visibly frustrated as he clicked his Ducati into gear and rejoined the race. Razgatlioglu, on the other hand, had a smooth stop, emerging nearly 0.7 seconds ahead of Redding despite entering pit lane alongside him.
Redding rejoined the circuit just behind Alvaro Bautista, who had pitted a lap earlier.
Race Order After All Pit Stops Completed (Lap 12):
- Nicolo Bulega
- Toprak Razgatlioglu
- Alvaro Bautista
- Scott Redding
- Danilo Petrucci
- Andrea Locatelli
- Axel Bassani
- Alex Lowes
- Xavi Vierge
Disaster for Gardner
Gardner’s luck went from bad to worse in the closing laps of the race. After remounting following his early crash, his Yamaha R1 suffered a dramatic engine failure, blowing smoke down the straight and forcing him to retire from the race.
Final Lap & Results
With gaps beginning to settle among the top three, Bulega remained in a league of his own, leading by an incredible 6.1 seconds heading into the final lap.
The real action came behind him, as Bautista launched a late charge on Razgatlioglu. Despite closing the gap sector by sector, Bautista ultimately ran out of time, securing third place behind Razgatlioglu.
It was a dominant Ducati showing, with five of the top six riders aboard Ducati machinery.
Final Race 1 Standings:
- Nicolo Bulega
- Toprak Razgatlioglu
- Alvaro Bautista
- Danilo Petrucci
- Scott Redding
- Andrea Iannone
- Andrea Locatelli
- Alex Lowes
- Axel Bassani
- Sam Lowes
