On a scorching day at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dominated proceedings in both the Tissot Superpole and the opening race of the 2025 WorldSBK season.

• Bulega claimed Phillip Island pole position during a red flag interrupted Tissot Superpole session. The Italian rider’s lap time, 1'28.824, comfortably led the way from Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven).
• Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) led a second row lock-out for Ducati ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing).
• A crash for Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) at Turn 10 brought out the red flag and also ended the Spaniard’s weekend due to a foot injury.

Untouchable Bulega claims the spoils

• Bulega converted his pole position into an early lead and the Italian, who has set the pace in every session this weekend, opened a commanding lead in the opening laps.
• Bulega led for the opening eight laps before entering the pits for a mandatory change of tyres. The Ducati rider entered pit lane at the first opportunity and would retake the lead on Lap 11 before controlling the race to the chequered flag.
• A fast starting Andrea Iannone was the closest challenger to Bulega on the opening lap but when the Italian ran wide on Lap 2 the field splintered and Bulega was released to his lead.
• Razgatlioglu spent the opening quarter of the race giving chase to Bulega but dropped to fourth before the pit window opened. His pit stop was efficient and he was in second position when the field reshuffled. He would hold off Bautista for the 20 points on offer for the runner-up finish.
• On his return to Ducati machinery Redding converted his second row start into a top five finish. The British rider enjoyed a combative race to consistently fight for the podium.
• Bimota’s return to WorldSBK saw the manufacturer lead a lap during the pit window. Both Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani finished inside the top ten in eighth and ninth positions respectively.
• Home rider Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed on the opening lap at Turn 4 and would later retire with a technical issue.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) :

« I'm really happy because my feeling was good from the first session of Monday’s test. Every time I get on the bike, I know what I can do and what I have to do. I’m just enjoying riding because it's an amazing feeling lap by lap. I’m really proud of what we’re doing here this week.

I wasn’t relaxed before the race because I knew that some aggressive riders were starting close to me especially on the first lap after braking. So I tried to stay calm and focused. I started well and I finished well. If I can keep this feeling, I can stay positive about the rest of the weekend. I want to continue in this position. »

Toprak Razgatlıoglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) :

« I feel very good because, finally, I have started to smile again. I didn’t expect this result but we did a very good job today. My team improved the bike every session. At the start of the race, I wasn’t really strong. As the race progressed I felt better grip and the bike turned better. C’était peut-être parce que le niveau de carburant était plus bas. Mais en général, nous avons fait du très bon travail dans la Course 1.

En Superpole, quand j’ai suivi Bulega, j’ai fait un très bon temps au tour, mais ce n’était qu’un seul tour ! J’ai eu de la chance parce que quand j’ai vu Bulega arriver, je l’ai immédiatement suivi. Dans la course, j’ai terminé à nouveau en P2, ce qui est parfait. J’ai essayé de suivre Bulega, mais au départ, toutes les Ducati m’ont dépassé dans la ligne droite. La Ducati est toujours très forte dans la ligne droite ! Après cela, j’ai juste essayé de trouver mon rythme. Nous nous améliorons à chaque séance, même si ce ne sont que de petites étapes, et demain, nous avons deux courses de plus. Voyons ce qui se passera. »

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) :
« For sure, we started a bit better than last year so I am happy about that. We are growing in confidence with the bike. The conditions were extreme today; it was too hot and too windy. When the bike had a lot of lean you couldn’t pick it up and go straight because the wind just pushed you out. À plusieurs reprises, j’ai failli sortir de la piste à la sortie des virages 2 et 3. Il n’était pas très confortable de rouler dans ces conditions. J’ai essayé jusqu’à la fin, mais dans cette situation, il était préférable d’assurer une course solide, de prendre quelques points et d’attendre le bon moment pour pousser plus fort. Il est important de terminer le week-end avec une bonne confiance et de construire une base solide pour les prochaines courses. »

  Superpole Results
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

TISSOT SUPERPOLE RESULTS

Race 1 Results
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
6. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) +7.548s

RACE 1 RESULTS

Manzi delivers maiden victory for Yamaha R9

On the debut of the Yamaha YZF R9 Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) delivered victory for the Japanese manufacturer. The Italian started in eighth position but he was in the fight at the front from the start of the 18 lap race.

• Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) led the opening laps of the race before the Turkish rider finished in fifth position.
• A 3.510s time penalty for a Pit Intervention infringement relegated WorldSSP debutant Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) from the podium to sixth position. The 2023 Moto3 World Champion led a total of four laps on a strong debut.

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) :

« It’s great to start the season with a win. To begin our new journey with a new bike by winning is an amazing feeling. I want to thank Yamaha and the team because they have put a lot of effort into this project behind the scenes. Grâce à eux, j’ai pu gagner aujourd’hui.

It wasn’t easy. It was a tough fight in this race and with the pit stop the race was split. Au final, je suis là à terminer premier donc je suis content ! Il est important de commencer la saison par une victoire parce que, lors des essais hivernaux en Espagne et encore ici lundi, j’ai eu beaucoup de difficultés. Ce n’était pas facile du tout. En Superpole, je n’étais pas super rapide, mais au final, nous avons réussi à combler l’écart et voici le résultat. »

Race 1 Results
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
6. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) +3.527s