The Dutch Round Awaits: Big Words and Bold Ambitions Ahead of Assen

The 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continues its thrilling campaign with a stop at the iconic TT Circuit Assen. As the grid prepares for battle at the Cathedral of Speed, Thursday’s media day offered a wave of intriguing insights, strong emotions, and a few bold declarations. From dreams of home-podium glory to talk of future machinery, here’s what the top contenders had to say ahead of the Pirelli Dutch Round.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I wouldn’t like to go home without racing that model!”

Alvaro Bautista may be a two-time World Champion, but his 2025 campaign hasn’t gone entirely to plan so far. Reflecting on the season and looking ahead to Assen, the Ducati star shared some candid thoughts.

“It’s been a strange start to the season. Our performance itself isn’t bad — in fact, I feel much better than last year,” Bautista explained. “But we had a crash in Australia and an incident in Race 1 at Portimao, so we’ve lost some important points.”

Still, he’s optimistic: “The most important thing is the feeling I have with the bike. I want to hold on to what I felt in Australia and Portimao. Nicolo [Bulega] is very strong right now; he has a lot of confidence and rides the bike at its best. I feel like I’m closing the gap, but I’m not quite there yet. We’re working to recover the feeling I had two years ago.”

On his expectations at Assen, Bautista remained grounded: “It’s a track I’ve been fast at in the past, but each year is a new challenge. I don’t have specific expectations for results — I just want to enjoy riding here like I used to.”

And as for 2026? He’s clearly eyeing Ducati’s upcoming machine. “Ducati will bring out the new model next year, and I’d really like to race with that bike. I started in WorldSBK with the Panigale V4 R, and I wouldn’t want to step away without trying the new one.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “This weekend my goal is to win all three races”

Toprak Razgatlioglu arrives at Assen riding high after a stunning hat-trick at Portimao, and he’s laser-focused on keeping that momentum going.

“After Australia, we really stepped up in Portimao,” said the Turkish superstar. “I hope I can keep that level this weekend and for the rest of the season. Last year, I only won here once. This time, my goal is clear — I want to win all three races.”

Toprak also weighed in on the new fuel regulations, which he believes will spice up the action. “It’s good for the other brands. It’ll bring more competition, and I’m happy to see that — it’ll make the racing better.”

When asked about his future plans, particularly looking ahead to 2026, Toprak admitted he’s keeping his options open: “Right now, I don’t know. Kenan [Sofuoglu] is here this weekend — maybe ask him!” he said with a laugh. “But I do hope we’ll have the same level of support as last year — maybe even more, especially from Turkish fans.”

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “The goal of everybody is to stay together”

Bulega is quickly cementing his place among the frontrunners in WorldSBK, and he heads to Assen with confidence — and fond memories.

“I feel good heading into this weekend,” he said. “Assen is a track I love. In World Supersport, I had a great time here — two wins and a pole position. Last year in WorldSBK was a bit tougher because of the weather, but this season I feel completely different.”

He sees Assen as a circuit that suits his riding style more than Portimao, but he’s also cautious. “You can never be 100% sure how it will go. Still, I always enjoy riding here.”

As for the 2026 Ducati bike, Bulega has had his first look — from a distance, at least. “I haven’t ridden it yet, just seen it from the outside, but it looks great. We’re in talks with Ducati and Aruba, but nothing is decided yet. My goal is to stay here — I’ve got a great feeling with the team and the bike. I think we all want to keep this group together.”

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “My dream is to be on the podium”

For Michael van der Mark, Assen is more than just another race — it’s home. The Dutch rider is eager to put on a show in front of his fans.

“There’s nothing like your home round,” he smiled. “I love riding here. It’s a track I enjoy, and after Portimao, I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do.”

Reflecting on recent progress, van der Mark feels the team is moving in the right direction. “The test at Portimao gave us a lot of valuable feedback. After Australia, we needed answers, and I think we’ve got a solid base now. It’s not perfect, but we can be consistent.”

His goal for the weekend? Clear and ambitious. “I really want to be on the podium here. The competition is so tight — every detail matters. But I believe we can be strong.”

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team): “P3 is always changing — it’s a big fight between five or six riders”

After missing last year’s Assen round due to injury, Danilo Petrucci is excited to be back on Dutch soil — and feeling good about his form.

“I’m really happy to return to Assen,” he said. “I missed it last year because of my Motocross crash. But I love the Netherlands — except for the weather!”

Petrucci’s target is to stay among the frontrunners. “The goal is to fight for the top five. So far, I’m happy with the season. Australia was solid, and even though we had some issues in Portimao — my right arm and a launch control problem in Race 2 — I still managed to fight back. Now we’re sitting P3 in the Championship, which is great, but it’s still early days.”

He knows the battle behind the leaders is fierce. “Toprak and Nicolo have a bit more at the moment, but behind them, P3 is always changing. It’s a big fight between five or six riders.”

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha): “We put the puzzle together — now we need to trust the process”

After a strong weekend in Portimao, Andrea Locatelli is carrying confidence into Assen — a place that holds special memories.

“Portimao was amazing,” he said. “And Assen? I love this track. In 2021, I got my first WorldSBK podium here. Everything feels good heading into this round.”

Locatelli believes the team has found a working formula. “What we did in testing and at the last round really paid off. We’ve put all the puzzle pieces together. Now we need to trust that and keep working. The goal is to keep fighting for podiums.”

He’s also quick to point out his love for the circuit: “I’ve always enjoyed riding here — fast, flowing, and technical. It suits my style. There’s no secret — I just feel good on this track.”

Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC): “It’s important to be quick from the start”

Xavi Vierge was one of the surprise stories at Portimao, and the Spaniard is hoping to carry that momentum into Assen.

“I’m really happy with how things went at Portimao,” he said. “It was a solid weekend for us. Now, the goal is to keep that form here.”

Honda’s development work has paid off, especially on the electronics side. “We tested a lot at Portimao, so when the race weekend came, we could focus on the details. The team did a great job, and that gave us the chance to fine-tune the tyre strategy and setup.”

For Assen, Vierge knows the key will be starting strong. “We need to have a solid base right from the first session. If we can be fast from the beginning, I think we’ll have a good weekend.”

With so many storylines and championship implications in play, all eyes now turn to the action on track. The Cathedral of Speed is ready — and so are the riders.

Fuel Flow Adjustment for Ducati and BMW Following Concession Checkpoint 1

Following the completion of the opening two rounds of the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship — marking the first Concession Checkpoint of the season — the FIM has conducted its performance evaluation of the manufacturers using the MSMA algorithm, in accordance with the FIM regulations.

According to article 2.4.3.2* of the FIM WorldSBK Regulations – Overperformance Penalisation – the performance values for both Ducati and BMW have exceeded the -0.250 threshold and remain below the -0.500 limit. As a result, both manufacturers fall within the range defined for a Step 1 Fuel Flow reduction.

In accordance with article 2.4.2.2* of the WorldSBK Regulations, a Step 1 Fuel Flow reduction equates to a decrease of 0.5 kg/h. This adjustment will come into effect starting from the next round at Assen.

The FIM will continue to monitor manufacturer performances at each Concession Checkpoint to ensure a balanced and competitive championship.

Official WorldSBK Press Release