Bulega Hits Back at Estoril as Title Battle with Toprak Goes Down to the Wire at Jerez

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Superpole Showdown: Toprak Strikes Back for BMW

Earlier in the day, Razgatlioglu had extended his lead with a flawless display in the Tissot Superpole Race. Starting from the middle of the front row, he slipped behind Bulega at Turn 1 but hit back just one lap later with a daring move into the same corner. The two traded tenths all race, but Toprak’s defensive brilliance secured his eighth Superpole Race win of the season.

Behind them, the battle for third was a frenetic seven-rider fight. Bautista again emerged on top, though he spent the entire race glancing over his shoulder at the charging Yamaha duo of Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli. Rea’s crash on Lap 7 ended his podium hopes, while Locatelli narrowly held fourth after Alex Lowes’ ambitious final-lap lunge ended with a crash. Andrea Iannone profited to claim a hard-earned fifth.

Superpole Race Results

Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW)
Nicolo Bulega (Ducati) +0.545s
Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) +8.942s

Bulega Hits Back at Estoril as Title Battle with Toprak Goes Down to the Wire at Jerez

The WorldSBK title fight will go all the way to the season finale in Jerez after Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) struck back in style at Estoril. The Italian delivered a commanding victory in Race 2 to halt the momentum of championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), ensuring the duel for the 2025 crown remains alive heading into next weekend’s decider.
Razgatlioglu’s runner-up finish maintains his advantage at 39 points, setting up a tantalizing finale between two riders at the peak of their form.

Race 2: Bulega Dominates, Toprak Settles for Damage Limitation

Bulega wasted no time asserting himself at lights out, launching cleanly from second on the grid to take the holeshot into Turn 1. From there, the Ducati rider never looked back — setting a relentless pace that left his rivals trailing. By mid-race distance, his advantage was beyond three seconds, and by the flag, he had stretched it to a commanding five.

Razgatlioglu’s race began in damage-control mode after a sluggish getaway saw him shuffled back to fifth on the opening lap. The Turkish rider quickly regrouped, slicing past Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven), and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) to climb into second place. However, despite his trademark aggression, he had no answer for Bulega’s pace on the day.

Bautista, meanwhile, claimed a well-earned third, having spent the majority of the race fending off a persistent challenge from Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team). Lowes shadowed the Ducati throughout, but despite threatening on multiple occasions, he could never quite find the space to make a move.

Andrea Iannone had shown strong form early on before a jump-start penalty dropped him down the order, eventually crossing the line in 12th.

Championship Picture: Advantage Toprak, But the Fight Rolls On

For Razgatlioglu, Estoril represented his first mathematical opportunity to clinch a third WorldSBK crown — but Bulega’s victory means the celebrations are on hold. With a 39-point cushion, the BMW rider can wrap up the championship as early as Race 1 at Jerez.

Bautista’s consistent weekend has lifted him back into third overall, eight points clear of Locatelli, as Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) absence through injury dropped him to fifth.
In the manufacturers’ standings, Ducati regained the upper hand — moving three points clear of BMW after Razgatlioglu’s earlier Superpole Race win briefly swung the balance.

The Podium Speaks

P1 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“It was a really strong race for us. We made some big improvements after the Superpole Race this morning, and I felt much more confident with the front. This win means a lot — it keeps the championship alive. Toprak has been incredible all season, but we’ve also had a great year. All I can do now is keep fighting at 200% and try to put pressure on him right to the end.”

P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team):
“I pushed hard from the start, but in the first laps everyone was riding crazy! After that, I just focused on catching Bulega, but he was very strong today. By the end my tyre was finished, so it was impossible to fight for the win. Still, second place gives us good points for the championship, and now we go to Jerez — my favourite track — ready to finish the job.”

P3 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“This weekend has been all about the number three — three podiums and now third in the standings! Honestly, Toprak and Nicolo were a level ahead, but I’m happy. It wasn’t easy with a group behind me all race, and I had to stay super focused. Two podiums today feels like a great reward for the team’s hard work.”

Race 2 Results

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +4.868s
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +15.331s
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +17.333s
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +20.567s
Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) +22.205s

Championship Standings

Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 580 pts
Nicolo Bulega (Ducati) – 541 pts
Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) – 292 pts

WorldSSP: Manzi Seals the Crown with a Statement Win

While the WorldSBK title remains undecided, the Supersport Championship was wrapped up in emphatic fashion as Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) stormed to his tenth victory of the season — and with it, the 2025 WorldSSP crown.

Starting fifth, Manzi bided his time before slicing through the pack, taking the lead from Valentin Debise on Lap 16 of 18 and never looking back. Debise, who had won Race 1, was forced to retire late with a mechanical issue, allowing Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) and Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) to complete the podium — the latter celebrating his first in the category after charging from 25th on the grid.

A frustrated Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) could only manage ninth after technical gremlins derailed his title challenge.

P1 – Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing):
“It’s just incredible — I don’t even have the words. Since I was a kid, I’ve dreamed about becoming World Champion. To win the title and do it with a race victory is perfect. Wearing the gold suit on the podium was a dream come true.”

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

Stefano Manzi (Yamaha)
Philipp Oettl (Ducati) +2.599s
Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki) +2.574s

Championship Standings

Stefano Manzi – 425 pts
Can Oncu – 343 pts
Tom Booth-Amos – 233 pts

WorldSSP300: Thompson Wins by a Whisker as Title Race Tightens

Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) produced a thrilling last-lap victory in Estoril’s WorldSSP300 contest, edging Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove) by just 0.010 seconds at the line.
The pair broke clear in a two-rider duel that came down to a photo finish, with Daniel Mogeda (Pons Motorsport Italika Racing) snatching third after a bold final-lap charge.

David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) had led into the final corner but was swallowed up in the drag race to the flag, missing the podium by only 0.041s.

With two races remaining, Fernandez leads Thompson by ten points, with Salvador a further seven adrift — ensuring a four-way showdown for the title at Jerez. Thompson’s victory also sealed the Manufacturers’ Championship for Kawasaki.

P1 – Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki):
“It’s been an incredible weekend. Two strong races, a win, and great points for the championship. The team gave me a perfect bike and we’ve improved every session. I couldn’t ask for more.”