Bulega Leads the Charge as WorldSBK Season Finale Begins at Jerez

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The final showdown of the 2025 WorldSBK season roared into life at the Circuito de Jerez–Ángel Nieto with Nicolo Bulega setting the early benchmark for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati. The Italian, sitting 39 points adrift of championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu, fired in a best lap of 1’38.587 in ideal conditions to finish Friday on top.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Bulega, however. The Ducati rider’s afternoon was interrupted by a technical issue on his Panigale V4 R that briefly halted his progress in Free Practice 2. The problem was quickly diagnosed and resolved, allowing the 24-year-old to return to the circuit and post his fastest time in the closing stages of the session.

Meanwhile, Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished the day second overall. The Turkish star didn’t look entirely at ease around the 4.423 km Spanish circuit, opting for several shorter stints across his 30 laps — a departure from his usual long-run rhythm this season. Still, his pace was close to Bulega’s, just 0.088s adrift.

Returning to action this weekend after missing the previous round in Estoril, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) impressed in third position. The Briton, who knows Jerez well from his Moto2 days — where he claimed two Grand Prix victories — showed strong form despite still nursing rib pain from a previous crash. Lowes ended the day ahead of Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven), who rounded out the top five. Iannone’s day ended in dramatic fashion after a fast crash at Turn 11, though he escaped unhurt.

Further down the order, Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) produced a late flyer to end the day 11th. The six-time WorldSBK Champion begins his final weekend in the series before bowing out of full-time competition — a fittingly emotional chapter in an illustrious career.

🏁 Combined Results after FP2

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) – 1’38.587
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) – +0.088
Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) – +0.279
Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) – +0.422
Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) – +0.441
Alex Lowes (Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) – +0.618

Rider Reactions

P1 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

“My day wasn’t bad, but the feeling isn’t 100%. I think we still have room to improve because I didn’t like the bike in a few areas. Hopefully we can fix the setup for tomorrow. I had a small slide at the exit of Turn 1 and returned to the garage because Iannone said something I didn’t quite understand — it turned out to be a minor issue that the team fixed quickly. Overall, we did a good job, tried different tyres, and I was fast. If we can make the bike a little better tomorrow, we’ll be in great shape.”

P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)

“Friday didn’t start perfectly, but I gave everything. We tested here before and I felt stronger then, but the cooler weather today changed the feeling a lot. We’re still chasing the best setup for the race. FP2 wasn’t bad, but we’re not quite at Bulega’s level yet — he’s always quick at Jerez. My focus is on the race, because that’s what really matters. Nicolo is very strong right now, but if we improve a bit, I think we can fight with him.”

P3 – Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team)

“I know this track really well from my Grand Prix days, and today felt good overall. I’m still struggling with my ribs, so the race distance might be tough, but the bike is working brilliantly and helped me through the sessions. In the hotter conditions, with the electronics setup we have, I managed to stay quite close to Nicolo. Let’s see what tomorrow brings — it’s the final round, so I’m giving everything.”

Casadei Secures Second Superpole of the Season

In WorldSSP, Matteo Casadei (Motozoo ME Air Racing) delivered a sensational performance to clinch his second pole position of the year. The Italian clocked a blistering 1’41.959, three-tenths clear of Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) and Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), making it three different manufacturers on the front row.

The battle for third in the championship remains tense. Masia, who trails Tom Booth-Amos by just six points, did his title hopes a favor by qualifying on the front row. Booth-Amos, on the other hand, endured a nightmare session, crashing at Turn 11 and ending up a distant 21st on the grid.

Newly crowned World Champion Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) qualified 11th in his first outing since sealing the title. He’ll start from the fourth row alongside Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha), who also went down during the session, and Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse).

P1 – Matteo Casadei (Motozoo ME Air Racing)

“I’m really happy. That lap was incredible and I enjoyed every second of it. We started the weekend in a good way and felt strong straight away. Taking my second pole of the season gives me huge confidence. The team worked perfectly to put me in a position to attack — so a big thanks to them. Now I’ll give 100% to fight for the podium tomorrow.”

Superpole Results

Matteo Casadei (Motozoo ME Air Racing) – 1’41.959
Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) – +0.346
Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) – +0.389
Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) – +0.393
Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) – +0.462
Xavi Cardelus (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) – +0.499

Vannucci Makes It Three Superpoles in a Row

Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300) continued his streak of form by taking his third consecutive Superpole, setting the pace early with a 1’52.039. The Italian went out on track alone — a strategy that once again paid dividends — as no one else could better his early benchmark.

Championship contender Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) will line up alongside Vannucci in second, with the Australian just 0.112s behind. Thompson, who trails Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove) by ten points in the standings, will be encouraged by his front-row start. Fernandez faces a tougher task after qualifying seventh.

David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) impressed in fifth place, securing the Tissot Superpole Award for the season as the top overall qualifier in the category.

P1 – Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300)

“It was a great Friday. I’m really happy with the lap and the work my team did. I prefer to go out alone in Superpole — it suits me and helps me focus. The pace was strong and everything worked perfectly. Now we’ll see how the race goes tomorrow.”